Pests are organisms that contaminate or spoil food, damage property or spread diseases to humans and animals. Pest control methods aim to prevent or reduce pest numbers to an acceptable level.

Physical pest control methods include cleaning and removing breeding grounds, like clearing brush around a home or using nematodes (microscopic worms) to kill off pests. Biological pest controls utilize natural enemies of pests, such as ladybugs feeding on aphids. Click here to Learn More Here.

Pests can destroy food crops, spread disease in humans and animals, damage buildings, and cause a host of other problems. While most people think of rodents and cockroaches when they hear the word “pest,” other creatures can also be pests, including fungi, bacteria, parasites, or viruses. All of these can pose health risks, contaminate surfaces and foods, and cause problems for people with allergies or respiratory conditions.

Prevention focuses on keeping pests away from homes or businesses. This is a proactive approach, and it may include regular inspections by an experienced pest control technician. Inspections check for entry points, possible breeding grounds, and conditions that attract pests.

For example, removing clutter can make it more difficult for pests to breed and hide. It can also help to caulk cracks and crevices and use steel wool to fill any holes. Regular garbage removal, careful disposal of organic material, and keeping doors closed can also help to prevent pests.

Preventive pest control is most effective when it is combined with treatments. These are reactive steps that address existing infestations and attempt to keep them from growing. Treatments often involve the use of chemicals to kill pests, but they can also be more focused with traps and bait stations.

An integrated pest management program can also include cultural practices to reduce the presence of pests in a facility. This can include strict adherence to Good Manufacturing Practices, such as ensuring that all raw materials entering a food plant are inspected and sampled, that incoming trucks are properly cleaned, and that shipments of ingredients are not being opened until they are ready to be used.

Some pests, such as weeds, are naturally occurring and can be controlled with proper garden maintenance and timing of crop rotation. Other pests, such as birds and insects, can be controlled by implementing a bird roosting exclusion strategy or by using traps to capture them. A trained pest control professional can recommend the most appropriate strategies for your situation.

Suppression

A goal of pest control is to keep pest numbers below a level that causes unacceptable damage. These levels are called action thresholds and have been determined for many pests, especially in fields where a crop is grown for food or fiber. Generally, people take control measures when pests cause unacceptable harm in their homes, in commercial or public facilities such as health care, school, and food processing centers, or in agricultural areas.

Suppression tactics include weed management, using pest-free seeds or transplants, irrigating to reduce moisture content and promote plant growth that discourages pests, avoiding soil conditions that encourage disease organisms, cleaning tillage and harvesting equipment between fields or crops, field sanitation procedures, and eliminating alternate hosts and sites for insects and disease organisms. The most important preventive strategies are those based on habitat management.

Habitat management includes creating or maintaining natural enemies of the pests by increasing the number of enemies or altering their behavior, for example by releasing predators or parasites or by changing the environment in which the enemy lives to make it less suitable. An example of this is releasing predatory ladybird beetles to control rice insect pests or placing spiders in a rice field to kill the BPH (Nilaparvata lugens Stal) population.

The physical controls or mechanical controls are traps, screens, barriers, nets, fences, and radiation. These devices physically limit the movement of pests and may change the temperature or water availability or humidity to suppress the pest population.

Chemical or synthetic pesticides are used to destroy the pest or to change the environment in which they live. This often is the fastest way to bring pest populations below acceptable levels, but it usually doesn’t achieve complete or lasting control. Pesticides sometimes can cause unwanted effects such as “leaf burn” or damage to other parts of the plant. In addition, the use of pesticides can select for resistance in the pest population because resistant individuals survive and pass on the trait to their offspring.

Homeowners can practice two types of biological control, conservation biological control and augmentation biological control. Conservation biological control is the primary method of biological control available to homeowners and involves attracting and conserving naturally occurring enemies of the pests in the landscape. A homeowner also can add new enemies to the landscape by importing them, such as entomogenous nematodes that are beneficial in controlling pests of vegetable plants.

Eradication

A successful eradication program can remove an organism from a managed area and prevent it from returning. This is the most extreme form of pest control and is only possible when an organism is so rare or so dangerous to human health, well-being, economic, natural, and cultural resources that it represents a significant threat and warrants extraordinary measures to eradicate it. This is usually done in conjunction with other methods, such as surveillance and quarantine.

Most eradication campaigns are carried out by governments or organizations that have a strong financial and political incentive to do so, such as agricultural exporters who want to obtain “pest free” status for their products. This motivates them to employ whatever resources are necessary to achieve the goal of eradicating the pest. Those resources may include a variety of sanitary measures, such as quarantines and sterile insect releases, as well as chemical and physical controls, such as fumigation, heat treatment, and sonic repellents.

