Pests can damage our property and transmit diseases such as hantavirus, leptospirosis, salmonella, and more. They can also contaminate our food and water.
Pest identification and inspection are the first steps in any control program. These are essential to determine the problem’s nature and develop a treatment plan. Contact Pest Control St Charles MO now!
Identification is the first step to preventing pest problems. Accurate identification allows you to know the pest’s life cycle, food source, environmental and harborage conditions, and other biological clues, which will lead to a targeted control strategy. General identifications lead to misdirected control tactics that waste time and money and often cause injury to beneficial organisms.
Pests can be plants, animals, fungi, microbes or viruses. They may cause damage by eating, overcrowding or transmitting diseases to plants. They also may interfere with natural processes by competing for resources, contaminating soil or water, polluting air and water or blocking sunlight.
The first step in identifying a pest is to look at it closely and note its characteristics. For example, for insects note the shape, color, number of legs and wings or antennae. Compare those characteristics to online or print insect identification guides and click on the category that best resembles your pest. For more detailed information, contact your local commodity or industry organization, Cooperative Extension agent or State land grant university.
Identifying a pest is important because some can be prevented with cultural practices and other non-chemical control methods. For others, specific identification is necessary to select and use the most appropriate pesticides. In addition, many pests exhibit different physical forms depending on the stage of their life cycle or the time of year. Species within the same family can also differ greatly in their behavior, host plants and natural enemy complexes.
Some pests have chewing mouthparts to cut or tear plant tissues while others have sucking mouthparts to puncture and extract nutrients and other chemicals from plant cells. Insects that inject poisonous substances into plant tissues can cause serious or even fatal crop losses. In some cases, the plants are attacked by a virus that causes disease and not an insect.
Preventing a pest infestation is much easier and less costly than eliminating an established one. To prevent a pest problem, practice good sanitation in and around your crop and garden, including not using the same tools or equipment for both food and field crops. Inspect your crop and garden daily for signs of pests, such as chewed leaves or fruits. Keep pest scouting records to help predict when key pests will be present and plan control strategies accordingly.
Prevention
Pests can damage plants, animals and structures. They can also cause health problems such as flea bites, cockroach infestations and rodent droppings that carry diseases including salmonellosis.
The best way to control pests is to prevent them from entering a facility in the first place. This is especially important in retail and hospitality settings where sanitation is key. It involves keeping doors and windows closed and blocking entry points such as cracks, gaps and holes with caulk or wire. In addition, trash receptacles should be kept tightly closed and food should be stored in sealed containers.
Physical methods of prevention include traps, bait stations and pheromones. These methods do not use chemicals and can be used in both indoor and outdoor environments. They can also be combined with other controls.
A more long-term approach to pest control is Integrated Pest Management (IPM). This is an ecosystem-based strategy that monitors and studies pests, then selects the proper treatment according to the tolerance level established for each location. IPM programs use preventive techniques to reduce the need for pesticides.
Preventing pests is more effective than eradicating them, and it’s less expensive. Some methods that are effective at preventing pests include deny-ing water by eliminating puddles, deny-ing food by removing berries or other edible vegetation, and deny-ing shelter by reducing the amount of wood around homes. In addition, trash receptacles must be emptied regularly and food should be stored in containers with tight lids.
Other preventive measures include keeping grass trimmed and weeds bare. This eliminates the pests’ hiding places. In addition, a barrier of gravel or other hard surface placed next to walls eliminates insects from crawling under them. Regular cleaning of counter tops, floors and other surfaces also eliminates food sources and crumbs that attract pests. In addition, water that may accumulate in containers should be drained and leaking pipes repaired. Finally, trees and shrubs that come into contact with buildings should be trimmed to eliminate roosting and nesting sites. These simple steps can dramatically decrease the likelihood of a pest infestation. Eradication is rare in outdoor situations because it is usually impossible to eradicate an entire species.
Suppression
Pests are unwanted organisms such as insects, bacteria, fungi, nematodes, viruses, vertebrate animals, or plants that damage crops, landscapes, buildings, or other property or disrupt natural ecosystems. They may also displace desirable species and interfere with human activities. Pests are typically controlled by preventing their reproduction, removing them directly or killing them, or by altering environmental factors that influence their growth (e.g., fertilizers, herbicides, irrigation, climate).
An organism does not need to exist in large numbers to be considered a pest. Often, pests arise when their population exceeds the control capacity of natural regulating agents, such as predators, parasites, or pathogens. This can happen when the organism is newly introduced to an area where its natural enemies do not exist, or when an organism’s rate of population growth outpaces its natural control mechanisms. For example, the gypsy moth population in New York has reached such high levels that damage to trees and apple orchards is occurring.
Monitoring the presence of pests is essential to understanding the problem and determining the best control strategy. Once the pest is identified, information about its biology and ecology can help determine whether it is a nuisance and can be tolerated or if it requires control. This information may also inform the selection of the most appropriate management tactic(s) and the timing of the treatment.
Many pests are easily eliminated by using non-chemical methods such as traps, screens, barriers, or sterilization. Chemical control can be used in a more targeted manner by using only the pesticides that are needed and at the time when the pests are most likely to be present. Boron, for instance, can be impregnated into the paper fibers of cellulose insulation to provide pest control along with the known benefits of thermal and acoustic performance.
Integrated pest management (IPM) strategies rely on prevention and suppression tactics such as habitat manipulation, cultural practices, use of resistant varieties, and biological control to minimize the need for more drastic interventions such as pesticides. When pesticides are needed, they are applied only after monitoring indicates that control is necessary according to established guidelines.
Eradication
Once pests have been identified, they can be eradicated using a variety of methods. Most of these involve spraying chemicals over affected areas. While these can be effective, they also pose a health risk as they contain harmful toxins. They may also cause environmental damage to surrounding areas and living organisms.
Alternatively, natural pest control methods may be used to keep pests at bay. These include the use of plants that repel certain pests, such as mint and lavender. Other natural repellents include fennel, basil, rosemary and oregano. These are often combined with other preventative measures to achieve long-term control of pests.
The key to pest prevention is knowledge. Knowing the life cycles, habitats and feeding habits of common pests can help people to understand what attracts them, as well as how they gain access to buildings. It is also helpful to be able to identify pests in their early stages, so that they can be eliminated more easily and quickly.
Structural vulnerabilities within a home or workplace can also make it easier for pests to enter and thrive. Cracks in foundations, loose siding, gaps around plumbing and electrical wires, and deteriorating door sweeps can all provide enticing entry points. Piles of leaves, wood and cardboard can be a nesting site for rodents and bugs, while open garbage cans and stacked cardboard boxes are a magnet for flies and ants. Regular cleaning and decluttering can reduce the attraction of these items, as can ensuring that food waste is properly stored and removed.
Finally, keeping windows and doors closed can be a powerful deterrent against pests. Regular maintenance of screens and the repair of any leaks can further enhance their effectiveness. In addition, reducing the presence of moisture by fixing water leaks, insulating attics and basements, and regularly draining gutters can all help to prevent pest infestations.
Eradicating pests can be a challenging task, but it is important to balance human needs and concerns with those of the environment and the creatures that live in it. For example, eradicating smallpox – which killed millions of people worldwide – was made possible by a highly successful vaccination program. Similar efforts have been made to eradicate polio and Guinea worm disease, though these have not yet been successful in all countries.
