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Biological control involves using natural enemies, including parasitoids (organisms that lay their eggs on or in unwanted insects) and pathogens (organisms that cause disease), to keep pest populations below harmful levels. It is also called natural or ecological pest control. Contact Seaside Pest Control now!
When pests invade homes and commercial buildings, they can cause property damage, contaminate food, and transmit diseases. While most pest control methods focus on treating existing infestations, preventative treatments can halt pests before they become serious problems.
In general, preventative measures are less expensive and time-consuming than pest control after an infestation occurs. They can also save money on costly repairs, protect health and safety, and reduce exposure to allergens that are often associated with pests.
Preventative pest control methods aim to make the environment less welcoming to pests by making it more difficult for them to survive and thrive. There are many different ways to do this, and they are usually divided into two categories:
Physical Control – This involves using barriers or traps to keep pests out of or away from a building or area. This can include sealing cracks and holes around foundation walls, doors, and vents. It can also include installing door sweeps and weather stripping to help keep out rodents and other pests. It can also include trapping and removing pests when they are found.
Biological Control – This type of control relies on the use of natural enemies of pests, such as parasites, predators, and pathogens. It can also involve the release of large numbers of sterile insects and the use of pheromones.
Chemical Control – This includes the use of a variety of chemicals to kill or repel pests. This can include sprayed liquid or powdered pesticides, as well as baits and traps. Chemical controls are generally only used when other methods have failed and should be sprayed only in areas where they will not come into contact with people or pets.
Some of the best and most cost effective prevention methods are very simple, common sense ones. For example, it is important to keep food inside airtight containers to avoid attracting ants and other pests. It is also a good idea to clean counter tops and floors on a regular basis to remove any crumbs or spills that might attract pests. Finally, it is a good idea to trim back any landscaping that might provide pests with easy access to your home or business.
Pest Identification
Identifying pests correctly is an important first step in establishing an Integrated Pest Management plan to prevent or reduce their damage to buildings, collections and natural areas. Accurate identification also facilitates more targeted control methods that manage the pests while avoiding injury to beneficial organisms.
Many pests can be identified by their specific physical characteristics, such as the shape of their body, color of wings or antennae, markings, or the length of their legs. Some pests have different physical forms at different stages of their life cycle or at the time of year, making them difficult to distinguish. Using pest guides that are specifically designed for a particular crop or a pest order can help to make identification easier.
It is important to accurately identify a pest down to the species level. Different species within a similar family or genus often have very different behaviors and natural enemies. Identification to the species also allows you to select an appropriate, approved pesticide if treatment is needed. For example, biological insecticides like Bacillus thuringiensis and nuclear polyhedrosis require that the pest be identified down to the order in order for them to be effective.
Pests that are causing damage to a building or its contents, impacting the health of building occupants, or presenting a nuisance can be a serious problem. The presence of these pests can threaten a business’s reputation, harm customer or employee satisfaction, and create unsafe work conditions.
In addition to the physical damage that these pests cause, some can also carry diseases that are harmful to people or pets. For example, blue bottle and fruit flies are known to transmit a wide variety of diseases including food poisoning, dysentery, cholera and typhoid fever. In addition, the droppings of birds such as pigeons, geese, house sparrows and starlings can damage a building’s structure or degrade materials.
The good news is that most pests can be managed with a combination of prevention strategies. For example, reducing the availability of suitable breeding sites for a pest can be a simple way to reduce its numbers in the first place. Also, removing any items that attract and provide shelter for the pest can prevent it from entering a building. Lastly, it is important to use pesticides only when necessary and to follow label instructions to the letter.
Treatment Options
There are a variety of treatment options available for pest control. Some are more environmentally friendly than others, but all methods disrupt the natural balance of nature and should be used with care to minimize harm to non-target species (including our pets, plants and human family members).
Most people think of traps and baits when they think of traditional chemical pest control, but this is only one of many options. Other physical pest control methods include pheromones, which mimic the odor of a female insect to attract males and prevent mating, and juvenile hormones, which reduce pest numbers by preventing immature pests from maturing into normal adults.
Poison baits can be a useful way to kill pests such as rats, cockroaches and ants, and are often used in conjunction with other physical trapping and poisoning methods. These are typically in the form of gels or pellets that can be placed where pests hide or nest to cull them at the source. Poison sprays can also be effective in targeted areas, especially for flying insects such as mosquitoes and fleas. Fogging machines are also an environment-friendly application method for insecticides, and can be effective in broad areas of the yard to kill adult flying insects such as flies and moths.
Field burning is a common practice in agriculture, but it disturbs natural ecosystems and can actually increase pest populations by introducing new organisms into the area. Integrated pest management, or IPM, is the most responsible approach to pest control. It uses a combination of prevention and treatment to minimize the use of harsh chemicals and is the most effective way to handle pest problems, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Fumigation is a last resort for severe infestations, and involves sealing the house with highly potent fumes that kill the pests instantly. Although it may be more expensive than other treatments, it is the most thorough and can help to eliminate pests from a home entirely. A good pest control company will be able to advise you on the best fumigation method for your situation.
Prevention
A professional pest control operator can help protect a home or business from infestations by identifying the causes of the problems. The operator can also offer treatment options that can include sealing gaps, using traps or spraying chemicals. These methods can lower the risk of harming family members, pets or employees.
Prevention is a key part of pest control and usually involves eliminating or reducing sources of food, water or shelter for the pests. In homes and businesses, sanitation practices can decrease the presence of pests by improving cleanliness, removing garbage regularly, and reducing the amount of moisture in storage areas. In agriculture, avoiding carryover of pests between crops can be achieved through proper manure management and sanitization of equipment, tools, and animals.
Many pests are controlled by natural forces such as weather, competition with other organisms, and barriers to movement. Pests can also be controlled by changing the environment in which they live, for example introducing predators or parasites. Some pests can be steered away from an area through alterations to the climate, such as adding or subtracting heat, light, or humidity. Physical barriers such as fences, nets, screens, traps, radiation and electricity can likewise be used to control pests.
Clutter provides places for rodents and insects to breed, hide and seek refuge and should be eliminated around the home or business. Garbage should be stored in tightly-covered trash cans and removed on a regular basis. Wood piles should be moved away from the house, and bushes and trees should be trimmed to avoid brushing against or touching the structure. Standing water attracts a number of pests and should be eliminated by repairing leaky plumbing, using wire mesh or steel wool to fill holes in walls, and preventing water accumulation under house plants and refrigerators.
An organized layout of storage and display areas in museums can reduce the chances of pests gaining access to important artifacts. Keeping areas clean through regular sweeping and vacuuming can help prevent pests from seeking out crumbs or other food sources. Educating staff and the general public about pests, their habitats, food chains and habits, can increase knowledge of the threat they pose and how to prevent them.
