IPM for the Urban Professional: A Study Guide for the Associate Certified Entomologist

Nick Day | August 17, 2017

October 2015
Softback
208 Pages
ISBN 9780996667401

Designed as a study guide for those pursuing the ACE (Associate Certified Entomologists) program run by the Entomological Society of America. Founded in 1889, the ESA has nearly 7,000 members today. IPM for the Urban Professional also serves as a comprehensive introduction to the concepts of integrated pest management (IPM); basic classification, identification points, and pest biology; an outline of pesticide concepts; and an overview of important safety and regulatory issues. The book fills a gap in the structural pest control book market: It is far more comprehensive than an introductory overview, but does not get bogged down in the details on specific management techniques for every structural pest.

IPM for the Urban Professional is designed to be used in conjunction with the NPMA Field Guide as a comprehensive way for a person to prepare for their ACE examination. Written in a light and conversational tone, it will be widely used and adopted by newcomers to the industry as well as long-time professionals.

The publication is not a field guide, a technician’s handbook, an insect identification key, or to be seen as a comprehensive book encompassing all aspects of the pest management professional. That said, as a study guide, it covers in the first 9 chapters, topics from defining IPM, to how to select appropriate control methods, pesticide safety and insect taxonomy and biology. Almost half the publication covers the seven major groups of arthropod pests (insects, spiders, ticks, mites etc.) with some clear and informative guidance on taxonomy for beginners e.g. all insects are hexapods but not all hexapods are insects, and as vertebrates can act as hosts to invertebrate pests, Chapter 10 even concludes with three pages on this topic.

Although written from an American perspective, as noted in the foreword by Dr. Austin Frishman, BCE-Emeritus, “This is a must-read for anyone in this industry whether they are going for their ACE or not.”

Article published in International Pest Control – January/February 2016 issue.