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Mechanical and physical controls kill or block pests or make the environment unsuitable for them. For example, traps for rodents, garbage in tightly covered bins, and regular spill cleanup are preventative measures. Contact Pest Control North Vancouver BC now!
The first step in controlling pests is preventing them from entering buildings or other sites. This means keeping the area clean and reducing clutter. It is also important to make sure garbage cans and dumpsters are kept tightly closed, and that outdoor trash is collected regularly. Regularly cleaning counters, sinks, and food storage areas helps to eliminate food sources and crumbs that can attract pests. It is also a good idea to keep the place dry by caulking cracks and crevices, and to eliminate standing water that can attract insects or rodents.
If pests get into a home or other building, it is a good idea to regularly vacuum and sweep floors, clean draperies, wash windows, and remove garbage and recycling on a scheduled basis. Keep trees and shrubbery trimmed and away from the house, as well; this reduces the likelihood of rodents or other pests making their way indoors.
It is also a good idea to fix any leaky pipes and faucets as quickly as possible. This is because standing water can attract many pests, including termites and beetles. It is also a good idea to store wood away from the house, as these materials are a source of food for some pests.
Once a pest problem is detected, it is necessary to monitor it to determine how bad the infestation is and what action should be taken. Monitoring can include counting pests, checking for damage and observing any behavioral changes. Monitoring can help decide whether a pest needs to be controlled, which control methods to use and the best time for controlling the pest.
When a pest gets to the point where it is causing unacceptable harm, it may need to be suppressed or eradicated. Suppression is a process that can be accomplished through a variety of techniques, including physical removal or destruction of the pest, introduction of natural enemies, and biological controls (sterilization programs).
Eradication is the most difficult and expensive form of pest control. Usually this involves destroying an entire population of the pest, and it can be achieved by using chemical sprays or traps that are targeted at specific organisms.
Suppression
The goal of suppression is to limit the damage caused by pests. Control tactics used to suppress pests may be physical or chemical, or both. Identifying and monitoring pest populations helps you determine when it’s time to start a suppression program. Monitoring varies by pest type and includes trapping, scouting, observing crop injury or damage, and collecting data on environmental conditions (see the Assessment page).
In some cases, natural enemies (predators, parasitoids, disease organisms, or competitors) can suppress pests on their own. These are called “biological controls” or “biological pest management.” They’re a valuable part of an IPM plan.
Climate and the environment affect pest populations by limiting their growth, affecting food supply, reducing shelter, or changing environmental conditions that allow pests to thrive.
Many plant-eating pests are affected directly by weather conditions, with rain or freezing temperatures killing them or slowing their growth. The number of weeds or disease pathogens can also be controlled by weather.
Biological controls can be added to the preventive, cultural and sanitation strategies listed above. This includes importing or rearing natural enemies of a pest from its native location for release in the field or greenhouse, either as a permanent population or as an “inundative” release to rapidly reduce the pest population.
The use of biological agents, such as nematodes and bacteria, to kill insects, is called “microbial pest control.” This approach uses living organisms that don’t harm the environment and can be used in soil or water. They require careful selection, however, because they have short life spans and must be applied correctly.
Pesticides are the most commonly used chemical control method, but overuse can cause pest resistance. In addition, a single pesticide often kills only the susceptible pests, leaving resistant ones to breed.
Pesticides should only be used when necessary to control a severe problem and when there is little chance that other, less-toxic control methods can be applied. When pesticides are needed, it’s important to apply them quickly to restrict the population growth. Otherwise, the problem can become out of hand. Eradication methods are usually done at a small scale and may include spraying for weeds, sealing cracks or crevices to keep rodents out of buildings, steam sterilization of the soil, and using barriers such as screens to keep birds or insects away from crops.
Eradication
Depending on the threat, pest control measures may range from tolerance and deterrence to the attempted eradication of an unwanted organism. Most commercial facilities contract with a professional pest control operator to provide this service. In this way, pest problems are quickly identified and treated.
Physical traps and netting, for example, can catch insects that crawl or fly near buildings. These are often less expensive than chemical controls and can be used indoors or outdoors. Biological pesticides are also available, and these work by delivering toxic substances to the organism. They are less expensive than chemical pesticides and can be more effective than other types of pesticides. However, these chemicals can be harmful to people when exposed in large amounts and can also cause environmental damage if not properly disposed of.
Chemical pesticides are the most widely used pest control methods. These include herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. They are designed to kill the organisms that they are targeted against and are usually formulated to be toxic to the organism but safe for people and the environment when used according to instructions. Chemicals are generally easier to find and apply than biological pesticides, but can sometimes be more expensive. They can also have a more acute effect on the target organism and are often toxic to other species as well.
Nematodes are microscopic worms that live in the soil and water and are considered pests because they damage plants by digging holes in their leaves and petals. They can also suffocate the roots of young plants, which can prevent them from growing and lead to plant death. Nematodes can be controlled with nematicides, which are a type of chemical.
A thorough pest control program takes into account a wide variety of factors, including ecology and economics. The aim is to minimize the costs of infection, vaccination and eradication while optimizing social well-being. This involves estimating future infection rates, vaccination costs and the cost of eradication, projecting each forward to a certain time period and comparing this to the benefits of eradication (as measured by the “social dividend”). The challenge is that these calculations are highly variable, and they depend on the ability to track the population dynamics of microbes in their natural environments.
IPM
The goal of IPM is to prevent pests before they cause damage or nuisance. This is done through a process called monitoring, identification, and assessment of the problems. This is accomplished by regularly inspecting plants, structures and landscapes. By accurately identifying the pests, their preferred habitat, and the environmental conditions that lead to their outbreak, control options can be determined and applied. IPM programs use a combination of mechanical, cultural, biological and chemical controls. IPM techniques can be used in agricultural settings, homes, gardens, and public lands such as national parks.
IPM programs first establish an action threshold, the point at which pest populations or environmental conditions indicate that control measures must be taken. This is important because not all pests require treatment. Some, like carpenter ants or termites, can damage buildings and need to be controlled, but others, such as Asian lady beetles or sow bugs, do not cause serious damage and can be tolerated at low population levels.
Once the action threshold is established, IPM programs carefully evaluate a range of control options for effectiveness and risk. Generally, less risky control methods are utilized first, such as pheromones to disrupt insect mating or trapping. If these methods fail to achieve acceptable results, then more risky control techniques may be considered, such as the targeted spraying of a chemical pesticide. This is a last resort, as general spraying of non-specific pesticides can harm the environment and human health.
Prevention includes keeping living and work areas clean, removing cluttered areas where pests thrive, repair of ripped window screens or door seals, and plugging holes larger than 1/4 inch with caulking. In landscapes, select plant species adapted to our area, and keep sites well-maintained by mowing and weeding. IPM programs also recommend the use of mulches to deter weed growth and provide a physical barrier against pests.
