Pest control involves preventing or reducing a pest’s population to below an unacceptable level. This is accomplished by prevention, suppression, and eradication.
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A pest control strategy based on prevention allows technicians to work with nature rather than against it, minimizing harm to people and property. Preventive strategies include removing food, water, and shelter sources, blocking entry points, and monitoring and educating customers.
Physical and sanitation methods prevent many pest invasions without the use of chemicals. Sanitation practices can be as simple as placing traps or bait stations where pests are commonly found, such as near garbage cans in hospitality settings. These methods take time to be effective but, when done right, can stop an infestation from becoming a full-blown problem.
Other physical control methods include sealing cracks and crevices and reducing areas where pests can hide, such as stacks of paper or cardboard. Clutter and debris can also provide breeding grounds, so it is important to regularly clean and sweep spaces like hallways or storage areas. Leaking pipes should be repaired as soon as they are discovered to prevent water intrusion, which can lead to pests such as ants, termites, roaches and rats.
Keeping pests out of buildings can be as simple as eliminating access points, such as cracks and holes, or reducing the space between walls. Keeping doors and windows shut when possible, and caulking as needed, keeps out unwanted guests. Regular trash removal and tight-fitting lids keep pests from exploiting accessible garbage. And keeping weeds, woodpiles and brush away from the outside of buildings can reduce entry pathways.
Monitoring and education are critical for successful pest prevention. When a pest problem is detected, it’s important to understand how severe the situation is so that the proper controls can be implemented. Threshold-based decision making relates to scouting and monitoring; for example, one cockroach doesn’t justify spraying the whole house with insecticide. It’s also important to know the pest’s life cycle, as some are able to develop resistance to certain control measures.
It is essential that technicians properly store and apply pesticides and follow label instructions. This ensures the safety of everyone, including pets and children, and minimizes off-target damage. For instance, transferring an entire bottle of insecticide to another container is illegal and dangerous, as is applying more than the recommended amount. In addition, ensuring pesticides are kept in their original containers helps to avoid them being mistaken for candy by curious children or pets.
Suppression
A pest control program should be based on regular scouting and monitoring. This should include a logbook for recording pest damage, identifying alternative hosts and overwintering sites, and evaluating the effectiveness of any pest control strategies used. In addition, it should provide a basis for setting injury and treatment thresholds (when pest damage reaches unacceptable levels that warrant action).
A variety of physical devices and methods are used to alter a habitat or make conditions less favorable to pests, including traps, screens, barriers, fences, radiation and electricity. Insecticides, fungicides, plant growth regulators, and other chemicals that destroy or suppress pests are also considered pest controls. Usually, chemical methods offer the fastest results for controlling pests, but they can be damaging to other organisms and may not be environmentally sound.
The underlying principle in an IPM plan is to manage pests with minimal harm to everything except the target organism. This requires a thorough evaluation of the pest, its damage potential, life cycle and other factors such as weather. Using threshold-based decision-making, scouting and monitoring should indicate when action is necessary. For example, noticing a few wasps around the course doesn’t warrant action, but a steady increase in their numbers does.
Pests can be controlled by utilizing plants, soil, water or other resources that are naturally resistant to them. This can be achieved by planting disease-resistant varieties of turf grass or trees, using less desirable plants for landscape beds, amending soils with organic matter or modifying a structure to exclude pests.
Many insects, birds and mammals are natural enemies of some pests and can help control their populations. Some of these natural enemies even have a parasitic effect on the pest, feeding on its insides or consuming the nutrients it needs for survival. Other natural enemies can be introduced to control a pest, such as predators, parasites, pathogens or pheromones.
The occurrence of abnormal proteins in the brain cells of some animals and humans, called prions, is a concern for public health. Some of these prions appear to act like viruses, causing fatal brain disorders. Products that destroy or interfere with the formation of these proteins are known as prion control agents and are subject to EPA regulation.
Eradication
Pests that are considered a nuisance or harmful to plants and animals may need to be eradicated. This is often done in enclosed areas, such as operating rooms and sterile areas of health care facilities. Eradication is typically a more difficult goal than prevention and suppression, but it may be necessary in some situations.
Eradication strategies include chemical, physical, and biological methods. Biological and cultural controls usually require more time to work, but they can be more effective than chemicals. Chemicals are often the fastest method of controlling pests, but they can also pose health and environmental hazards upon exposure. Biological and chemical solutions are often combined with other control methods, such as traps and baits.
Physical controls include netting, traps, and decoys that mimic natural pest predators or prey. Traps and netting can also be used in conjunction with baits to help reduce the use of pesticides. Physical pest control methods also involve scouting and monitoring to determine the type of insect and its population levels. This is important when considering a threshold level, the point at which action should be taken to prevent economic or aesthetic injury.
Chemical pesticides are the most common way to destroy an entire population of pests. They include repellents, which can discourage pests from entering a certain area, and insecticides, which kill the insects directly. Chemicals can be toxic to humans and pets, but they are often the quickest method of pest control. They can also be a problem for the environment, since some chemical solutions break down slowly or leave behind residues that can contaminate water and soil.
When choosing a chemical pesticide, look for the lowest risk option possible to avoid health and environmental concerns. Check with your local EPA agency to find out what products are approved for use in your area. Always read the label on any chemical you use, and follow all safety precautions. It is also helpful to keep a list of the name and EPA registration number for any pesticides you purchase or apply, so that you can reference it later.
Natural Forces
Natural forces are non-chemical methods for managing pests that take advantage of a pest’s natural enemies, including predators, parasitoids and pathogens. Increasing the population of a pest’s natural enemies can limit its damage. This can be accomplished by introducing natural enemies into the field, or by supplementing the efforts of existing enemies with artificial means. Examples of natural control include promoting predatory birds, toads and other wildlife or using soil microorganisms such as nematodes that attack root disease.
The key to success with biological control is accurate identification of the pest to species level. Different natural enemy species may attack only one or a few pests, and many require specific environmental conditions to thrive. Consequently, success with biological control depends on proper monitoring and timing of releases. This can be done by scouting, trapping, or identifying damaged plants.
Chemical pest control uses synthetic or naturally occurring substances that directly kill or disrupt the life cycle of a plant-eating animal or pathogen, such as herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and larvicides. This type of control is generally considered the last resort when other methods have been tried and failed. Most treatments are regulated by federal, state or local pesticide laws.
To minimize the use of chemicals, growers and gardeners should practice integrated pest management strategies that involve prevention, suppression and eradication. In addition, growers should strive for sustainability and operational flexibility by incorporating natural controls into their pest management programs.
It is also important to remember that the pesticides used in chemical control must be registered by federal and state agencies before they can be sold. Pesticides should be applied when the pest population exceeds an acceptable threshold or when it will cause unacceptable economic or aesthetic damage. Moreover, growers should apply pesticides with caution, as they can have negative impacts on human health and the environment. They should keep records of their scouting and treatment efforts to make informed decisions about when and how to apply pesticides. These records can also help to track the effectiveness of control tactics. Keeping good records can save growers and gardeners time and money by reducing the need for repeated treatments that may not be effective.