Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a holistic and sustainable approach to controlling pests in agriculture, horticulture, and other environments, including food handling and public health contexts. Unlike traditional chemical control methods, which rely heavily on the routine application of pesticides, IPM emphasizes a combination of techniques to manage pest populations at acceptable levels while minimizing environmental impact, health hazards, and economic costs. The core principle of IPM is to use a variety of compatible strategies to prevent and control pest outbreaks, rather than relying solely on chemical interventions. This approach aligns closely with hygiene, sanitation, and waste management, as pest control is fundamentally linked to reducing sources of contamination and maintaining safe, clean environments. The first step in implementing an IPM program is accurate pest identification. Proper identification ensures that control measures are targeted and effective. Misidentification can lead to unnecessary chemical use, which may harm non-target organisms and increase resistance among pests. Once pests are correctly identified, monitoring and regular surveillance become essential. This involves observing pest population levels, understanding their life cycles, and tracking environmental conditions that influence pest development. In hygiene, sanitation, and waste management, monitoring can include regular inspection of food storage areas, kitchens, waste disposal points, and drainage systems to detect early signs of infestation by rodents, insects, or microbial pathogens. A key component of IPM is establishing action thresholds, which are the pest population levels at which intervention becomes necessary. This helps prevent overreaction and unnecessary pesticide application, conserving resources and protecting human health. In sanitation-sensitive environments such as hospitals, restaurants, and food processing units, action thresholds are particularly important because even low levels of pests can pose health risks. By using thresholds, IPM ensures that interventions are timely and justified, reducing the environmental and economic costs associated with blanket chemical applications. Preventive cultural practices form another pillar of IPM. These measures are aimed at making the environment less conducive to pest development. For example, in hygiene and sanitation management, cultural practices may include proper storage of food to prevent rodent or insect access, regular cleaning of waste bins to eliminate breeding grounds for flies, and maintaining dry, well-ventilated areas to discourage mold or bacterial growth. Crop rotation, proper waste segregation, and composting in agriculture similarly reduce pest pressure while promoting ecological balance. Prevention through good sanitation not only controls pests but also reduces the risk of disease transmission. Biological control is a fundamental strategy within IPM, involving the use of natural enemies such as predators, parasites, or