Tag: exterminator

Pests are organisms that cause damage to people, property, or the environment. They include insects, rodents, and birds.

Reliable pest control companies inspect your property and outline a control strategy. Ask about licenses and EPA registration numbers for chemicals used and proper disposal methods. A good company should also offer you a copy of pesticide labels and instructions. Click Here to learn more.

Prevention is the best and cheapest method of pest control. It is possible to keep pests at bay by regularly cleaning food processing environments and removing sources of food, water and shelter. This may include storing foods in sealed containers, removing garbage regularly from the premises, fixing leaky plumbing and removing vines and climbing plants that have grown on or around buildings. It is also a good idea to remove any weeds growing in and around food processing areas, as these can serve as an ideal habitat for pests.

Some pests can cause illness in humans, such as ants that transfer bacteria (like Salmonella and Streptococcus) to open wounds and food. They can also contaminate surfaces and destroy crops. Others cause or trigger allergies, such as cockroaches, fleas, earwigs and silverfish. Some annoy or damage personal belongings, such as clothes moths and pine seed bugs. Others can also carry or spread disease-causing microorganisms, like fungi, bacteria and viruses.

Natural forces, including climate, can directly affect pest populations. Pests can increase or decrease in numbers depending on weather conditions, such as drought, freezing temperatures and rainfall.

Other natural forces that influence pests include predators and pathogens. Birds, reptiles, fish and amphibians prey on some pest species, and parasitic insects, pathogens and other organisms often suppress pest populations. These are known as “natural enemies.” Some species can be introduced into an area to supplement existing natural controls of pests. This is known as biological control.

Chemicals and insecticides can be used for pest control, but should only be used when other methods are not feasible or practical. The use of chemicals must be carefully monitored and controlled, particularly in food processing plants, to avoid contamination. This includes proper storage and disposal of materials, and using baits and traps whenever possible. Chemicals should never be sprayed on products that are destined for human consumption or in places where children and pets are present.

Other chemical pest control methods include ultra-low volume fogging, a process that saturates the air with a small amount of pesticide, and fumigation, which seals a building and fills it with poisonous gas to kill all living things inside. These methods should only be used when other options are not feasible or when they can be adapted to reduce risk of exposure to humans and other animals.

Suppression

When pest populations reach unacceptable levels, control measures must be taken. Pests may be controlled by preventive methods (frequently cleaning areas where pests tend to live and preventing conditions that promote their development), suppression, or eradication.

Preventive methods include cleaning, habitat modification, and monitoring pests to determine their numbers. Monitoring focuses on the presence or absence of pests and is usually done by trapping, scouting, or visual inspection. Monitoring may also include checking weather conditions, especially temperature and moisture levels as these influence pests directly by affecting their growth or indirectly by altering the condition of their host plants.

Suppression involves controlling the amount of pests by restricting their movement and feeding or limiting the food they can obtain. Methods such as physical barriers, netting, and eradication devices are used. These are usually applied at the site of pest infestations, but may be used on an entire field if necessary to achieve control. Chemicals are also used to suppress pests, but must be carefully chosen and used to minimize their impact on non-target organisms, e.g., nematodes, beneficial insects, birds, or mammals. They can be used in combination with biological controls or as stand-alone treatments.

The goal of eradication is to completely remove a pest species from a particular area. This is a very difficult goal in outdoor situations, where pests can move quickly from one area to another, and is usually only attempted when it is determined that the pest has invaded an area where its presence is undesirable, e.g., operating rooms and other sterile areas in health care facilities.

Biological control involves the use of natural enemies to reduce pest densities and make them less damaging. These natural enemies include parasitoids, predators, and pathogens that can affect a pest’s population in different ways. Biological control is often part of an integrated pest management program, where the use of other pest control methods is minimized.

Other cultural techniques for reducing pests in agricultural settings include soil preparation; choosing crops that are well adapted to the site and that require less water, are tolerant of pest damage, or require little fertilizer; interplanting; utilizing crop rotation; timing planting dates; managing weeds; and using pheromones and juvenile hormones.

Eradication

A pesticide is an effective means of killing a particular species. However, the pesticide must be administered in just the right way and at just the right time. It is also important that the chemicals be kept out of pristine areas where they could cause unnecessary harm to nature.

Eradication is the ultimate goal of pest control, but it may not be practical. It is difficult to predict when a pest will reach economic significance, so eradication must take place in concert with an early warning system. This might involve computer programs that track weather data around the clock for large regions and send messages when conditions are favorable for pest invasions. It could also involve scouts who monitor fields for signs of pest activity, such as insect traps that signal impending infestations.

