Pests are organisms (like insects, diseases, nematodes, weeds and vertebrate animals) that cause damage to human health, property or the environment. The goal of pest control is to reduce their numbers to an acceptable level while causing as little harm as possible.
Prevention, suppression and eradication are common goals in pest situations. Contact Randolph Pest Control now!
Accurate pest identification is an essential first step in any pest management program. This allows you to determine the specific species of pest infesting your facility and target control tactics accordingly. In addition, accurate pest identification can help ensure that you are not treating a beneficial insect or organism instead of a damaging one.
To identify a pest, consider the pest’s shape, size, behavior and how it interacts with its environment. Also, consider whether the pest has wings or antennae and its coloration. In many cases, a pest will change in appearance throughout its life cycle. For example, a weed seedling may look very different from the mature weed. Similarly, caterpillars, worms, pupae and adult beetles may all look very similar to each other.
Then, try to identify the specific pest you are seeing by comparing its characteristics with information available in your pest guide or other sources of bug and insect identification. Note that online resources should be consulted with caution, as they may provide inaccurate or misleading information.
If you are still unsure of what the bug is, ask yourself: “What does it do?” or “Why am I seeing this bug?” This can provide helpful clues to its identity. For example, if the bug is in your home, it might be seeking shelter and food. Alternatively, it might be looking for a mate or preying on another creature.
The National Identification Services (NIS) provides accurate pest identifications in support of APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine’s regulatory programs. NIS’s national specialists are experts in the fields of botany, entomology, malacology and mycology. They work at a variety of institutions, including State departments of agriculture, university research laboratories and natural history museums. They serve as the final taxonomic authorities for PPQ’s pest identification programs and collaborate extensively with non-PPQ scientists.
Pest Prevention
Some pests, like rodents and cockroaches, spread disease through their droppings. They also may carry allergens that can trigger asthma attacks and other respiratory conditions in people. Some venomous insects cause painful bites and stings that can be life-threatening.
The best way to control pests is through preventative measures. This means taking steps to remove food, water, and shelter sources and other factors that attract them. It also means sealing entry points in structures and keeping waste storage areas clean.
Pest prevention is more than just cleaning and maintaining facilities; it involves educating workers about pests and their habits. It also includes teaching employees about the importance of timely reporting of pest sightings to allow for swift action.
Many pests can be controlled through sanitation, structural modifications, and other non-chemical methods. For example, a company can minimize its pest problem by putting pest-proof doors and windows in place, keeping food in tightly sealed containers, and securing waste disposal areas. In addition, a company should develop and stick to a master sanitation schedule and ensure that associates are accountable for it.
When a pest is discovered, it is important to identify what factors made it thrive inside an establishment. For example, is there a food source, moisture, or odor that attracted it? Could it have found its way in through holes in walls or floors? Could incoming food shipments have been infested with the pests?
Once the cause of the infestation is identified, a plan for elimination can be developed. Eradication is not common in outdoor pest situations, but it can be accomplished in enclosed areas such as dwellings; schools; office buildings; and health care, retail, or food preparation facilities.
In other cases, suppression and prevention are the goals. Suppression reduces the number of pests to a level that is acceptable, while prevention prevents them from building up to an unacceptable level again. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies are commonly used in pest control to achieve this goal. The use of less-toxic pesticides in baits and traps is generally preferred over spraying. These methods are often effective and have a lower risk of exposure to people.
Pest Control Methods
There are a wide variety of methods available for controlling pests. They fall into three categories: prevention – keeping pests from developing; suppression – reducing pest numbers to an acceptable level; and eradication – killing all of the pests. The goal is to cause as little harm as possible to the environment, people and property while achieving the desired outcome. Pest control methods include inspection, monitoring, biological controls, cultural controls, and pesticides.
Preventive measures to reduce the need for pesticides include crop rotation, use of resistant varieties of plants, and adjusting irrigation practices. Physical barriers, such as fences and traps can also be used to prevent pests from entering or leaving a site. Often, these barriers require a certain amount of maintenance to ensure they are working effectively. Clutter can be removed from the landscape to limit hiding places for pests, and leaky pipes should be fixed. Plants and structures can be insulated with materials that make them unattractive to pests, such as borate-treated cellulose.
Biological pest control includes the use of natural enemies, such as parasites, predators and pathogens, to reduce or eliminate pests. This may be supplemented by introducing more of the enemy into an area, either in small, repeated batches or as a single large-scale release.
There are several types of pathogens that can be used to kill or debilitate insects, such as viruses and bacteria. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is an example of a product that targets specific insect species and works by releasing a toxin that destroys the midgut of the pest.
The most effective method of pest control is Integrated Pest Management (IPM). This is an ecosystem-based approach that incorporates all of the above strategies along with regular inspection and monitoring of the pest population, use of resistance cultivars, and carefully planned applications of pesticides when the need arises. This is done in a way that minimizes risks to human health, beneficial and non-target organisms, and the environment.
The IPM process should be followed for all pests, including those that are not regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency. In general, pesticides should only be used when their benefits outweigh the risk to humans and the environment.
Pesticides
While pesticides can be used to control pests, they are not without risk to people, pets and the environment. Use of any pesticide requires careful reading and following the instructions on the label, including all restrictions, precautions and warnings. In addition, avoiding contact with pesticides is important to limit your exposure. The form of the pesticide (solid, liquid, powder or spray) also affects your chances of being exposed to the product, so handle and apply the pesticide carefully.
The type of pesticide you choose will depend on the pests you’re trying to manage and their location in your garden. For example, insecticides can be used to kill insects and mites, fungicides kill fungi, and nematodes kill worm-like organisms that feed on root systems of plants. Other pest control agents include disinfectants, which destroy disease-producing microorganisms on inanimate objects; fumigants produce gas or vapor to destroy materials in buildings and soil; and desiccants dehydrate and kill moisture-loving organisms.
NPIC provides objective, science-based information to help people make informed decisions about the uses of pesticides. The information does not replace or supersede the restrictions, precautions, directions, and other information on a pesticide’s label or any other regulatory requirements. The advice is intended to protect human health and the environment, while allowing you to achieve your gardening goals.
The toxicity of pesticides is a major concern for most people using pesticides. Even “low-toxicity” chemicals such as herbicides and fungicides can cause serious, sometimes life-threatening effects when misused or overused. Exposure to even small doses of some pesticides may cause headaches, dizziness, muscle weakness or twitching, numbness in fingers and toes, rashes and burns, and changes in heart rate, breathing and pupil size (see Pesticide Poisoning).
When applying any pesticide, take steps to reduce the amount of chemical that ends up on your food and garden. Wear rubber gloves when handling any pesticide, and never eat or drink while working with a pesticide. Store pesticides in their original containers away from children and unauthorized persons, in a locked shed or other secure storage area. Do not transport or store pesticides with food, seed, feed or fertilizers, which could be mistaken for edible items by unauthorized persons or animals.