APM, IPM: Two Strategies, One Goal

All photos courtesy of Josh Shoemaker

Our industry is filled with acronyms, and keeping up with them can be a challenge. For example, we have Wood Destroying Organism (WDO), Insect Growth Regulator (IGR), Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Safety Data Sheet (SDS). In cockroach control, Assessment-Based Pest Management (APM) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) are two approaches frequently discussed and sometimes misunderstood. Both can be implemented to control German cockroach infestations in multi-unit housing. Clarifying their distinctions can help pest management professionals (PMPs) select the most effective strategy for the situation.

IPM. IPM is a system-based strategy that focuses on long-term pest prevention rather than reactive treatments. The concept originated in agriculture during the mid-20^th century, when heavy reliance on pesticides began generating concerns about resistance, environmental harm and food safety.

IPM involves a combination of techniques, including biological control, physical control, habitat modification and adjusting cultural practices. But these tools can vary depending on whether IPM is being applied to row crops, nurseries, stored products or urban environments. For instance, in agricultural settings natural predators and crop rotation are often emphasized, whereas in German cockroach control, addressing moisture issues, sealing cracks and crevices, and exclusion take priority. After all, no one wants to release a horde of cellar spiders into their kitchen to control cockroaches.

At its core, IPM uses regular monitoring and record-keeping to determine when treatments are needed. In agriculture, data are collected and economic thresholds are used to make this determination. In the urban environment, it’s often medical or aesthetic injury levels that drive treatments (Ogg & Bauer, 2012).

With a public health pest in housing, the threshold is simple: one is too many. Unlike field crops, where tolerance for low pest numbers may exist, even a single German cockroach can introduce allergens and pathogens into a living space. And if that individual happens to be a gravid female, a population can quickly explode.

Importantly, IPM is not a single treatment or even a recurring service program; it is a framework. It includes both corrective actions to eliminate existing infestations and preventive measures designed to reduce the likelihood of future problems.

APM. While cockroach population assessments have been a part of German cockroach protocols in various forms for decades (Sever et al., 2007; Shoemaker & Field, 2025), it wasn’t until Dr. Dini Miller’s 2017 and 2018 trials that “assessment-based” became a popular term to describe a specific protocol for treating German cockroaches in multi-unit housing (Gallagher, 2018). That research focused on using the right amount of cockroach bait based on the infestation level, which was determined by sticky trap counts (an element of IPM). A previous PCT article reporting on this research described the approach as “an appropriate amount of gel bait as the only means of control, and without requiring residents to empty cupboards or remove clutter before treatment” (Nagro, 2019).

In 2020, Drs. Dini Miller and Eric Smith reported on the study in the Journal of Economic Entomology, describing the treatment as a “protocol for eliminating German cockroach populations in low-income apartments” and formally labeling it “Assessment-Based Pest Management” or APM¹ (Miller & Smith).

Treatment protocols noted in this study were:

• Infestation assessment using sticky traps and categorizing unit infestations as low, medium or high
• Bait amounts scaled according to infestation level
• An innovative bait placement technique using small square pieces of waxed paper folded into triangles (labeled bait “tacos”)
• Bait rotation

In their study, this method cut cockroach numbers by more than 90%. The protocol also achieved complete cockroach elimination in 75% of the test units. Notably, the research stressed that the success didn’t depend on residents cleaning or preparing their homes, as they “were not allowed to ask residents to clean or prepare for treatment in any way” (Miller & Smith, 2020).

Increasingly, PMPs have been adopting APM to combat German cockroach infestations. The reason is simple: it works and it doesn’t require tenant participation.

A SHARED GOAL. APM and IPM share a common goal: eliminating German cockroach infestations. There are significant similarities, as APM relies on a subset of core IPM principles. Both rely on inspections with monitoring tools. And both use pesticides more thoughtfully than outdated calendar-based spraying methods.

Where they differ is primarily in scope and emphasis. APM is a protocol designed to rapidly eliminate active German cockroach populations using gel baits. A key element is measuring the intensity of the active infestation. But APM does little to evaluate or address conducive conditions. IPM, on the other hand, takes a broader, more preventive view. It combines multiple strategies such as harborage reduction, exclusion, and education to stop problems before they start. Reactive treatments are still performed when needed, but the emphasis is on prevention.

Another distinction is the durability of control. In Miller’s research, APM controlled cockroaches for a year or slightly longer. However, without adopting IPM for ongoing management, the underlying conditions that favor infestations often remain unchanged, allowing cockroaches to reestablish more easily if they return. The likelihood of a recurrence in units is also increased if the APM approach is not implemented building-wide, and if other IPM tools such as sealing plumbing gaps are neglected. APM solves the immediate problem; IPM is what keeps it solved.

Hybrid approaches that incorporate additional elements of IPM (such as exclusion and moisture elimination) along with assessment-based treatments have been shown to be successful at eliminating German cockroach infestations. These approaches may increase the speed of control and help transition a new account into a long-term maintenance account (Shoemaker & Field, 2025).

In summary, APM can be viewed as an assessment-driven model aligned with core IPM principles that can rapidly eliminate German cockroach infestations in multi-unit housing. IPM, by contrast, encompasses a more comprehensive approach for long-term, sustainable pest prevention.

The author is an urban entomologist focused on pests of public health importance.

Acknowledgments: The author thanks Dr. Siavash Taravati and Gail Getty for their helpful review and valuable suggestions during article preparation.

Note: ¹ Some extension literature has used “APM” more broadly to describe assessment-driven IPM frameworks that incorporate multiple control tactics (Oi et al., 2018). This was prior to the publication by Miller and Smith (2020), whose protocol-specific definition has since become a more widely recognized usage in the pest management industry. This article uses the term in that sense.

References

Gallagher, N. (2018, May 17). Research trial achieves effective cockroach control by assessing the situation. Syngenta Professional Pest Management. Retrieved from https://www.syngentapmp.com/articles/newsarticle.aspx?paid=207124

Miller, D. M., & Smith, E. P. (2020). Quantifying the efficacy of an assessment-based Pest Management (APM) program for German cockroach (L.) (Blattodea: Blattellidae) control in low-income public housing units. Journal of Economic Entomology, 113(1), 375–384. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toz302

Nagro, A. (2019, July 16). Rethinking German cockroach control. Pest Control Technology. Retrieved from https://www.pctonline.com/article/rethinking-german-cockroach-control/

Oi, F.M., E. Weeks, J. Jonovich and D. Miller. Assessment-Based Pest Management of German Cockroaches (ENY989/IN1190). University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension, 2018. https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-in1190-2018

Ogg, C. L., & Bauer, E. C. (2012). IPM easy as ABC: Integrated Pest Management in Sensitive Environments; a how to guide. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension.

Sever, M. L., Arbes, S. J., Gore, J. C., Santangelo, R. G., Vaughn, B., Mitchell, H., and Zeldin, D. C. (2007). Cockroach allergen reduction by cockroach control alone in low-income urban homes: A randomized control trial. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 120(4), 849-855. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2007.07.003

Shoemaker, J., & Field, H. (2025, July 5). Integrated pest management and assessment-based programs for German cockroach control in multi-unit housing. Pest Tactic Journal, 4(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.65335/tbjo2921