The Basics of Pest Control
Pests are animals or plants that damage our property, spoil food or pose a threat to human health. Pest control involves managing their presence through exclusion, repulsion or chemical means.
Clutter provides hiding spots and breeding grounds for pests. Clutter should be regularly cleared away. Physical and mechanical controls include traps, barriers and steam sterilization of soil. Contact Pest Control St Charles MO now!
Pests can cause many problems, from health hazards like flea bites to food poisoning. They can also damage buildings and reduce productivity. Preventing pests is the primary goal of pest control.
Prevention involves removing what attracts them to facilities and blocking their entryways. It is also the most cost-effective way of controlling pests.
Preventive measures include storing foods in sealed containers, disposing of garbage regularly and reducing clutter in which rodents can hide. Regular inspections of exterior walls, foundations, roofs and utility passages are also important. Any cracks, gaps or openings should be repaired as soon as they are discovered.
Food-related industries also need to be aware of what may draw pests to their facilities, including contaminated ingredients, sanitation issues and pressure from the environment. Developing and adhering to a Master Sanitation Schedule, as well as identifying and implementing corrective actions for sanitation or structural findings, can help reduce the risk of pests entering facilities.
Some pests, such as cockroaches and spiders, can carry disease organisms or be dangerously venomous. Some can even contaminate food and water. In addition, some can cause allergic reactions in people. Prevention includes avoiding contact with these species, and using baits or other non-toxic alternatives instead of sprays.
It is important to know the life cycle of the pest you are trying to control, as this can make a difference in your intervention strategy. Knowing whether a pest is in its egg, larval, nymph or adult stage allows you to plan when to apply control methods.
In residential homes, pests are attracted to food sources and moisture. Preventive steps include storing food in airtight containers, disposing of garbage promptly and regularly, and trimming shrubs and tree limbs away from the house. It is also a good idea to caulk and seal any cracks or holes around the home.
Pesticides can be an effective tool in pest control, but only when they are used correctly by trained, licensed professionals. Using pesticides improperly can not only be ineffective but can pose a risk to family members, pets and the environment. Pesticides should only be used when other preventive methods have failed. Proper pesticide use includes following the label instructions, keeping children and pets away from areas where chemicals are being applied, wearing personal protective equipment when handling pesticides, and applying only the amount required.
Suppression
Pest populations can be controlled with cultural controls that prevent them from increasing, or by reducing their ability to reproduce. Physical barriers like netting and screening in greenhouses, mulching, tillage and mowing, and trapping can be used to deprive pests of comfortable habitats or to block their movement. Managing irrigation schedules to avoid long periods of high relative humidity can also reduce the potential for disease outbreaks.
Biocontrol involves the introduction of naturally occurring organisms to suppress a pest species. This can include predators, parasitoids and pathogens. It can also include microorganisms such as bacteria (e.g., Bacillus thuringiensis), yeasts and fungi that are marketed as biological insecticides. These products are typically delivered as living organisms that require a certain environment to thrive. In the case of augmentation of natural enemies, their success depends on the species being introduced, the pest species they are targeting, and the timing of their release. The release may also depend on other environmental conditions such as weather or temperature. In many cases, the results of augmentation are slow to develop.
The most successful augmentation strategies are often those that target specific pests and include several stages of the pest’s life cycle. For example, the alfalfa weevil can be successfully suppressed with two species of parasitoids and one predator that all attack different parts of the insect’s life cycle. This type of biocontrol is also being used to control other pests, including cucumber weevils and greenhouse whiteflies.
Mechanical controls, such as hand-picking and blocking, can be used to control pests once their populations reach unacceptable levels. Barriers and traps can be placed to prevent pests from entering fields or greenhouses, and tillage can disrupt insect development and increase the efficiency of cultural controls.
Chemical controls can be used as part of IPM programs to supplement or replace other methods. They can be formulated from plants, such as natural plant extracts, or made synthetically. In some cases, the chemical compounds have been modified to make them more effective and safe for humans and other animals. They are usually applied using low-volume spray equipment to ensure that they reach the pests.
Eradication
In eradication pest control, the goal is to remove all evidence of the pest from an area. This can be done by destroying or removing the habitat, products, or vectors of the pest as well as using physical barriers to prevent new infestations.
A variety of tactics can be used in eradication programmes including mass trapping, sterile insect releases, and the use of plant disease pathogens to control pest insects. In addition, genetic manipulation to produce pest resistant crops may reduce the need for high-intensity spraying.
The use of pheromones to lure or disrupt a pest’s mating behavior is another option for eradication. Genetic modification of a pest to induce increased mortality is also an option. However, the research and development of these technologies are costly, introducing additional ethical and environmental issues that must be considered before they are employed in eradication efforts.
To determine if an eradication programme is succeeding, it must be verified using criteria established at the beginning of the programme. In the case of a successful programme, the NPPO should be prepared to declare that the pest has been eradicated. In the event of a failure, the NPPO should be ready to initiate an emergency programme to contain or control the pest.
For pests that have not been detected and do not have a specific eradication plan, contingency plans should be developed in advance of their introduction to the country. These plans should provide the deliberation, research and time necessary to ensure that a rapid response can be initiated when the pest is first found.
A plethora of other pest control measures are available to help prevent or delay the arrival of exotic pests. These include:
Monitoring
Depending on the type of pest, monitoring can be done by trapping, scouting or visual inspection. Monitoring can be used to assess the number of pests present and determine whether or not a threshold level has been reached. Monitoring can also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of control measures.
Insect pests are monitored primarily with traps and pheromone lures. These are usually strategically placed throughout the crop and can be used to obtain a variety of data including population dynamics and pest activity levels. This information is critical in selecting the best pest control solution for each situation.
Crawling insects and rodents are often monitored with glue boards and sticky traps, which can be placed in areas that pests typically travel through (such as around sinks, under cabinets and behind appliances in the kitchen, crawl spaces and the attic). These devices must be checked frequently to ensure they remain effective; as they fill with pests they need to be inspected and the glue needs to be replaced when it becomes dusty or dirty.
Pheromone traps are very useful for monitoring stored product insect populations, such as warehouse beetles and Indian meal moths. The traps use a natural attractant to lure the insects into the trap where they are then crushed or dehydrated by the mechanical trapping mechanism. This provides an early warning of a problem, before the pests can escape and cause damage. Pheromone traps should be inspected weekly during warmer months, and monthly during cooler periods.
The most important aspect of any pest control program is accurate identification of the pest. This allows the correct pesticide to be applied, and reduces both the amount of pesticide used and the potential for harmful side effects.
In outdoor pest situations, eradication is rarely the goal, but rather prevention and suppression. However, in enclosed environments such as homes, schools and offices; hospitals, food processing and storage facilities, and horticultural operations, eradication is an objective that can be achieved with the proper pest management strategy. These programs are generally more costly than preventive or suppression strategies, but are essential to safe and efficient operations in these environments.