The Basics of Pest Control
Pest Control O’Fallon MO, reduces pest numbers to an acceptable level with as little harm as possible to people, property, and the environment. The main pest control tactics are prevention, scouting and monitoring, suppression, and eradication.
Preventing pests can be as simple as removing food sources and eliminating hiding places like debris or overflowing garbage cans. Identifying the pest and understanding its environment helps you select the best treatment method.
Pests are organisms that invade our living spaces and spoil or damage possessions, crops, buildings, or the environment. Pests may be rodents or insects, birds, weeds, fungi, or disease agents. Prevention of pest problems involves a wide range of tactics and strategies. The most effective preventive measures involve clean, clutter-free premises, sealing cracks, and eliminating standing water. Some more physical methods include traps, screens, barriers, fences, and rodent-proofing. Devices such as radiation and electricity are also used to control some pests. Chemicals are also often used to kill or repel pests, grouped into insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, and sterilants.
Prevention begins in the home. Regularly vacuum, sweep, and mop floors to remove food crumbs and other attractants. Store food in the refrigerator rather than on counters, and be sure to wash or wipe down the inside of garbage cans since these are often the source of pest infestations. Keep shrubbery trimmed to avoid pests using it as a bridge to get into the house, and install drain screens on sinks and tubs.
Physical barriers are another effective way to deter pests, and these can be constructed from wood, wire mesh, caulk or plaster. Screening windows and doors, putting door sweeps around openings, and repairing cracked or torn weather strip are all easy fixes that can help eliminate pest entry points. Sealing crevices, holes and gaps is also a good idea, and can be done with duct tape as a temporary fix, or caulk, plaster or cement in the long term.
Eliminating sources of water and food that can draw pests to a home or building is another important step, especially for those who live in humid environments. Enclosing compost piles, removing bird feeders and baths from the property, and timing irrigation to be in the morning rather than at night when nocturnal pests are active can all reduce pest populations.
Suppression
Pest control involves preventing or eliminating infestations of undesirable organisms that damage or devalue crops, food, homes and gardens. These organisms may be insects, rodents, weeds, viruses, or vertebrate animals (EPA, 2014). Pests can also displace native species and negatively affect the health of surrounding humans and wildlife.
Threshold-based decision making is an important component of IPM, and it refers to a process of monitoring pest populations and using control methods when they reach a certain threshold or cause unacceptable harm. This involves scouting and monitoring for the presence of pests in order to determine when action is necessary. For example, if you see a few wasps flying around your home once a week, this doesn’t mean there is a problem; however, if you see wasps in large numbers every day, it is time to take action.
There are many different methods of controlling pests, including physical and mechanical controls; biological control; and chemical control. These methods are used to kill the pests directly, block them from accessing areas where they are not wanted, or alter their environment in ways that make it unsuitable for them. Physical and mechanical control measures include traps, fences, barriers, steam sterilization of soil, and many others. Biological pest control uses other organisms to reduce or eliminate a targeted organism, such as through predation, herbivory, parasitism or other natural mechanisms. This can be achieved by introducing the predators into the area or, more commonly, by augmenting the existing population of natural enemies in the target environment. Chemical pest control can involve the use of synthetic or naturally-occurring chemicals to destroy organisms that are harmful to people, plants or other creatures. It can be used with other types of control, such as physical or biological methods, to create synergy and achieve more effective results.
There are also regulatory control efforts that address specific pest problems in a coordinated fashion, such as quarantine or eradication programmes for Mediterranean fruit fly, gypsy moth, and other organisms. These initiatives are supported by government agencies and usually have strict guidelines for those involved in them to follow.
Eradication
Pests are annoying creatures that can cause serious health problems for your family and damage the structure of your home. The best way to deal with these unwanted pests is to prevent them from getting into your house in the first place. Pest control involves a wide range of methods, including exclusion, traps, and chemical applications. These techniques are used to stop the spread of a pest, prevent it from damaging crops or property and to remove existing infestations. Some of these methods are easier than others, but they all work in the same way to reduce the number of pests in a home.
Keeping food away from pests is the most important step in preventing them from entering your home. Most pests enter homes to find food, and if you can take away their source of sustenance, they will have no choice but to look elsewhere for it. This can be done by storing food in airtight containers and disposing of uneaten or out-dated foods daily.
Another method is to seal any cracks or holes that pests may use to enter your home. This includes a thorough inspection of the foundation, roof, and wall junctures, as well as unnecessary openings around utility channels. These can be sealed with coarse steel wool, mortar or sheet metal.
Cleaning your yard can also help with pest prevention. Get rid of woodpiles, tall weeds, and any other debris that could provide shelter for pests. It is also a good idea to keep trees and shrubs properly trimmed, as this can cut off access for pests to your home.
Other methods of pest control include using biological controls and cultural practices. Biological controls involve introducing natural predators or parasites into areas with a problem pest. These predators or parasites kill or feed on the pest, reducing their numbers and controlling the pest problem. Some examples of these are ladybugs in a garden or nematodes in the soil.
Cultural pest control focuses on changing the environment of a site or building to make it less desirable or inhospitable for the pest. This can be accomplished by obstructive landscaping, planting certain crops that deter the pest or by creating a diversion element. For example, a scrap woodpile can draw the attention of pests away from valuable crop plants.
IPM
IPM uses a combination of mechanical, cultural, biological, and chemical control strategies to regulate pest populations at acceptable levels. It also promotes prevention over remediation. It involves gathering information, creating a flexible management plan, taking timely action, and recording findings to assess treatment effectiveness. The IPM approach considers the life cycle of the pest and its environment, and the strength of natural enemies, including parasites, predators, diseases, fungi and other pathogens that normally keep pest populations in check.
IPM focuses on preventing problems rather than trying to kill every pest, and avoids the overuse of hazardous chemicals. This reduces the risks to human health and the environment from pesticide contamination of soil, water and air. It also helps maintain the national crop ecosystem balance and enhances ecosystem services such as pollination and biodiversity.
The IPM approach takes time and effort to evaluate, monitor and implement. This includes monitoring plants and pests through inspection, scouting and observation of crops in fields and greenhouses, and setting action thresholds to determine when control measures should be taken. It may include the use of sticky traps, pheromone lures, tarps, mating disruption, physical destruction and more. Chemicals are used sparingly and only when other methods do not work to prevent environmental damage.
Pesticides are most effective when they are applied to small numbers of pests and at the earliest stage of infestation, when they cause the least damage or economic injury. In addition, they should be applied in ways that minimize human and pet exposure and the sulfides and other byproducts of their breakdown.
A gardener should always try non-chemical methods first before using pesticides to protect children and pets and avoid environmental damage. For example, pheromone lures are a safe and effective way to attract beneficial insects and discourage harmful ones. When using a non-chemical method, such as pheromones or plant hormones, be sure to read labels and follow instructions carefully. If a pesticide must be used, it should always be the least toxic available. Using IPM tools such as inspection checklists, pest identification guides and scouting and monitoring records can help gardeners make wise choices for controlling pests in ways that protect their families, gardens and the environment.