Integrated pest management, which is often an integral part of a broader agricultural management plan, is one method for reducing the amount of chemical pesticides used. This system is designed to keep pest populations below an economically damaging level through a series of cost-effective methods that wherever possible use natural controls on the pests rather than chemical sprays.

Denying the pests food, water and shelter can also help reduce their population. For example, mulching weeds deprives them of the light they need for germination. Providing adequate shade to sun-loving plants prevents fungal diseases from spreading. Rotating pesticides can also help reduce the development of resistance to specific chemicals.

Classical biological control relies on predation, parasitism and herbivory to eliminate pests, but usually involves a substantial human management role. The predators and other organisms that perform these functions are either collected from the wild or bred in the laboratory and then released into the field, where they will breed, survive and provide long-term control of the targeted pests. In some cases, the natural enemies are introduced in small batches over a period of years to achieve more gradual results than might be accomplished by releasing just a single, large batch. In other instances, the natural enemy is supplied in a ready-to-use form, such as a fungus or disease that has been injected into a plant to kill the pests.

Natural Forces

A pest control program can take advantage of natural forces in addition to chemical interventions. Various organisms, such as predators, parasites, nematodes, pathogens and weeds, naturally control or suppress pest populations. The supplemental application of these organisms can reduce or even eliminate the need for chemical pesticides.

Many pests thrive only as long as their food and water sources are available. Other environmental factors can also affect the size of a pest population, such as weather conditions, day length and temperature. The use of physical controls to keep pest numbers low, such as removing breeding grounds and sealing cracks and crevices where pests may hide, can be very effective.

Physical pest control techniques include trapping, pheromone-based baits, field burning and introducing active biological control agents such as predators or parasitoids. For example, lady beetles that are sold for biological management of aphids can be very effective when placed in the right environment. But, because the relationships between the organisms and the pests are very specific, accurate identification of the pest species is necessary before the correct natural enemy can be purchased for release.

Natural enemies are not a substitute for pesticides. They must be released in adequate numbers and their actions must be consistent with the objectives of the pest control program. They cannot be used as a substitute for good soil health and proper plant selection.

Some organisms that are considered to be natural predators of certain pests, such as birds, reptiles and amphibians, are often excluded from agricultural areas because they have been altered by human activities. Other natural predators, such as nematodes and fungi, have been removed from the environment due to their inability to compete with higher-order organisms for a limited resource. Changing environmental factors, such as soil health and availability of nutrients, can also change the natural balance of predators and prey, leading to an imbalance that is sometimes referred to as “pest influx”. This situation can be controlled by applying proper management practices. If the problem persists, a combination of preventative, suppression and eradication approaches should be utilized.

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Natural forces, such as weather and food availability, influence pest populations. Control methods aim to reduce the number of pests to a level where they no longer cause unacceptable harm.

Pest identification is the first step in a pest control program. Whether the pest is an insect, weed, plant disease, vertebrate animal, or microorganism, accurate identification is necessary to determine effective and safe management techniques. Proper pest identification also helps to avoid unnecessary pesticide applications that add to the overall load of chemicals in our environment.

Observe the pest and note its characteristics such as shape, size, color, number of legs or wings, etc. Take note of the areas of your property where pests are causing damage or a nuisance, such as food sources, breeding or nesting sites, and migratory habits. Compare your findings to the images in the pest guides. Once you have located the category that best matches your pest, click on its name to learn more about that species and how to manage it.

Use the pest guide as a reference, and when in doubt, consult additional resources. Depending on your location and the specific pest, identification may be difficult or impossible. If you are unable to identify the pest, contact your local Cooperative Extension agent or a professional pest management specialist.

Trained technicians will conduct a thorough inspection of your property. They will identify the pests, their entry points, harborage areas, and other relevant information that will help them develop an effective treatment plan.

Depending on the severity of your pest infestation, your technician will recommend a variety of management strategies. These might include sanitation, sealing entry points, vacuuming, proper firewood storage, using a dehumidifier or other preventative measures. In some cases, it might be necessary to apply interior and exterior treatments such as spraying, baiting or dusting. These are designed to kill existing pests and deter future populations. If you decide to apply pesticides, always read and follow the label instructions. These will give you detailed directions on how to safely and effectively apply the product. Also, make sure to take advantage of any educational opportunities offered by your pest control company. These often provide hands-on training and other learning tools that can help you to maintain an effective pest control program.

Prevention

Pests carry germs that can make people sick, damage property and deteriorate plants. While treating a pest infestation is important, it is even better to prevent a problem from happening in the first place. Preventive pest control involves making the environment less hospitable to pests by eliminating conditions that attract them. These measures include: eliminating potential entryways, removing food, water and shelter, practicing good sanitation, and using reduced-risk treatment methods. These prevention methods are often combined in a plan known as Integrated Pest Management.

