Pests can spread germs that cause disease in humans and animals. They also can damage property or spoil food. Pest control services help keep them under control to prevent problems and their recurrence.
Using traps, barriers, netting, and altering the environment can sometimes control pest populations. Pheromones and juvenile hormones can be used to reduce pest numbers. Contact Pest Control Randolph NJ now!
Prevention is the goal of pest control, stopping the pests before they cause problems. Preventing a problem is far cheaper and more environmentally friendly than controlling an already established pest population. Prevention strategies can include:
Monitoring – Regularly checking for, identifying, and assessing pests and their damage. This information is important in determining whether a pest can be tolerated or if it needs to be controlled. Monitoring also provides an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of control measures and to determine when they are needed.
Natural Forces – Weather conditions, predatory and parasitic organisms, soil characteristics, weeds, and the availability of food, water, and shelter affect pest populations. Some of these factors can be directly manipulated to reduce pest populations, while others, such as climate, act indirectly and are difficult to manipulate.
Eliminating Attractants – Sealing entry points, regularly cleaning areas where pests are likely to gather, and properly disposing of waste can eliminate many potential problem spots before they occur. Keeping areas dry, especially basements and crawl spaces, can also deter some pests.
Maintaining Cleanliness – Regularly cleaning kitchen benches and storing food in sealed containers can prevent the spread of germs and bacteria by pests. Keeping areas free of debris and clutter, removing standing water, and regularly sweeping and vacuuming can further prevent pests from finding hiding places.
Biological Control – Introduced predators, parasites, or pathogens can be used to suppress the numbers of insect pests. This method is often less expensive and more environmentally friendly than chemical control methods, although it may take longer to achieve results.
Insecticides – Chemical controls can be effective when the right product is chosen for the right situation and applied correctly. In general, insecticides should be used sparingly and only when other control tactics are not working. In addition, they should be chosen carefully to minimize risks to beneficial insects, human health and the environment.
A comprehensive pest management program includes prevention, suppression, and eradication. Preventing pests from becoming a problem is the best way to protect people and property. Using the right combination of strategies can reduce pest numbers to an acceptable level, and help us avoid costly damage to our crops, forests, homes, and cities.
Suppression
Pest control aims to keep pest numbers low enough to avoid an action threshold and cause as little harm as possible to humans, beneficial organisms and the environment. Suppression methods will vary depending on the type of pest and the damage it causes, with chemical, mechanical, cultural and biological controls used.
Chemical pest control involves using chemicals to kill or prevent the growth of a particular organism. This includes spraying, baits and other liquid or solid materials intended to disrupt the pest’s metabolism or halt reproduction. Many pesticides are also toxic to other organisms, including beneficial insects, so their use must be carefully managed to reduce risks to human health and the environment.
Some pests can have a “zero tolerance level” due to the severe human health, environmental or economic damages they cause. Eradication is the goal in these situations, which can be difficult to achieve in outdoor environments. In indoor environments, such as homes; schools and office buildings; health care facilities; food processing, storage and preparation environments; and other structures, eradication is more feasible because these areas are confined and easier to manage.
Mechanical or physical control consists of traps, barriers and other means to stop pests from entering or passing through a targeted area. These methods may include removing the pests’ habitat or blocking their access to water and food sources. This type of control is most often used on invasive alien species and other nuisance pests that cannot be controlled through prevention or suppression techniques.
Biological or natural control entails introducing a predator or parasite into an area to reduce the population of a target pest. This method is usually a long-term management strategy that can be combined with other control tactics.
Regular monitoring allows pest populations to be assessed, so the need for control can be determined. This information is vital for selecting and applying control measures that minimize risks to people, plants and animals. In addition, the monitoring data can help determine when the pests have reached unacceptable levels and which control measures are most effective. The information also helps select the most appropriate application methods and timing.
Eradication
An eradication is the permanent removal of a pest from an area. The word eradication comes from the Latin verb eradicare, which means to pull up by the roots. This is an ambitious goal that is difficult to accomplish in outdoor settings, where many pests live and breed. Eradication is most commonly attempted in indoor environments, where the goal is to eliminate a particular pest rather than control its population. Examples include gypsy moth and Mediterranean fruit fly eradication programs.
To eradicate pests, you must first find and correct the sources of their food, water and shelter. This might require removing food scraps from the kitchen and cleaning out cracks and crevices where insects can hide. It may also involve repairing leaking pipes, which are a major source of moisture for termites and other pests. Eliminating these sources will make your home less attractive to pests and help prevent them from returning after treatment.
If you hire an exterminator, ask them to find and correct the source of the problem before applying any pesticides. They should also use baits and crack and crevice treatments when possible, and apply chemicals only where they will be effective. If they must spray, they should try to avoid using chemicals in areas where children and pets will be present. If they must use a pesticide, ask them to provide you with a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for it. Also, ask them to limit the amount of chemical they apply and use only products approved for your home’s interior.
Preventative pest control is a form of pest control that prevents the establishment or recurrence of an unwanted organism by blocking access to food, water and shelter, creating barriers to entry and using repellents to deter the organism from coming back. This is an important aspect of pest management, as it helps protect public health by preventing diseases carried by certain pests, safeguarding agriculture and food supplies, preserving property from damage, and maintaining ecological balance by excluding invasive species.
Biological Control
Biological control uses predators, parasites, pathogens, and competitors to suppress pest populations. The goal of biological control is to reduce our reliance on synthetic chemicals. This tactic can be used for insects, mites, nematodes, weeds, and plant diseases. NIFA supports research in this area, which aims to make biocontrols more effective and safer than conventional pesticides.
A variety of approaches are used for biological control, including the importation of exotic natural enemies from their native ranges, the conservation of resident or introduced beneficial organisms, and the mass production and periodic release of natural enemies. The process of identifying suitable natural enemies for a given pest is a complex one that requires extensive review of the scientific literature and consulting with experts.
Once a potential natural enemy is identified, it must be tested to ensure that it is free of disease or other pathogens that could affect its population growth and ability to provide pest control. Typically, the natural enemy is then partially or fully sterilized using ionizing radiation before it is released into the field. The timing of the release is carefully planned so that it occurs during a period when the natural enemy and the pest are at their highest population levels.
After a population of the biological control agent is established in the field, it must be monitored to ensure that it is functioning properly. This can be done through a variety of methods, including examining traps and counting numbers of pests in the field. In addition, pheromones can be used to monitor pest populations. These chemical signals are produced by the females of some species of insect and can be detected by males. When the pheromone signal is disrupted, mating and egg laying are prevented, which results in a reduction in the pest population.
In some cases, eradication may be a desired outcome of biological control, particularly when dealing with invasive pests that threaten the viability of a crop. However, this is a rare objective in outdoor pest situations, where prevention and suppression are usually the primary goals. Eradication is more common in enclosed spaces such as health care, food processing, and greenhouse facilities, where certain pests are considered a nuisance and must be controlled.