Pests are unwanted organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, nematodes, insects, or vertebrates, that damage or devalue crops, plants, or property. Regulatory control methods aim to reduce risk to human health, food safety, and property by changing management practices or using specific techniques such as traps, sterilization, or pheromones.
Prevention is a goal when a pest’s presence or abundance can be predicted. Continuous pests are easier to prevent than sporadic or potential pests. Contact Pest Control Simi Valley CA now!
A variety of preventive techniques are used to manage pests, both indoors and out. These include scouting, monitoring, identification and assessment of the pest problem, and selecting the most appropriate treatment methods to control the pests with the least harm to beneficial and nontarget organisms.
Preventing pests from getting into homes should be a top priority for homeowners. This can be accomplished by sealing entry points around doors, windows, exterior piping, vents and chimneys. It is also important to remove any weeds or woodpiles that may attract pests and to keep grass cut low.
The best way to prevent pests from damaging food is to prevent them from gaining access to it. This can be accomplished by using sealed containers for food storage and by washing out empty containers before throwing them away. It is also important to dispose of garbage promptly and not to leave trash lying around.
Another method of preventing food pests is to grow plants that are resistant to the specific insect or disease organisms that damage them. In addition, certain plants produce chemicals that can repel or deter pests, such as thyme and chrysanths.
Natural forces such as climate, natural enemies, natural barriers and the availability of food and water influence the growth of all organisms, including pests. For example, weather conditions can affect insect hatching, development and flight times. Natural enemies can also influence pest populations by feeding on them or competing with them for resources.
Many people spend lots of time trying to fix their pest problems with sprays and at-home remedies. These can be harmful to the environment, pets and children, and can even make a pest problem worse. In most cases, it is best to contact a professional pest control company at the first sign of an infestation.
A professional pest control company will use an IPM approach, which focuses on long-term prevention of pests or their damage through biological, environmental and cultural controls. Chemicals are used sparingly and only when the results of scouting, monitoring and inspection indicate that they are needed, according to established guidelines.
Suppression
Suppression techniques try to reduce pest numbers to levels that prevent unacceptable damage or injury. Generally, prevention is the goal in outdoor situations, and suppression is required when prevention fails or when pests have already reached unacceptably high numbers. For example, some pests, such as rodents and roaches in dwellings, or Eupospora and Salmonella in hospitals and other health care facilities, are considered to be a public health risk and must be controlled immediately regardless of the cost.
A variety of natural forces affect pest populations and must be considered when designing a control strategy. For example, climate influences pest activity and damage indirectly by affecting the growth of the host plants upon which they feed. Rain, freezing temperatures, drought, and other weather conditions can alter normal patterns of pest activity so that increased or decreased damage results. Natural enemies — birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and mammals that prey on or parasitize pests — also help to reduce pest numbers.
Scouting is an important tool in determining whether action is needed to reduce pest populations. Monitoring insect, nematode, weed, and vertebrate pests can be done by observing them or by trapping and capturing them. Monitoring crop growth and climatic conditions, such as temperature and moisture, can help predict when pest numbers will reach threshold levels.
Some crops and wood products are naturally resistant to certain pests. Using these varieties reduces the need for chemical control. Resistant plants include heirloom varieties, seedlings raised in greenhouses and other controlled environments, or commercially grown plants. For example, the herb fern-leaf yarrow (Achillea filipendulina) is naturally resistant to slugs and snails and can be used in vegetable gardens.
Other natural controls include barriers, physical traps, and natural enemies. For example, physical barriers can consist of fences, mats, tarps, or other materials to keep pests out or away from plants. Traps, screens, radiation, and electricity also can be effective barriers or controls. Physical traps can be simple such as pheromone traps for slugs and snails or more complex such as baits or traps that use chemicals or predators to attract or kill pests.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
IPM is an ecosystem-based strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests or their damage. It includes preventive, biological and cultural control methods and pesticides used only when monitoring indicates they are needed according to established guidelines. These methods minimize risks to human health, beneficial and nontarget organisms, and the environment.
Preventive techniques aim to keep pest populations below the level that causes economic damage. This may involve denying pests the food, water, or shelter they need to survive and grow. For example, mowing regularly to prevent overgrowth of grasses that provide habitat for weeds, or placing mulch around plants to deny sunlight needed for weed germination. IPM programs also take into account the needs of other organisms, such as birds, earthworms, nematodes, and beneficial insects, which can often help manage pest populations.
In the event a pest population does build up to unacceptable levels, biological controls, such as predators, parasitoids and pathogens, are used to reduce the number of pests. These organisms naturally control some pests in natural environments and can be a cost-effective way to manage pests, especially when used in conjunction with other management strategies.
If preventive and biological controls fail to control pests, mechanical methods may be employed. These include manual handpicking, barriers, traps, tillage, and other physical means to remove or disrupt pests. This approach is generally safer and more effective than chemical treatments, but it may not be able to handle large pest populations.
Before using any form of pest control, it is important to identify the pest accurately. This helps determine whether it is a pest that should be controlled and if so, what management method should be used. It also ensures that the wrong type of pesticide is not used, which can be harmful to humans and other organisms. It is also important to understand the life cycle and biology of the pest so that appropriate management methods can be applied at the right time. This information can be obtained from the UC Pest Management Guidelines or by working with your local UC Cooperative Extension office.
Control
Pests can cause damage and pose a health threat in the environments they inhabit. Pest control involves taking a variety of measures to keep them from entering and living in these areas, including traps, barriers, repellents and pesticides. Pest control is an important aspect of hygiene management, as it helps to prevent disease and other problems caused by food contamination, property destruction and disruption of natural cycles.
The most common pests encountered in homes and commercial properties are cockroaches, ants, rodents and mosquitoes. Cockroaches, for example, are known to spread a wide range of diseases and can trigger allergies in people. Rodents can chew through wires and other materials, causing damage to buildings and products. Mosquitoes can spread diseases such as malaria and encephalitis and are also a nuisance in residential and hospitality settings.
Prevention is generally considered to be the best form of pest control, as it can involve installing physical barriers and repellents to deter pests from entering a premises. Prevention methods can often be less expensive and more environmentally friendly than extermination.
There are many ways to prevent pests, including proper sanitation, removing clutter and reducing food sources, water and shelter for them. A regular inspection of a site to identify and assess the presence of pests is a crucial part of prevention. Scouting can help to determine the conditions that favour pest infestation and the type of action required.
Physical traps, screens, barriers, nets, radiation and electricity can all be used to physically alter an environment and suppress pest populations. These techniques are sometimes referred to as physical or mechanical pest controls. Chemical pesticides are also a form of control that is commonly used. These are substances that poison or kill pests when they consume or are exposed to them. These can be very dangerous and should only be used by trained pest control technicians.
Biological pest control is one of the oldest forms of pest control and involves using other natural organisms to reduce or remove a species of pest. This can include introducing natural predators or parasites to the environment in which the pest is found, and may involve manipulating their behaviour through the use of hormones such as juvenile hormones and pheromones. Biological methods can be very effective, but they tend to be more labour intensive than other control techniques.