Pest control is the action or process of controlling unwanted organisms. These organisms include insects, bacteria, fungi, viruses, nematodes, weeds, and vertebrates.
Preventive measures include limiting clutter, as pests breed and hide in such places. Also, fixing leaky pipes and keeping home foundations clear of debris are important. Click the https://www.pestsolutions.ca/ to learn more.
Many pests can be prevented by maintaining proper sanitation, storing food properly, closing off hiding places and using barriers or other physical controls. Clutter provides breeding places for pests and makes it harder for traps to work. Clutter can also impede the effectiveness of some non-chemical pest control methods.
Certain pests can be controlled without the use of chemicals by increasing the population of the natural enemies of the pest, such as parasites, predators and pathogens. This is known as biological control and is sometimes used in agriculture to control weeds, disease organisms and insects that harm crops.
Some pests, such as fleas and cockroaches, can be controlled without the use of chemicals at all by simply changing habits, such as keeping rooms clean and sealing cracks and crevices. Often, pests are introduced to a building by carrying them in on luggage, clothing or other items brought into the space from outside. This is why it is important to keep doors and windows closed as much as possible unless they are being opened to allow airflow.
The use of chemical pesticides is the last resort in most situations, and only when other options have been exhausted. However, when they are necessary, only qualified pest control technicians should apply them. Whenever possible, less toxic pesticides should be used in baits, dusts or microencapsulated formulations to reduce the risk of human exposure and inhalation. Chemicals should always be used according to the instructions and warnings on the label, especially in the case of pregnant women, infants and children.
Chemicals should only be applied in the areas where they are needed and in small amounts. Fogging devices and sprays are usually not suitable for indoor use, as they linger in the air for extended periods of time.
It is also important for residents to play their part in safe pest control by reporting any building maintenance problems to their landlords and keeping living spaces as free as possible of clutter. It is also a good idea to keep a bug-catching diary, as this can help identify the pests and may even reveal why they have invaded a specific dwelling.
Suppression
Infestations of certain pests can cause serious problems in homes and businesses. Rodents for instance can cause extensive structural damage and gnawing of wiring can even start fires. Besides, they spread diseases such as hantavirus, leptospirosis, Salmonella and others. They also contaminate food and make indoor environments unpleasant. In addition, they can affect our psyche by causing fear (though often unfounded) and by disrupting our normal routine.
In many cases, simple preventive measures can eliminate pests. This includes keeping foods in sealed containers, placing rubbish bins in pest-proof areas, and ensuring that doors and windows are shut securely. It is also important to clean frequently and to keep the area around buildings free of clutter where pests can hide or breed.
Suppression may also involve removing or killing pests using traps, baits and nets. Chemicals may be added to baits for extra effectiveness. These chemicals can be relatively low in toxicity, however they should always be used with care and only by people who hold the appropriate pest control licence (see the question on licencing).
Sometimes, it is necessary to use biological methods of controlling pests. This involves introducing the pest’s natural enemies to the environment in order to reduce their population and remove them from the area. It also includes releasing organisms that can deter or harm the pests, such as sterile males, nematodes, juvenile hormones and pheromones.
Biological control is often the most environmentally friendly option and it is usually the first choice when dealing with pests such as termites, cockroaches, ants and bedbugs. However, when other options are not possible or they fail, it is sometimes necessary to use other methods of pest control, such as spraying and fogging with toxic pesticides.
For example, spraying and fogging can be used to control pests such as cockroaches, bedbugs, ants and flies. Other pests, such as spiders, house centipedes and fleas, are best controlled by removing the food sources they depend on or blocking entry into the home. Other pests such as birds, pigeons and squirrels can be deterred by installing bird spikes or mesh.
Eradication
Unlike prevention, which seeks to prevent pest infestation altogether, eradication is a means of controlling an existing infestation. Eradication is a common goal in indoor environments, such as health care, food processing and storage, and educational facilities, where there is a zero tolerance for certain microorganisms that could infect patients or staff. It is also a goal in outdoor spaces, such as golf courses, parks, and vineyards where some pests can damage crops and degrade the environment.
In general, eradication is achieved by interrupting the life cycle of the pest by killing off the adult population or destroying the eggs and larvae that are responsible for further reproduction. When the rate of reproduction drops below 1.0 (the critical threshold below which disease transmission cannot occur) and all sources of infection are eliminated, the goal of eradication is accomplished.
A word like eradicate might sound harsh – it derives from the Latin root eradicare, which suggests pulling something up by its roots, much as one would yank an undesirable weed. But eradication is often a gradual process, with a long period of time and intensive efforts between the first detection of an infestation and when it is completely controlled.
To eradicate a pest, IPM programs usually start with monitoring and identification, followed by the implementation of less risky control methods such as cultural practices, pheromones, or physical controls. When these fail, a more aggressive approach may be necessary. For example, spotting a few wasps every now and then doesn’t warrant an immediate response, but seeing them every day indicates that they’re out of control and an intervention is required.
Once a strategy is implemented, eradication decisions must be made on a regular basis to ensure that the infestation remains under control. Ideally, the pest should be reduced to the point where it can no longer cause economic loss and does not pose a threat to human or animal health. This is called threshold-based decision making.
To achieve a threshold, it is necessary to understand the dynamics of an infestation and how it affects the local ecosystem. This includes the ecological systems that govern how the microorganisms, their vectors, and their human hosts interact, as well as the environmental conditions that influence the reproduction rates of the pest.
Natural Forces
Natural forces, including weather, the environment and natural enemies, can influence pest populations. These factors are outside the control of humans, but they should be taken into account in any pest management plan. Climate, for example, can reduce pest numbers by limiting their growth rate or reducing the amount of food available for them. The environment can also restrict pest movement, provide barriers and restrict overwintering sites or roosts. Water availability and quality may influence pest populations, as can the quality of shelter, and food and roosting places. Other natural forces that affect pests include competition from other organisms and interference with their ability to reproduce or feed.
Biological controls, including parasitoids, pathogens, predators and nonliving enemies (nematodes) can help reduce pest populations by interfering with their life cycles or damaging their hosts. However, most of these natural enemies are highly specialized and attack only a few closely related species of pests. They are best used in combination with other control methods, such as cultural practices, scouting and monitoring, and the use of resistant varieties of plants, animals and wood products.
Chemicals, such as pheromones and juvenile hormones, can augment the effects of physical and biological controls. They are especially useful when the pest population is too high to be tolerated, but there is not enough time to allow natural enemies to increase in abundance before the pests cause serious damage. The use of chemicals must be carefully monitored and controlled, however, because many pesticides leave toxic residues that can kill natural enemies or interfere with their function, as well as harm humans and the environment.
Eradication is a rare goal in outdoor pest situations, but it can be attempted with some insects and other organisms, such as Mediterranean fruit fly, gypsy moth and fire ants. Indoor eradication of pests is a more common goal because enclosed environments are generally smaller, less complex, and easier to manage than the outdoors. Indoor eradication of pests also can be more effective, and less disruptive, than control measures in outdoor settings. Regular scouting and monitoring of pest populations is necessary to determine whether an eradication program is appropriate, and to develop and implement control strategies that will be most effective.