Pest infestations only occur when pests can get inside a house or business. Eliminating these entryways is the first step in pest prevention. This can include screens on windows, keeping doors shut and patching holes in walls or foundations. It also includes regular interior and exterior inspections of a building to find and repair these openings. This can include inspecting the roof and utility lines as well as looking for cracks under foundations, in eaves or around the edges of a structure.

Getting rid of food, water and shelter sources can also stop or at least slow down a pest population. This can include storing food in sealed plastic or glass containers, keeping garbage receptacles tightly covered and removing trash regularly, not leaving pet food or water out overnight and fixing leaky plumbing. Other preventive steps include avoiding plant and animal matter that is decaying or has been contaminated by disease, not piling leaves or debris near a building and not letting water collect in trays under houseplants or the refrigerator.

Good sanitation practices can help keep pests at bay. These measures include sanitizing drains, wiping down surfaces and vacuuming carpets and furniture on a regular basis. It also includes storing food in the refrigerator or in sealed plastic or glass containers, not allowing garbage to build up and disposing of it promptly, and not leaving out open trays of vegetables or fruit.

Many pest repellants are available that can be sprayed on the outside of a building and in cracks or crevices to keep away unwanted invaders. These repellants can be natural or chemical, and some even work by mimicking the scent of spices or predators that would normally scare off a pest. However, some pests may require more powerful, targeted treatments.

Suppression

Suppression is the use of controls to reduce pest populations below damaging levels. This is a necessary step in controlling pests when prevention fails or when the damage caused by the pest is not economically acceptable. Controls can be used in a number of ways including cultural practices, physical barriers, biological controls and pesticides. Each of these strategies has advantages and disadvantages that must be weighed when choosing the correct strategy to control the pest.

Biological Controls involve the conservation or release of natural enemies (predators, parasitoids and pathogens) to limit the rise of pest insects. This can be accomplished by: 1) conserving existing natural enemies, 2) introducing new natural enemies and establishing a permanent population, or 3) mass rearing and periodic releases of natural enemies. Examples include the nematodes that kill harmful soil grubs, and parasitoids that control greenhouse whitefly. Biological control agents are generally safe for people and the environment, and are an important component of integrated pest management.

In addition to the role of predators and parasitoids, host plants play an important role in limiting pest densities as well. Plants with greater vigor or tolerance of attack are less likely to be seriously damaged by pests. Some plant varieties are resistant to the actions of certain pests and can be planted to reduce the need for insecticides.

The occurrence of seminatural habitat adjacent to crop fields may influence the success of biological controls as well. Studies show that the presence of natural enemies increases with the proximity of the crop field to forest habitat. For example, the number of ant species in sun-grown Brazilian coffee increased with the distance from forest. Similarly, the abundance of syrphid flies in oilseed rape fields increased with the distance to forest fragments.

The development and release of natural enemies is a long process that requires research to find suitable organisms, testing for the impact on native non-pest species or other natural enemies, and quarantine procedures to ensure that no disease or pathogen can be introduced. In addition, the timing of the introduction of new natural enemies needs to be carefully considered, with consideration given to both enemy and pest life cycles.

Eradication

Pests such as rats, roaches, bees, and ants can spread diseases to people and animals. They can also contaminate food or surfaces, and erode plants. Pest control specialists work to eliminate these organisms and prevent them from returning. Pest extermination services may include a thorough initial inspection, targeted treatments inside and outside of the property, trapping, baiting, steam sterilization, or fumigation.

A more sustainable approach to pest control is prevention. This involves modifying cultivation practices to discourage pest infestation and reproduction, using crop varieties that resist insect damage or have natural defenses, and introducing biological controls such as parasites or predators. These can be simple tactics, such as encouraging predatory birds to flock to a field or planting crops that attract natural enemies of a pest, or they can be part of a larger integrated pest management program, such as the cultivation of genetically modified plants with Bt genes to produce toxins effective against certain insects.

The word eradication can be confusing. It is often used interchangeably with exterminate and extirpate, all of which imply complete and immediate extinction. However, eradication can also mean driving something out by a process of displacement or removal, as in uprooting an undesirable plant. The word originated as the root of the Latin verb eradicare, which means “pull up by the roots.”

Eradication is also a term for the extermination of disease microbes. For this to happen, a well-defined set of criteria must be met. These might include a requirement that independent, respected parties certify that an invasive species or pathogen no longer exists in the wild or is not being spread to humans in a non-natural environment such as in a laboratory.

A similar set of criteria is needed for the eradication of weeds, which can overrun crops and native habitats, requiring the use of large amounts of fertilizer and tainting food sources. In some cases, a specific weed might be singled out as being so detrimental that its existence should be eradicated on a national or even global scale, with the help of government agencies and agricultural departments.