Lesson 2: Pest Surveillance Methods
Topic 2: Specific Surveillance (Survey)
In this topic, you will learn about specific surveillance.
Objectives:
- Be able to define a survey and explain the benefits
- Be able to name the three types of survey and explain how they differ
The general surveillance information you gathered provides a good preliminary base of knowledge about the fire moth, but this is only the first step. Now you need to gather more current and detailed distribution information to ensure that the pest is not in your country.
How will you obtain this information? By performing specific surveillance, or survey, of the fire moth. Please review ISPM 6 in the resources section before beginning specific surveillance for your country.
Specific Surveillance (Surveys)
Surveys are procedures by which NPPOs obtain information about pests of concern on specific sites in an area over a defined time period. There are many benefits to performing surveys. The information you obtain can be used for various purposes including:
- Aid in early detection of new pests
- Determine the distribution of pests and the presence/absence of pests in an area or on a host commodity
- Support NPPO establishment and maintenance of pest freedom by determining pest absence from a specified area
- Report to other organizations such as RPPOs and FAO
There are three general types of surveys: detection, delimiting, and monitoring.
To continue, select Topic 3 from the Topics menu above or click here.