Pest control is the process of keeping a pest population below damaging levels. It involves prevention and suppression. Eradication is rarely attempted in outdoor pest situations.
Some natural forces regulate pest populations, such as climate, natural enemies, barriers, food and water supplies. These forces should be taken advantage of whenever possible. Contact South Shore IPM now!
When pests enter a home or workplace, they can cause damage to property and threaten the health and safety of those inside. Identifying pests early can save homeowners the stress and expense of dealing with a full-blown infestation.
One of the first signs of a pest problem is seeing droppings or urine stains in and around a property. Different pests leave behind varying types of markings, so identifying the pest can help pinpoint the source and guide control efforts. For example, rodent droppings tend to be small and pellet-like in appearance, while cockroach droppings look more like coffee grounds.
Observing an increase in the number of pests seen in and around a property can also be a sign that a professional should be called for assistance. Whether it’s a steady stream of ants marching across the kitchen counter or cockroaches crawling along baseboards, consistent sightings suggest that an infestation is in progress and should be dealt with immediately.
Another way to detect a pest infestation is noticing unusual odors. Different pests produce distinctive odors, so observing an off-putting odor in particular areas of the home or office can be a sign that pests are present.
Finding dead pests in and around a property can be a telltale sign of a problem as well. Rodents, such as mice and rats, often chew through electrical wires which can cause fires and shocks. In addition, some pests such as cockroaches and beetles can sting people who encounter them. Dead insects can also attract flies, which in turn can contaminate food and create allergic reactions.
Seeing a significant amount of crop damage can be another indication that pests are present. It’s important to take into account the type of crops being damaged, as different pests consume a wide range of plants. Knowing which crops a specific pest typically targets can help narrow down the possible culprits and guide treatment or prevention efforts. For example, cabbage worms can devastate leafy vegetables but will not generally consume brassicas.
Prevention
Pests may be eliminated through routine inspection and treatment by a licensed professional. These efforts can help preserve the value of property, protect people and pets, and maintain health and safety. Routine pest control helps prevent damage to plants and structures, which can lead to expensive repair or replacement costs. It also reduces the spread of disease, and limits the introduction of allergens, toxins, and pathogens into homes or business environments.
Preventive maintenance is a series of steps to keep pests from entering buildings, including identifying and eliminating potential sources of food, water, shelter, or entry points and reducing attractants. It can include removing debris and sanitizing garbage bins indoors and out, sealing cracks around doors and windows, and fixing any leaking pipes or appliances. In addition, it includes inspecting and cleaning artifacts regularly to identify signs of infestation, conducting ongoing detection practices, and taking action as needed to eliminate pests.
Some pests are considered continuous, requiring regular control, while others are sporadic or reoccurring and may require control only under certain conditions. A continuous pest is a pest that is almost always present and requires routine control, such as termites, house flies, and mosquitoes. A sporadic pest is one that requires control only under certain conditions, such as fleas and ticks.
The natural environment plays an important role in the behavior and population dynamics of all organisms. Factors that affect pest populations include climate, natural enemies, and availability of food and water supplies.
Biological methods use living organisms to kill or suppress pests, such as predatory birds and insects, parasitic plants, and pathogens. These methods usually do not involve chemical substances and may be time-consuming, but they can reduce the need for chemicals.
Other preventive measures include keeping grass and shrubs trimmed and away from houses, and maintaining proper drainage to avoid standing water near foundations. Inside, storing food in sealed containers and sanitizing countertops and kitchen surfaces on a regular basis will deter many pests. Finally, it is important to remove wood debris or scrap from around the house and yard to discourage beetles and other pests that like to feed on it.
Suppression
When pest populations are so high that their presence threatens humans or plants and damage is occurring, it may be necessary to use control methods. These can include physical, biological and chemical methods. The goal is to reduce the pest population to an acceptable level without harming other organisms. Integrated pest management considers the place of organisms in wider food chains and habitats, so pest control can involve more than just killing them.
Physical methods involve trapping or blocking pests from entering, such as traps for rodents or screens to keep birds away from vegetable gardens. Biological control uses natural enemies such as parasites, predators and pathogens to control a pest species. This typically involves breeding and releasing these natural enemies, or supplementing existing ones in the environment. Biological control usually does not achieve eradication of the pest and may be limited by climate, food availability and shelter, so it is not always successful or sustainable.
Chemical solutions are often easier to find and apply than physical or biological controls. These can include repellents, which deter a pest without directly touching it, or insecticides, which kill pests by poisoning them. Chemicals also often work faster than other control techniques, but they can have adverse effects on the environment and human health if not used correctly.
People often have a knee-jerk reaction to seeing pests, such as a swarm of ants or a wasp’s nest, and believe they need to spray them all. However, it is better to remove the sources of these pests by removing food, water and hiding places where they breed or live, such as storing garbage in tightly sealed containers or regularly removing pet foods from the yard.
Biological and physical control options should be applied first, followed by chemical controls as a last resort. Many pests can be controlled using non-chemical methods, including caulking cracks and crevices in the home, repairing leaking faucets, covering up holes in the home with steel wool or wood and keeping a tidy house to reduce the number of places where pests can breed.
Treatment
Once pest populations have become established, they must be controlled before they cause damage. Control methods can include physical removal, exclusion or repulsion, biological control, and chemical application. Physical methods, like traps and bait stations, can be very effective in controlling pests and are a good first step in any pest control program. These are best used in combination with other preventive measures.
Keeping your property free of clutter can help prevent pests from entering your home. Sealing cracks and preventing access to water can also reduce their numbers. Regular trash collection can eliminate their food sources.
Chemical control methods are useful for controlling invasive plant and animal species that can cause serious damage. Some pesticides are selective and kill only the target species, minimizing their impact on non-target plants or animals. Other pesticides work in a manner similar to hormones, controlling population growth by manipulating the organism’s natural behavior. Juvenile hormones, for example, keep the earlier stages of insects from changing into normal adult forms, thus reducing insect numbers.
Some pests are parasitic, living on or in other organisms for the purpose of obtaining food. Examples of parasitic organisms are birds, reptiles and fish that feed on insect pests; nematodes that eat the root systems of plants; and pathogens, which cause disease in other organisms, such as humans, rats, mice, or caterpillars. In addition to reducing pests, many predatory organisms, including mammals, birds, and insects, can also control pest populations.
Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, is an ecosystem-based approach to pest control that integrates prevention, monitoring, and intervention with the use of pesticides and other materials when necessary. It is a systematic process that minimizes risks to human health, beneficial and nontarget organisms, and the environment. When pesticides are used, they should be selected carefully, applied according to label instructions, and used as sparingly as possible to control a specific pest problem. IPM can be used in urban, agricultural, and wildland or natural areas. Always identify your pest to be sure the control method is appropriate for its life cycle and biology.
