Pests can cause structural damage to homes and businesses, spread disease, contaminate food, and make people and pets sick.
Correctly identifying the pest is the first step to developing a control strategy. Monitoring pest numbers and damage helps determine if control is necessary. Weather conditions can directly affect pests by affecting their host plants, animals, or structures. Visit Our Website to learn more.
Preventive pest control techniques can reduce the need for more intensive and costly pest management methods. For example, storing food in airtight containers and promptly disposing of garbage are effective deterrents to pests. Inspecting exterior areas of buildings on a regular basis can help detect pest problems before they become severe, and addressing issues such as leaking pipes or excessive moisture can stop them in their tracks. Sealing cracks and gaps in walls, doors, and windows can also significantly decrease the likelihood of pest infestations.
In addition to food and shelter, pests are also drawn to water. In the case of termites, cockroaches, ants, and other pests, water can be found in moist soil, wood, or other materials that they burrow into, as well as in leaking pipes, sinks, faucets, and appliances. Keeping food and garbage securely sealed, cleaning counters and tables on a routine basis, ensuring that all trash bins are tightly closed, and removing standing water from the property are also highly effective prevention strategies.
Aside from inspections, the most important way to prevent pest infestations is to eliminate attractants. Keep garbage bags and recycling bins tightly shut, and store food in the refrigerator rather than on open shelves. Clean dishes and cookware after every use, and regularly wipe down countertops and surfaces. Regularly vacuum and sweep floors, and consider installing screens in all doors and windows.
During pest control inspections, it is also important to pay attention to auditory cues. Scratching and scurrying sounds, especially at night, can indicate pest activity in the walls or attic. If you hear these sounds, it is a good idea to contact your pest control service right away.
Suppression
When pest populations reach unacceptable levels, control measures are needed. The goal is to reduce the numbers to a level that will not damage plants and to keep them from building up again to damaging levels. This is suppression, and it can be achieved through a variety of tactics.
Suppression of pests often requires monitoring, recording and estimating populations. This may be done by trapping or scouting for insect, mite, nematode and vertebrate pests or by visual inspection for weed problems. Weather conditions, especially temperature and humidity, often influence the activity of pests and the amount of damage they cause. Natural barriers, such as mountains and bodies of water, restrict the movement of pests. Overwintering sites and places to hide from predators also affect pest populations. A healthy ecosystem often contains predators, parasites, and pathogens that limit pest population growth.
Mechanical or physical controls include traps, screens, fences, nets and barriers that physically exclude pests from a site. These types of controls are also called exclusionary or quarantine methods. Radiation, heat, electricity and chemicals can also be used to control some pests, such as fungicides and fumigants.
Chemical controls, such as pesticides, are designed to kill or control a specific pest species. These are sometimes the fastest and most effective way to control pests. However, when pesticides fail, it is important to understand why and to make adjustments for the next application. Pesticide resistance, misapplication and the incorrect timing of applications are some reasons why pesticides may not be successful.
Biological controls include predators, parasitoids, and disease organisms that normally occur in nature and that may be used to reduce pest populations. For example, bacteria such as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) can be used to kill caterpillars without harming people or pets. This is a good choice for suppressing many lepidopteran pests, including gypsy moths and Japanese beetles. Often, these controls work best when they are used in combination with other methods, such as habitat manipulation or plant resistance. They also work well with monitoring and prediction based on environmental factors, such as climate and soil type.
Eradication
Pests can contaminate food, cause structural damage, and disturb the balance of nature. They are often difficult to eliminate entirely because they reproduce quickly and can adapt to changing environments. In addition, some pests can carry diseases that threaten human health.
The best way to prevent an infestation is through proactive pest control. This includes implementing prevention, surveillance, and treatment options. Prevention involves sealing cracks, crevices and holes where pests may enter. It also means regularly sweeping and vacuuming to remove debris and food particles that can attract pests. Storing food in airtight containers and repairing torn window screens are other effective prevention measures. Finally, a regular cleaning schedule for gutters and drain pipes can help to eliminate stagnant water that can serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
In some cases, preventing an infestation may require using physical or chemical pest control methods. For instance, traps and bait stations can effectively capture mice, cockroaches or flies. These methods are simple and inexpensive, offering results that can be immediate. Chemical solutions include repellents that deter pests and insecticides that kill them. While these products can be effective, they are also toxic to the environment and humans if not used properly.
Scouting and monitoring for pests is also an important part of prevention. For example, a quick look around the outside of your home can reveal places where mosquitoes could lay their eggs. For indoors, a quick check behind the fridge, in the oven and under the kitchen sink can identify problem areas.
If you notice an increase in pests after taking all the prevention steps listed above, then it is time to implement eradication measures. For example, if your cockroach population has grown, you can use a bait station to kill them and reduce the number of scats they leave behind. You can also try an odorless liquid bait, like boric acid or diatomaceous earth, that will destroy the pests without poisoning you and your pets.
Be aware that some pesticides can affect other organisms besides the intended target, so make sure you select a pesticide designed for the specific pest and follow label instructions closely. For instance, a spider killed by an insecticide may be eaten by its predator, leading to an imbalance in the ecosystem.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
IPM is a system of managing pests that combines preventive measures to limit their damage with control methods such as trapping, physical removal, and monitoring. The aim of IPM is to minimize the use of synthetic chemical pesticides by avoiding unnecessary treatments and using them only when other controls fail. IPM programs are a practical, environmentally sensitive solution to pest problems in homes, gardens, workplaces and natural spaces such as parks.
The process begins with a problem assessment. Once the extent of the pest infestation is known, an action threshold can be set to guide the decision on whether or not to take action. This is based on information about the pests, their life cycle, and their potential for causing harm to plants. It may also be based on the nuisance and economic impact of the pests. The monitoring and identification steps allow for accurate diagnosis of the infestations so that the most suitable IPM techniques can be selected. Prevention in IPM starts with a variety of different strategies to limit the pests’ access to food, water and shelter. These methods can include crop rotation, the use of disease-resistant varieties, and planting pest-free rootstock.
When preventive measures are ineffective, the next step is to evaluate the effectiveness and risk of the various control methods. The least hazardous control methods are chosen first, and they are used until they are no longer effective. These are followed by more aggressive options that are matched to the needs of the situation, such as targeted or broadcast chemical spraying.
Finally, IPM includes the deliberate release of predators and parasitoids to reduce pest populations. The success of this strategy is determined by a number of factors, including the availability of reliable sources for beneficial organisms and knowledge of the species being targeted. This type of intervention is not an option for every pest problem, but it can be a valuable tool in many situations.
IPM offers a viable alternative to the traditional use of chemicals to eliminate pests, while at the same time encouraging sustainable agriculture and promoting nature protection. In addition, it promotes a healthy environment by reducing children’s exposure to harmful pollutants and pesticides.