D3172: How building information modeling can support structural pest management and research

Developing effective integrated structural pest management plans depends on an understanding of buildings, including their geometries, materials, construction, and systems. Pest management professionals rely on their skills and experience, their assessments, and on construction documentation. Their efforts could be meaningfully supported by the detailed and integrated information systems provided through Building Information Modeling (BIM). BIM is a modeling technology that is used in the design, construction, and facility management phases of a building. BIM includes spatial and relational information about building elements, and can be connected with data collection systems and appliances. As such, it can be useful in simulation, monitoring, and analysis of microenvironments and pathways in a building. In this infographic, we demonstrate the potential of BIM in studying structural pests, and in developing and enacting plans for their management. We do this by mapping current commonly available BIM elements and capabilities to standard elements of structural integrated pest management plans, and indicate other aspects useful for basic research on domestic arthropods.