What is the economic threshold in pest management?

• A. When the losses caused by pest damage would be greater than the cost of controlling the pest.
• B. When the pest density reaches zero.
• C. When the crop stops growing.
• D. When the pest is resistant.

Answer: (A)

Economic threshold tells you the point at which pest control becomes economically sensible. It’s reached when the expected losses from pest damage would exceed the cost of applying control measures. In other words, you act at a level where preventing damage is cheaper than letting it cause greater losses. This helps avoid unnecessary treatments when pests are low and protects against waiting too long, when damage could rise beyond what you’d spend to control it. That description matches the idea that losses would be greater than the cost of control. It isn’t about eradicating pests to zero, nor about the crop stopping growth, and it isn’t about pest resistance.