Eradication is most likely to succeed if action is taken promptly. Reacting within 11 months of the arrival/detection of a pest increases the chances of successfully eradicating it by threefold, compared to reacting after that period. The probability of success also increases with the level of biological knowledge and preparedness of the country attempting to eradicate the pest.

Biological pest control involves the introduction of natural enemies (predators, parasites, and herbivores) to reduce the population size of unwanted organisms by competing with them for food or by destroying their eggs or larvae. This can be done either by introducing natural enemies to an area in small batches or by augmenting the natural enemy population in an area, typically through large-scale releases of bred organisms.

In general, eradication efforts are more successful in man-made habitats than in natural or seminatural habitats. However, there is considerable variation among the world areas. This may be a result of differences in biological knowledge and preparedness as well as the fact that international eradication campaigns are primarily undertaken against high-priority organisms that represent significant threats to agriculture, such as boll weevil Anthonomus grandis or plum pox virus (PPV). These are considered to be major impediments to the development of agricultural export industries and receive greater funding and commitment than lower priority organisms.

Integrated Pest Management

Pests are organisms that harm crops, whether they are rodents chewing roots in the soil, nematodes eating the leaves and fruit of plants or birds and butterflies attacking from the air. They also include viruses, fungi, and bacteria that cause plant diseases. Integrated pest management (IPM) seeks to prevent or eradicate pest infestations using the least hazardous methods possible, with the goal of minimizing environmental, human and animal health risks. The IPM approach combines biological, cultural and chemical control strategies to achieve the desired result of protecting your crops.

Biological control is the use of predators, parasitoids or disease organisms to manage pest populations. These organisms usually occur naturally in the environment and are found in most gardens. Predators, such as birds or fish, hunt and kill pests or eat them to reduce their numbers. Parasitoids attach to and destroy the internal organs of a pest to weaken it or kill it after consuming its nutrients.

Many pests can be controlled by removing their food supply, such as changing the way a crop is grown. Crop rotation, strip cropping and intercropping are all examples of this technique. Plants of the same family or type grow together in this method, which discourages pest migration and protects against specific pest species.

Some pests are more difficult to control than others. Chemical control techniques can be very effective against these. Pesticides can be classified as herbicides, insecticides, fungicides or rodenticides and are sprayed on the crop to kill the pests or stop them from damaging it. The types of chemicals used are determined by the type of pest and its life cycle.

IPM includes monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of all control practices to ensure that the most effective approach is utilized. Regular scouting is an important part of this process and will help you detect pest problems early. It can show how successful control methods are over time, and can reveal any areas of the field where additional controls may be necessary. Documenting all pest activity in your facility can also be helpful should you ever get audited.

Pest control removes or repels unwanted insects and animals from a home or business. Services can range from eliminating cockroaches to placing traps for rodents.

Pest control companies should carry liability insurance to cover any accidents or damage that may occur during service. They should also have a marketing plan that targets local customers and promotes repeat business. Click here to Learn More.

Identifying pests is an important first step in determining how to manage them. Pest identification is based on an understanding of each pest’s biology, including its life cycle, food preferences, damage to plants and buildings, and other factors that influence its presence. This information allows us to choose the best management strategies, minimizing or eliminating its impact while protecting people and collections items.

In addition, a pest’s appearance can be very different depending on its development stage or time of year and can also vary among habitats. In order to accurately identify a particular pest, it is often necessary to consider all of this information as well as specific features such as the color and shape of wings, the size of eggs or larvae, and other characteristics that distinguish one species from another.

It is especially important to correctly identify pests when they enter a building, as this can help determine the most appropriate treatment. Sometimes, this may involve consulting with an expert or sending a sample to a laboratory for verification. However, by using available resources such as this website and other online resources, as well as attending educational webinars and workshops, you should be able to easily identify most pests.

The best way to control pests in and around buildings is by preventing them from entering. This means making sure that doors and windows are closed and shut properly, and sealing any cracks or holes in walls, foundations, roofs, pipes, and cables. It is also important to dehumidify areas where pests tend to congregate, and to store books, papers, and other materials in sealed containers. In addition, it is a good idea to keep garbage cans and other trash cans closed and to dispose of them frequently, as pests like to breed in decaying organic material.

Many pests have short lifespans, and their populations can build up to levels that are difficult to control with cultural practices alone. When this occurs, it is sometimes necessary to use a limited amount of chemical control. In general, when the use of chemicals is considered, it is essential to begin by carefully identifying the pest and considering its biology and ecology, in order to select the most suitable control measures.

Pesticides

Pesticides are chemicals that kill or prevent pests (insects, mice, weeds, mildew) from damaging crops, plants or people. They are available in a wide variety of forms, such as sprays, powders and liquids. Many common household products also contain pesticides, including insect repellents, ant baits, wood preservatives and disinfectant wipes. Pesticides can be natural or synthetic, but they all have the potential to harm human and animal health. To reduce the risk, always try non-chemical methods first and select products designed for the pest you are trying to control. Make sure you follow all label instructions carefully (especially the safety instructions) and use the least amount possible. If you do need to apply a pesticide, seek urgent medical attention if you believe you are being poisoned.

