Pests can infiltrate homes and buildings in search of food, water or shelter. Some can carry diseases that may affect human health and well-being.
Several methods can be used to prevent and control pests in residential or commercial properties. These methods range from removing food and water sources to sealing entry points into buildings. Contact Ben’s Pest Control for professional help.
If you’re dealing with a pest infestation, identifying the species is key to developing an effective control strategy. Many pests look very different depending on their stage of life, the environment they’re in or the time of year. In addition, some pests go through significant physical changes over their lifetimes and may also take on a different appearance when breeding. Correct identification can help you select the best pest control method, and avoid unnecessary risk.
Incorrect identification can result in inappropriate controls or a lack of controls, such as when an organism is mistakenly blamed for crop damage caused by non-living factors (weather extremes, air pollutants, improper fertilization). It can also lead to misapplication of chemicals or the wrong pesticide, leading to excessive damage.
Identifying the exact pest is particularly important when it comes to insect infestations, as some insects are extremely destructive and can pose a health hazard or safety threat. The hickory tussock moth caterpillar, for instance, leaves behind a trail of fine hairs that can irritate sensitive skin and the camphor shoot borer is known to cause wilting and even death in trees by boring into small-diameter branches and trunks.
To reduce the potential for pests to invade your business, you should ensure that your buildings and grounds are well maintained. This means keeping gutters clear and sealing cracks. Also, you should regularly inspect and sanitize kitchen counters and pantries to prevent food from spoiling or becoming an attraction for pests. Lastly, you should dispose of trash and garbage frequently, ensuring that the containers are tightly sealed.
Pests can enter buildings through a variety of means, including open windows and doors, ventilation ducts and drainage pathways. You should also ensure that all storage areas, basements and attics are well ventilated and clean, and keep all items in their original packaging when moving them.
A number of online resources can aid in pest identification. The ID Tools website, for example, allows users to search an image gallery of pests and provides details about the insects, such as what they eat, how long they live and their physical characteristics. It’s also a good idea to contact an expert or attend educational webinars to learn how to properly identify a pest and determine the best course of action to take.
Pest Prevention
Pests are organisms (like insects, weeds, nematodes and disease-causing bacteria) that negatively impact human or animal health, food stores, lawns, gardens, crops, homes and structures, personal belongings, clothing and other materials. They can also displace and destroy native species, reduce soil quality and water resources, and damage terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
There are many things we can do to prevent pest infestations. A few of the most basic steps include:
Identifying the pest that is present is critical for selecting an effective management method. This is true whether you are trying to do it yourself or relying on the services of a pest control professional. Learn as much as you can about the pest, including its life cycle and biology, and what environmental factors may be contributing to the problem.
Crawling pests, such as rodents, arachnoids and spiders, and insects like millipedes, centipedes, cockroaches, and ants, often enter homes in search of food, water and shelter. They can cause damage to structures and personal items, contaminate food and irritate skin and eyes. In addition, some of these pests can produce venom or other harmful substances.
Flying pests, such as flies, mosquitoes, bees, wasps and hornets, can sting, bite or carry diseases. Some can even transmit viruses that can make humans sick.
To prevent flying pests from entering homes and other buildings, inspect them regularly for cracks in foundations, walls or around windows; loose or missing window and door seals; and holes through roof shingles, attic vents or basement walls. Seal these gaps with pest-resistant materials.
Other preventive measures include storing foods in airtight containers, keeping kitchen counters and pantry shelves clean and dry, placing trash in outside dumpsters regularly, and sealing stored items in tightly-sealed boxes or bags. Regularly sweep and vacuum rugs, vacuum carpets, and wash curtains and draperies to remove pet hair and other debris that can attract insects.
A good way to avoid the need for pesticides is to practice integrated pest management (IPM). IPM includes both cultural practices and physical and chemical methods of pest control. It starts with assessing the situation and environment and may involve changing environmental conditions that promote pests, such as proper watering and fertilization, soil solarization, crop rotation, mulches, weed control, cultivation, and plant selection. It may also include introducing beneficial organisms and using traps, baits, barriers and other mechanical devices to prevent pests from reaching crops or structures.
Pest Control Methods
Chemical pest control involves the use of synthetic or natural chemicals that disrupt pests’ growth, feeding and reproduction. The most common types of chemical pesticides include sprays, baits and traps that target the nervous systems of pests or interfere with their metabolism and movement. These chemicals can be used to kill the pests or to stop them from damaging crops. However, they can also harm humans and other animals if they come into contact with them. And because they are often used on a large scale, they can disrupt the balance of nature by killing or harming beneficial insects that also play an important role in our ecosystem.
Biological pest control uses living organisms to suppress pest populations below levels that cause serious or aesthetic damage. This can be done by introducing predators, parasites or disease organisms that attack the pests or by releasing organisms that will naturally suppress them, such as nematodes or bacteria. Biological controls are generally considered more environmentally friendly than chemical pesticides, though they may not be as effective in all situations.
Mechanical and physical controls are methods that change environmental conditions to interrupt or suppress pest life cycles, reduce their population or prevent them from reaching plants. These include cutting, crushing or destroying the pests with implements and barriers, burying or removing the pests from areas, cultivation to alter soil conditions, adjusting air temperature or humidity, covering crop areas, row covers to accelerate growth and exclude pests, sanitizing equipment and washing produce, and roguing (or picking) out infested plants.
Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, is the long-term prevention of pests and their damage through a combination of techniques such as monitoring, scouting, identifying, and correcting the factors that allow pests to thrive. The goal is to eliminate or minimize the need for pesticides.
Pesticides
Pesticides are chemicals that are used to kill or control unwanted weeds, insects, diseases and rodents. Each year in the United States more than a billion pounds of pesticides are applied across home gardens, parks and farms to manage these unwanted “pests”. Many of these are “broad-spectrum” chemicals that kill a large number of organisms at one time. Contamination from their use has been linked to declines of species important to ecosystems, including pollinators.
Most pesticides are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and must have an EPA registration number on their label. The EPA registration number will identify the specific chemical(s) in the product. The product will also have a description of the application method and safety information.
If a pesticide is not used properly, it can be hazardous to people, pets, wildlife and the environment. Over 800 different pesticides are registered for use in the United States. Many of these can be toxic to humans and other animals, pollinators, and fish, and can cause a wide range of health problems. Some can even be carcinogenic. Pesticides can harm plants, soil and water, and can get into the bodies of people and other living things through inhalation, skin contact and swallowing.
When using pesticides, it is important to follow the label recommendations carefully. The label will tell you how much pesticide to apply, how to mix it with water, and what protective clothing to wear. It will also tell you when the treated area is safe to enter, usually after the product has dried. It is best to apply pesticides only on a dry day. Rain will wash some off of the plant, reduce its effectiveness, and may also contaminate lakes and streams if it is used near these areas.
Fungicides are often used in vegetable and flower gardens to control disease. But fungicides can also be harmful to pollinators by killing or disrupting their normal biological processes. Some fungicides, such as metalaxyl and lindane, are suspected of having thyroid-disrupting effects in humans, while others, like neonicotinoids, have been linked to declines in honeybee health and numbers. The Xerces Society maintains a database of summaries of scientific research articles on the impact of pesticides on pollinators.