Pests can damage or devalue crops, landscapes, lawns, and household plants. They can also displace native plant species and alter environmental factors like soil health, nutrient content, and available moisture.
To control them, you can choose from chemical, biological, cultural, or physical/mechanical controls. These methods can be classified as preventive or curative. Visit https://www.benspest.biz/ to learn more.
Identifying pests is the first step in integrated pest management. Accurate identification provides key information about a pest, such as where and how it lives, what it feeds on, what environmental conditions favor its development, and procedures for control. Incorrect pest identification can lead to inappropriate treatment methods and the use of toxic chemicals, which harm people, property, and the environment.
Most unidentified pests are harmless and require no special care or control, but some pests may pose serious health or safety threats. Some require special treatment strategies or specific exclusion methods, such as screening and caulking, to prevent recurrence. Pest identification also allows for targeted inspections, limiting pesticide application to the areas where pests occur.
The most common way to identify a pest is through visual monitoring. Careful observation of a pest can often reveal its behavior and damage potential, such as scurrying in a dark area, chewing or burrowing into materials, or leaving behind excrement and frass. A magnifying lens and/or a flashlight is useful for examining small or hidden areas such as underneath equipment, inside cracks, in crevices, and on the backs of walls.
For more in-depth monitoring, sampling techniques can be used to detect and evaluate pest populations. Samples can include the collection of live specimens for laboratory examination, the application of a disclosing solution to attract surface-active insects into visible light, or soil-examination to locate underground feeding sites (cup cutting and soil digging). Sampling is especially important in historically infested areas and when evaluating control tactics.
Pest identification services can help to demystify these mysterious creatures and transform their presence from a source of fear to a manageable, often solvable problem. These services utilize expert knowledge, experience and specialised tools to provide accurate identification and tailored advice on the next steps. While these services come at a cost, they are usually well worth the investment when considered in terms of the peace of mind they offer. For example, if you discover an intruder scurrying across your basement floor, an expert will not only identify it as a carpenter ant but also recommend ways to prevent future infestations, such as exclusion and sanitation.
Pest Control Methods
Once a pest is identified, monitored and evaluated, and preventative controls fail, a variety of natural, biological, cultural, physical/mechanical and chemical control methods can be employed to manage the pest. The goal is to select a method that poses the least risk to humans, other organisms, and the environment. The best option is often a combination of controls.
Biological pest control involves the use of non-native predators, parasites, or disease organisms to reduce pest populations. These organisms are introduced to a pest’s native habitat after rigorous testing to ensure they won’t harm other species. They then establish a self-sustaining population within the pest ecosystem and keep it in check.
Chemical pest control uses a combination of substances (typically chemicals) that are directly applied to the pest or its food to kill, repel, or disrupt its life cycle. The types of treatments that fall into this category include herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, rodenticides and larvicides. Most pesticides are carefully studied and regulated by federal, state, and local agencies before they can be sold for commercial use.
Using less-toxic alternatives to chemical pesticides is becoming more popular. Some of these products are made from plant extracts, neem oil, diatomaceous earth, or even water. They are designed to be toxic only to the pest and do not contaminate the environment, soil, water or other plants.
Another simple and inexpensive method is to use baking soda. Sprinkle a thick layer over infested areas, such as damp basements, or mix equal parts of baking soda and sugar to form a bait. This will disrupt the insects’ digestive system and encourage them to search elsewhere for food.
A clean house also deters many pests. Keep counters, stations, and sinks clean, sweeping and mopping regularly. Empty garbage cans regularly, and store food in sealed containers. Keep weeds and grass trimmed, and remove any rotting logs or debris that might be a breeding ground for pests. Lastly, wood ash can be used to protect crops by placing it on or around them. One ECHO staff member says she places it on the base of her brassica plants to deter aphids, and it works!
Pest Prevention
Pests can be nuisances (such as mice, rats, house centipedes and spiders) or harmful organisms that pose a health threat to humans and animals, or cause damage to homes, crops, gardens or personal belongings, such as clothing, woollens and food. Pests can also affect natural ecosystems by displace native plants and change soil characteristics, affecting nutrient levels, moisture availability and fire events.
The most effective way to control pests is through preventive strategies. This includes regularly cleaning areas where pests tend to live, keeping vegetation trimmed and away from structures, sealing entry points into buildings, and storing foods in sealed containers.
In addition, understanding pests’ life cycles and habits helps prevent infestations. For example, knowing that ants and cockroaches are more likely to enter homes during the rainy season and when temperatures are warmest can help prevent infestations. Similarly, learning that hummingbird feeders attract flies can reduce the number of flies around the house.
Proper disposal of trash, weeds and wood piles can also prevent pest infestations. Maintaining the yard by mowing, removing brush and debris, and keeping garbage cans and dumpsters tightly closed can also discourage pests.
Other preventive measures include frequently inspecting for and immediately correcting conditions that promote pests, such as openings in walls or foundations, leaky pipes and other sources of water. Sealing these areas can deter pests from entering homes or commercial buildings. Also, storing food in airtight containers and disposing of garbage promptly can deter pests.
If a pest does invade, evaluating the situation and the surrounding environment can help determine appropriate pest control methods. Infestations should be monitored and reported to a pest control operator. Thoroughly cleaning rarely used cupboards and storage spaces several times a year can also discourage moths and other pests from invading.
In addition, implementing integrated pest management strategies can prevent or limit the need for chemical treatments. Using baits and traps instead of sprays can eliminate the need for pesticides. In cases where pesticides are necessary, these should be used as sparingly and as late in the process as possible, to minimize human exposure and environmental impact.
Environmental Impact
Pests are unwanted organisms that damage or devalue agricultural crops, food stores, landscapes, buildings and other structures, lawns, gardens and other home and commercial property. They can also harm or displace desirable plant species and disrupt ecosystems. Biological, chemical, and physical/mechanical methods of pest control are used to manage pests to protect human health and the environment.
Pesticides are synthetic chemicals that kill or inhibit organisms like insects, fungi and rodents. Examples of chemical pest control include herbicides that reduce populations of weeds, fungicides that target fungal pathogens that might damage important crops, and insecticides that target harmful insects. Chemicals that seep into the groundwater or surface water bodies can contaminate drinking water and harm non-target organisms like aquatic life, and residues on crop plants can enter the human food chain. Responsible pesticide use, reduced reliance on chemicals and integrated pest management (IPM) practices are important for ensuring effective pest control while safeguarding the environment.
Overuse of chemical pesticides creates resistance and necessitates the use of stronger, more toxic substances to achieve the same results. This leads to environmental harm from exposure to contaminants and escalating costs for managing the problem. Environmentally friendly pest control options that reduce the need for chemicals include integrated pest management, habitat manipulation, introducing or encouraging organisms that naturally prey on or parasitize pests and implementing mechanical, physical controls.
Climate change is affecting the behavior and habitat of pests, creating new challenges for effective pest management. Warmer temperatures and longer growing seasons extend breeding and migration periods, making pests more resilient to traditional pest control strategies. Pests are adapting to extreme weather conditions and moving into areas where they did not previously survive, increasing the risk of disease transmission and causing problems for people, pets and livestock.
Using preventive pest control methods prevents pest infestations by eliminating the conditions that encourage them to develop and grow. Regularly cleaning outdoor areas and removing garbage cans and other attractants discourages pests from settling in the area. Quickly responding to infestations with suppression methods limits the growth of existing pest populations. Eradication methods eliminate pests completely, but they can be costly and require ongoing monitoring to ensure the success of the treatment.