A pesticide’s toxic effects are determined by its toxicity, exposure time and concentration, and whether it enters the body through skin, inhalation or swallowing. Common symptoms include headache, dizziness, nausea, muscular twitching and weakness, tingling sensations, rashes or burning skin, eye irritation, and damage to the nervous system, respiratory tract and hormone systems. Chronic exposure can lead to cancers, birth defects and miscarriages, reproductive problems, immune disorders, neurological problems, and disruption of the endocrine system, which controls our hormonal balance.

Insecticides (pest killers) can be divided into three families: organochlorines, organophosphates and pyrethroids. The most widely used family is the organochlorine group, which includes organophosphates such as DDT, chlorpyrifos and methyl bromide. These are very effective, but can have serious toxicity to humans and other animals. They are being phased out and replaced by newer, safer compounds.

Other types of pesticides are the fungicides, which control moulds and mildew; and the herbicides, which control grass, weeds and other broadleaf plants. These can be natural or synthetic, and are usually absorbed through the roots of the plant, into the leaves and stems or into the soil.

Pesticides are regulated at the federal, provincial and municipal levels in Canada. Federal regulators oversee the development, production and registration of pesticides, as well as their safety and efficacy. The provinces and territories are responsible for licensing applicators, vendors, and growers; responding to spills and incidents; and setting bylaws about how and where pesticides may be used on private or municipal lands.

Prevention

The best way to keep pests away is through prevention. Creating a system of regular cleaning practices that doesn’t invite pests, keeping garbage receptacles covered and emptying regularly, sealing cracks and crevices, cutting grass short, removing debris, sanitizing drains, etc. is a good start but, to really prevent pests from getting the upper hand, employees should be trained in how to avoid attracting them. In a business setting, this means training on-site staff to inspect incoming shipments for pests and to be vigilant about their cleaning habits in their work area. It also means developing a protocol for storing and transporting shipments to the facility and establishing a uniform cleaning program that can help reduce moisture that attracts cockroaches, ants and other pests.

Another way to prevent pests is through physical controls, which are devices and machines that either trap or alter the environment so pests cannot thrive. This includes screens, barriers, traps, fences, radiation and electricity.

Weather and climate conditions also affect pests, affecting their activity and rate of reproduction. This can be because rain or cold temperatures can kill them, and because the environment can change their host plants’ growth rate, making them less appealing to pests. Natural predators and parasitic insects can also control the population of plant-eating pests, such as rodents, reducing the amount of damage they cause to crops and trees.

Preventive measures also involve reducing clutter, which can provide hiding spots for pests. Clutter can also make it harder for people to clean thoroughly, which makes it easier for pests to get in. This can be done by reducing the number of items on shelves and in cupboards, and by sealing gaps and spaces with caulk. Other measures can include using steel wool to fill holes in walls and around pipes, and by putting tight-fitting covers on drains.

A well-implemented preventative pest control strategy can save time and money, as well as stress, in the long run. Contact us to learn more about how our pest professionals can help you implement a preventative pest management program.

Treatment

After thoroughly inspecting and identifying pests, your technician will treat your property to eliminate them. Treatments can be done fortnightly to monthly for medium and low infestation levels or as needed when an acute infestation arises due to environmental or situational factors.

Chemical pesticides are the most common treatments, and they come in various formulations. Some of these are sprayed directly onto the surface, and others may be used as baits or placed in places where pests hide. Pesticides poison and kill the pests that consume or come into direct contact with them. Some are also abrasive, so they erode the pests’ exoskeletons or internal organs. These products are very toxic and must only be handled by trained technicians.

Physical traps, baits and other mechanical control methods are a great alternative to pesticides. They are more environmentally friendly and cause less harm to humans, pets and livestock. These are often better suited for situations that can’t be addressed with preventative measures or when a quick reduction in population is required.

When it comes to food processing environments, pests are drawn to these places primarily for water, food and shelter. Their presence can result in consumption or contamination of food products and damage to packaging, physical structures and equipment. This can have a significant negative impact on customer confidence and brand image.

Preventative measures include the elimination of food, water and shelter sources that attract pests to your premises. Store foods in sealed plastic or glass containers and regularly remove garbage from the premises. Thoroughly clean chopping boards, cutlery and drinking glasses before using them. Caulk and seal any cracks or crevices where pests could enter your premises. Cover and secure trash receptacles, and fix leaky plumbing.

In addition to a thorough inspection and preventive measures, pest control technicians can also recommend changes to your workplace practices and processes to stop pests from getting into your business. They can also offer guidance on safe handling and storage of pest control products. These simple steps can make a huge difference to your pest management and overall business health.