Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a systematic strategy for managing pests which considers prevention, avoidence, monitoring and suppression. Where chemical pesticides are necessary, a preference is given to materials and methods which maximize public safety and reduce environmental risk. The IPM approach provides long-term solutions to pest problems while reducing reliance on pesticides. Practitioners of IPM view pest problems as symptoms of other conditions. Many pest problems can be solved with non-chemical methods such as structural repairs or by changing human behavior.