Which of the following is an example of physical control in pest management?

Physical control in pest management refers to methods that manipulate the environment or physical attributes to deter pests or mitigate their impact without the use of chemicals or biological agents.

Changing the habitat or physical structure directly alters conditions that may be conducive to pest infestations. For instance, modifying the landscape by removing debris, sealing cracks, or improving drainage can reduce shelter and breeding sites for pests. This proactive approach minimizes the likelihood of pest establishment in a given area.

Using pesticides, releasing biological control agents, and monitoring pest populations all fall under different pest management strategies. Pesticides involve chemical intervention to kill or repel pests, while biological control agents introduce natural enemies to manage pest populations. Monitoring is essential for understanding pest dynamics but is not a physical control method in itself. Each of these strategies serves its purpose but does not constitute physical control in the way that manipulating the habitat does.