Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Integrated pest management (IPM) is a prevention-first way to control pests that combines sanitation, exclusion, monitoring and correct identification, using the least risky control that works and pesticides only when needed.

  • Food safety
  • Physical hazards & pests

Also called: IPM

IPM is a decision-making approach rather than a single method. EPA describes it as combining common-sense practices with knowledge of pest life cycles to manage pests at the lowest cost and with the least risk to people, property and the environment. It works in four tiers: set action thresholds, monitor and correctly identify pests, prevent problems, and control pests when needed, starting with targeted options such as traps or pheromones. Prevention includes removing the food, water and shelter that attract pests. Broadcast spraying of non-specific pesticides is a last resort.

Stored-product insects attack many bakery staples. The Indianmeal moth, for example, infests stored grains, dried fruits, nuts and processed foods, and its larvae seek out small openings in packaging. Food plants apply IPM under a strict CGMP rule: pests must not be allowed in any area of the plant, and effective measures must keep them out. Pesticides are allowed only with precautions that protect food, food-contact surfaces and packaging, so leaning on prevention and monitoring lowers chemical risk.

Key facts

EPA's IPM tiers
4: thresholds, monitoring, prevention, control
CGMP standard for food plants
No pests in any area of the plant
Home freezer treatment
7 to 14 days
Home oven treatment for dry goods
130°F for 1 hour

In a bakery or commercial kitchen

  • Take effective measures to exclude pests, such as sealing gaps and cracks and keeping exterior doors closed
  • Clean up flour dust and spills promptly, since food collecting in cracks and corners feeds stored-product insects
  • Map and number traps, log counts, and act when trap-count trends rise
  • Use pheromone traps to detect stored-product moths, keeping in mind several species respond to the same lure
  • Allow pesticides only under precautions that protect food, contact surfaces and packaging, and store them apart from food

For home and cottage bakers

  • Check that flour, grain and dried-fruit packages are sealed and undamaged, then store them in airtight containers
  • Use dried foods within about two to four months, or keep them refrigerated or frozen
  • Freeze infested items for 7 to 14 days, or throw infested packages away
  • Never spray pesticides on food, dishes or utensils, and remove all food before treating cabinet cracks

Related entries

Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 17, 2026.

  1. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Principles, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  2. Introduction to Integrated Pest Management (archived page), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  3. 21 CFR 117.35 Sanitary operations, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)
  4. Stored Product Protection (S156), Kansas State University Research and Extension
  5. Pantry and Fabric Pests in the Home, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service