Pests can cause serious damage to crops, forests, and homes. They may also spread disease like hantavirus, leptospirosis, and salmonella.
Biological control uses parasites, predators, pathogens, and pheromones to manage pest populations. Insect pathogens (viruses, bacteria, fungi, and nematodes) are very effective in controlling pests without damaging non target organisms. Visit Our Website to learn more.
Pest problems are often caused by providing the wrong conditions for the pest to thrive, so preventive measures are the first step in controlling a problem. The most effective preventive strategies involve removing the food, water and shelter that pests seek. Store all food in sealed containers and remove garbage regularly, avoiding leaving garbage bags out overnight. Keep all living areas clean and free of clutter, which provides hiding places for pests. Eliminate standing water, which creates ideal breeding sites for mosquitoes and other disease-carrying insects. Keep garbage bins tightly closed and make sure to use them on their designated collection days.
Another key preventive measure is to maintain the health of plants, reducing the need for chemical pesticides. Regularly inspect plant health, and promptly remove or treat any sick or dying plants to avoid introducing pests. This is particularly important for greenhouses and nursery plants.
Preventive measures also include repairing any openings through which pests may enter buildings. This includes caulking cracks and crevices, and using steel wool to fill spaces around pipes and wires, where pests can hide. Keeping shrubs and trees neatly trimmed can also help to control pests, and should be done regularly.
If the above preventive measures are not effective, or if pests have already established themselves in the area, then suppression and/or eradication should be considered. Eradication is a rare goal in outdoor pest situations, and should only be used when the threat is serious enough to justify the risk of using poisons, especially since resistant pests may survive treatment.
It is always preferred to avoid the need for any kind of pesticide, and the use of a minimally toxic baits is generally recommended in IPM programs, especially where children and pets are present. However, if the need arises, then it is critical to use only the most appropriate pesticide for the specific situation, following all label instructions and warnings. This is called Integrated Pest Management. Never use foggers or other indiscriminate spraying devices, and never allow anyone else to handle or apply pesticides. Consult your local cooperative extension service office for recommendations suitable for your area.
Suppression
Pest control is the attempt to reduce pest numbers and damage to an acceptable level. This involves controlling the pest using prevention, suppression and eradication methods. The goal is to cause as little harm as possible to other organisms, including human beings, and the environment. Pests can be plants, vertebrates (birds, rodents and other mammals), invertebrates such as insects and mites or pathogens such as fungi that cause disease.
Natural forces often influence the growth and decline of pest populations, and these should be considered in any management plan. The climate, natural enemies, available food and water supplies, barriers to movement, and the physical characteristics of the habitat all affect pest populations.
Preventing severe pest problems may require a combination of cultural, biological and chemical controls. These include the use of resistant varieties, crop rotation, agronomic practices that manipulate insect mating and host-finding behavior, methods of manipulating pest feeding or damage, and physical controls such as plowing, cultivation, flaming, row covers and greenhouse ventilation. The timing of pesticide application can also be important in reducing contact between the pesticide and natural enemies.
Suppression aims to keep pest populations below harmful levels by reducing the availability of food, water or shelter, and restricting access to these resources. Cultural, genetic and mechanical controls can be used to suppress pests. The cultural approach involves changing the way crops, vegetables and other plants are grown to make them less attractive to pests. The genetic approach uses plant breeding programs to select for traits that reduce or eliminate pests, such as resistance to diseases or tolerant morphology.
The use of chemicals to suppress pests can be an effective tool, but they must be used carefully. Many pesticides are toxic to natural enemies as well as to humans and other organisms, and their use should be limited whenever possible. The most common chemical controls are herbicides, fungicides and insecticides. The use of reduced-toxicity pesticides and of spot applications to minimize exposure can reduce the impact of these chemicals on natural enemies.
Eradication is rarely the goal of pest control in outdoor situations, but eradication can be attempted when certain pests pose a serious threat to human health or the economy, or have been introduced into an area and must be controlled. Eradication methods include preventing the pest from entering an area by improving cultural, biological and chemical controls; developing strategies to prevent its spread, such as quarantine; and using regulatory controls.
Eradication
Pests are undesirable organisms such as insects, bacteria, nematodes, viruses, weeds, and vertebrate animals that harm people or damage property or natural resources. They also disrupt or displace native species and alter terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Pest control aims to remove or limit the number of pests, and prevent their future return. It includes structural, environmental, biological, and chemical management methods.
Structural pest control is the removal or reduction of physical barriers to prevent pests from entering a home or building. It may involve repairing damaged screens or screens that have been left open, installing caulking around the foundation of a house or other structure, or sealing cracks. It can also include removing debris or clutter that provides hiding places for pests and reducing the availability of food, water, or shelter.
Chemical pest control uses chemicals to destroy or repel pests. Common treatments include herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides, fungicides, and larvicides. These substances are often formulated into sprays or granules, and are applied to the surface of the soil or plants where pests live. These substances are regulated by state and federal laws to protect the environment and human health.
Biological pest control uses organisms that naturally compete with or parasite the target pest to reduce its population. The organisms may be introduced to the area in which the pest is found or they may be introduced to a site where the pest has not been present before. There is a significant time lag between the introduction of new enemies and a reduction in the targeted pest population.
For long-term pest control, the first step is to understand the pests that are a problem in your area and their life cycles. Learn how to identify common pests like flies, ants, and rodents in your yard and around the house. Keep garbage and trash cans tightly closed, and remove waste from the yard regularly. Eliminate sources of food, water, and shelter for the pests, such as piles of leaves or stacked cardboard, and fix leaky pipes. Use natural deterrents, such as essential oils, chili pepper, or coffee grounds, instead of harsh chemical pesticides.
Monitoring
Monitoring is a very important part of any pest control program. It helps determine the population size of a particular pest, and how it is changing with time. It also helps determine the effectiveness of treatment strategies. Monitoring can be done by scouting, trapping or checking the damage caused by a pest. It can be used to identify the pest and its life cycle, as well as to determine when the population is at a threshold level where control action should begin.
Monitoring of insect, insect-like, mollusk and vertebrate pests usually is done by scouting or trapping. Monitoring of weed pests and microbial pests is often done by visual inspection. Monitoring can also include checking environmental conditions such as temperature and moisture levels. These factors can influence when a pest outbreak is likely to occur or when a pest is at an unacceptable damage level.
The most important part of monitoring is determining what kind of pest has been caught. The identity of the pest is essential because different kinds of pests require very different management practices. Monitoring can be enhanced by using pheromones in traps to lure male insects away from females, resulting in a lower pest population. Monitoring can also be enhanced by monitoring the damage a pest is doing to a crop, and by using a computerized system that can provide real-time information on the progress of a pest infestation.
A key element of any pest control strategy is preventing a problem from occurring in the first place. Prevention includes exclusion, keeping buildings and facilities clean and dry, and minimizing the amount of clutter around a facility. Exterior landscape should be kept trimmed to reduce overgrowth that can provide shelter and nesting sites for pests. Inside facilities, screens and caulking can be used to exclude pests, and keeping shelves clear of goods prevents them from becoming food sources for pests. Keeping trash bins closed and making sure they are emptied regularly is also an effective preventive measure. Stored materials such as pallets should be kept properly spaced apart to avoid attracting pests.