Spreading a non-pesticide laced grain or other food attractant at the potential treatment site to monitor for target pests and non-target animals describes which practice?

• A. Pre-baiting
• B. Post-baiting
• C. Attractant Monitoring
• D. Passive Baiting

Answer: (A)

Pre-baiting is placing a non-pesticide attractant at the prospective treatment site before any control work to confirm whether target pests are present and to see which species are attracted. This step helps you gauge activity, identify where pests are entering or feeding, and decide whether treatment is warranted and what approach will be most effective, all while reducing unnecessary pesticide use and limiting exposure to non-target animals. It’s different from post-baiting, which uses bait after treatment to assess efficacy; attractant monitoring, while it can involve attractants, is aimed at ongoing surveillance rather than informing a pre-treatment decision; and passive baiting refers to leaving bait out without tying it to a specific pre-treatment assessment.