Pest control involves strategies to protect crops and property from undesirable organisms. These organisms include insects, bacteria, fungi, viruses, nematodes, and weeds.
Effective pest management depends on understanding the life cycle of each pest species and applying prevention techniques at all stages. This includes implementing fall tactics like sealing exterior cracks, keeping spaces clean and free of clutter, and conducting routine inspections throughout the year. Visit https://www.benspest.biz/ to learn more.
Pest identification is the very first step in any pest management situation. This provides important clues such as the pest’s preferred foods, harborage conditions, environmental and behavioral characteristics, life cycle and other biological traits. This helps the pest manager determine what to do next, whether or not insecticidal treatments are needed. It also helps in designing an IPM program, if it is indeed required, which will help to prevent resistance and will ensure that the use of any pesticides used are limited, targeted and applied only when necessary.
Some pests, such as weed seeds and immature insects look similar to non-pest species, making them difficult to distinguish. Additionally, many pest species change appearance throughout their lives and during different seasons. Accurate pest identification is critical when using pheromone traps because the pheromones for one stage of an insect’s life will not attract other stages of the same species. For example, drugstore beetles (Stenobium panaceum) and cigarette beetles (Lassioderma serricorne) are almost identical to the untrained eye, but their pheromones will attract only the former.
Many pests are controlled by natural enemies, or beneficial organisms, such as parasites, predators and herbivores. These organisms are known as biological control agents and provide natural control of unwanted pests without the use of chemicals. In many cases, it is the damage caused by non-living entities such as weather extremes, air pollutants and improper or excessive fertilization that are mistaken for pest damage.
There are many pesticide types available. Some are systemic, which is absorbed by plants and moves to the leaves, roots, seeds and stems to provide residual control; others are contact, which kills or affects pests that come in direct contact with the product; and still others are fumigants, which kill or repel pests by creating an unpleasant atmosphere around them.
The pesticide definition in the US Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act states that a pesticide is ‘any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, mitigating, or controlling any pest.’ However, the term is often used more specifically to refer to any chemical that controls or destroys insects (insecticides). There are a wide variety of pesticides available that control many other groups of organisms as well.
Pest Prevention
Pest prevention involves preventing infestations from occurring in the first place. This may include regularly inspecting food production areas to identify potential pest infestations and implementing preventive measures such as sealing expansion joints, using door sweeps, locating dumpsters away from buildings, and minimizing moisture around the building by making sure drains are properly functioning and gutters are in good condition.
In order to effectively implement a pest prevention program, facility, property and QA managers must commit time, effort and money up front to make it work. Once a plan is in place, it becomes second nature and significantly reduces a facility’s pest exposure.
If an infestation does occur, pest control treatments are used to eradicate the problem. Treatments typically involve deploying traps and bait stations, spraying or dusting the affected area with insecticide, and monitoring for activity. It is important to note that treating for pests is reactive, and often done outside of the normal pest service schedule.
Insects such as cockroaches, ants and bees pose serious threats to human health. They carry and transmit diseases, destroy food and other goods, and cause structural damage. Some also attack and sting humans, which can be extremely painful and dangerous in some cases.
Rodents, such as mice and rats, are a major concern for many facilities. They chew through wires and other materials, contaminate food and storage areas with their droppings, and can even damage building structures.
The goal of any pest control program should be to reduce pest populations to a tolerable level without the need for toxic chemicals. This is known as integrated pest management (IPM).
IPM uses a combination of non-toxic methods of control to manage and eliminate pests. When a toxic chemical is required, it is selected and applied as carefully as possible to minimize the risk of exposure to people, pets, other wildlife and the environment.
In addition to reducing the need for toxic chemicals, an effective pest prevention program is good for the environment and for business. It can also help a company save money by avoiding costly product recalls, loss of revenue from spoiled inventory, and damage to a brand’s reputation.
Pest Control Methods
There are a variety of ways to physically control pests, including killing or removing them and blocking their entrance into your home. This is often referred to as physical pest control, and it is often the first line of defense in any pest control program. Examples of this include removing weeds that harbor pest insects, killing or relocating rodents and other small animals, and using traps. Other types of physical pest control include using netting to protect crops, destroying crop residues such as corn stubble or squash vines that may serve as overwintering sites for pests, and preventing pest infestation by adjusting planting dates.
Biological pest control utilizes disease organisms such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, and nematodes to manage insect populations. These organisms naturally attack and kill or inhibit the reproduction of target pests, without harming other organisms such as beneficial insects, plants, and humans. Various strains of the Bacillus thuringiensis bacterium, commonly known as Bt, are used to kill caterpillars, cutworms, beetles, mosquitoes, and other insect pests. Many natural enemies, such as birds and ground beetles, also help in the pest control process by feeding on or even parasitizing target pests.
Chemical pest control uses a variety of chemicals to kill or disrupt the function of target pests, such as insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. These can be natural products, synthesized mimics of natural products, or completely synthetic materials. In general, chemicals should be used only when necessary, and they should be matched up to specific targets (e.g., aphids or flies) and specific stages of the pest life cycle, and should always be followed by some type of monitoring and inspection.
An integrated pest management approach to managing pests is a great way to minimize the need for harsh chemicals, and it can be used in any setting. This includes residential, commercial, and agricultural settings. It involves frequent and routine monitoring, identifying pests and their life cycles, and using cultural, physical, and chemical pest controls when needed. In addition, IPM programs use knowledge of the pest’s natural enemies to reduce the need for more aggressive control measures.
Pesticides
Pesticides are chemicals used to kill unwanted weeds, insects and plant diseases. They are typically sprayed on crops from airplanes, farm machinery or by hand. They may also be applied in home gardens and public parks. Over 1000 pesticides are registered for use in California. Some pesticides are persistent, meaning they remain in the environment for a long time. Others are “broad spectrum,” killing a wide range of organisms. Broad-spectrum pesticides can contaminate waterways when rain washes them into streams and rivers. These contaminated waters can then be ingested by animals that live in the water, including fish and birds. High levels of exposure to some pesticides can lead to illness or conditions such as cancer and reproductive defects later in life.
Insecticides kill insects by targeting certain sites in their nervous systems. For example, organophosphate insecticides (malathion, diazinon, aceton) block nerve impulse transmission at the synapse gap, killing the insect. Pheromones can also be used to control some insects. Synthetic sex pheromones can confuse male insects, making it difficult for them to locate females for mating. Some insecticides are “narrow spectrum” and only work on a limited number of closely related species.
Fungicides target pathogenic fungi that cause disease in plants and fruit. These fungicides can be incorporated into the soil to kill fungi that live underground, or they can be sprayed on leaves and fruit. Some fungicides are “persistent,” staying in the environment for a longer period of time, while others are “non-persistent” and only last a short time. The product label will indicate how long the fungicide will last and how often it must be applied.
Rodenticides are chemicals that poison rats and mice. They can be incorporated into the soil, sprayed on surface vegetation or put in bait stations that contain seeds or grain to attract and kill rodents. Some rodenticides are “narrow-spectrum,” while others are “broad-spectrum.” Broad-spectrum products kill a large number of rodents and may also harm beneficial organisms. Newer anticoagulant rodenticides interfere with normal blood clotting, killing the rodent by internal hemorrhaging.
Some state and local communities have regulations requiring that neighbors or occupants be notified before pesticide applications. Check with your local health department or vector control agency to see if this is the case in your community. If it is, try to stay away from areas that are being treated and follow the rules about notification.