What is an economic threshold?

• A. The maximum level of pest.
• B. The pest level at which the cost of control equals the expected economic damage; actions are taken at or above this threshold.
• C. The price of pesticides.
• D. The stocking limit of pesticides.

Answer: (B)

An economic threshold is the pest density at which you should start control measures to prevent economic losses. It’s the point where the expected damage from the pest equals the cost of applying control; when the pest level is at or above this point, taking action minimizes total losses. Below this level, control is often not cost-effective because the damage would be smaller than the cost of the control itself. This concept helps tailor actions to be economically justified rather than based on pest presence alone. It’s related to, but distinct from, the economic injury level, which is the point where total damage would equal the cost of control if no action is taken; in practice, you act at or near the threshold to keep losses from rising to that level. The other options describe a maximum pest level, the price of pesticides, or a stocking limit, none of which tell you when to initiate control based on economic trade-offs.