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Pest Control involves attempting to reduce the number of pests to an acceptable level through prevention, suppression, and eradication strategies.

Prevention techniques aim to prevent pests from entering the premises. These can include sealing up holes and installing pest screens. Click Bed Bug Control Boise to learn more.

Pests are a nuisance and can cause damage to our property. They can also carry disease-causing microorganisms that can harm people and pets. The first step in solving any pest problem is prevention. Preventing pest problems is the easiest and most economical approach to pest control. It can be done by keeping buildings and their surrounding areas clean, removing food sources and water, and repairing structural damage that might attract pests.

All pests need food, water, and shelter to live and reproduce. Cluttered living spaces and untidy yards are like five-star resorts for pests. Cracks in walls, rips in screens, and loose door and window seals are their gateways into our homes. Regularly cleaning up trash, mowing and trimming grass, repairing leaky pipes, and fixing damaged fences prevent pests from entering buildings.

Store foods in sealed containers to protect them from pests. Eliminate outdoor food sources by keeping woodpiles away from houses, storing pet feed in tightly closed containers, and washing out empty milk jugs before placing them in the trash. Regularly cleaning counters and floors keeps them free of crumbs and spilled food.

Chemicals & insecticides are the most widely used method of controlling pests, but they should be used with care. They can be very toxic to humans and pets, especially small children. Always read and follow the label for instructions and potential hazards. Other non-toxic ways to control pests include physical methods (traps, screens, barriers and fencing) and environmental modification (cooler temperatures and humidity, modifying food and water availability).

Control measures should be selected that will reduce the number of pests to an acceptable level. This can be achieved by prevention, suppression or eradication. It is often difficult to decide how many pests are causing unacceptable harm and it may take time to determine the number of pests present, their damage and the costs of control. A pest should be controlled only when the cost of controlling it is less than the damage caused by the pest. Attempting to eradicate an entire population of pests is usually impossible and impractical.

Suppression

Whether the pests are in your garden, greenhouse or on your farm, you want to reduce their numbers so they do less damage. Usually, this is easier said than done. But there are methods to achieve it. The key is to use a control strategy that uses prevention and suppression techniques together, rather than using chemical controls in isolation. Preventive measures can help you keep pest populations below damaging or intolerable levels without the need for chemical control.

Preventive measures include biological control, habitat manipulation, cultural controls, and the use of resistant varieties. Biological control uses natural enemies – predators, parasites, nematodes, pathogens and competitors – to decrease pest populations. This method of control is inexpensive and environmentally friendly compared to the use of synthetic chemicals. It’s also effective.

Pests need food and shelter for survival. Providing habitat that’s useful to natural enemies will encourage them to live in and around your plants, keeping pest populations down. For example, if you plant flowers that caterpillars and other insects love to eat, those flowers will provide a constant source of food for the pests’ natural enemies.

Weather conditions can have a direct effect on the growth and activity of pests. For instance, a sudden rain or cool temperatures may slow down or suppress pests’ development and activity. Similarly, drought can increase pest problems by reducing the availability of their food.

Many pests are cyclical and will require control at regular intervals. Understanding pest occurrence and damage at different times of the year can help you synchronize your pesticide application with expected pest population increases or decreases. This “calender” approach can reduce the frequency of pesticide applications.

The way to keep a pest problem from getting out of hand is to regularly monitor pests and their damage and make changes to your management strategies as needed. Monitoring can be as simple as counting the number of pests or as complex as monitoring for signs of resistance to pesticides. The goal is to keep pest numbers below the Economic Injury Level (ETL) or, more accurately, the Control Action Threshold Level (CAT). This will allow you to use the least amount of pesticide with the best chance of preventing the pest from building up to unacceptable damage levels again in the future.

Eradication

Eradication of pests involves reducing the population to zero or below. This can be accomplished through a variety of methods including biological control, chemical treatment and trapping. It is important that all control measures used in eradication are designed to be as effective and safe as possible. For example, if you spray a pesticide inside your home, it is important that you follow the label instructions and safety warnings to minimise risk to yourself and others. It is also recommended that you thoroughly clean and remove food, cooking utensils, and other personal items from the area before spraying.

In a survey of New Zealand public attitudes to pest control, three characteristics were identified as being important to the general public: specificity (the ability to target the pest species intended); uncertainty (the degree to which a control method is understood and trusted to work); and humaneness (the extent to which a pest is killed without suffering). In order to maximise the effectiveness and reduce the risk associated with an eradication approach, it is critical that all steps are taken to ensure that the pest species in question has been eliminated, and that the method employed is effective and appropriate for the situation.

Biological control methods utilise natural enemies to limit or destroy the population of the pest in question. These enemies include parasites, predators and pathogens. This type of pest control can be a very effective tool for eradication, but the process is often expensive and time-consuming, and there is a lag between introducing the enemy species and achieving satisfactory results.

Chemical pesticides are chemical substances that poison or kill the target pest. They can be applied to crops in order to protect them from insects, fungi and weeds, or they can be used in the home to kill ants, cockroaches and other household pests. They are most effective when they are used in conjunction with physical traps and baits.

Integrated pest management is an environmentally sound and cost-effective way to manage pests in agricultural production, food processing, and residential areas. IPM relies on a combination of biological, cultural, and chemical control techniques to manage pest populations with minimal disruption to the surrounding environment.

Monitoring

Pests can damage or contaminate food and cause respiratory and other health problems in people, pets and livestock. They can also cause structural damage and aggravate allergies and asthma. Pest control is a complex endeavor that includes prevention, suppression and elimination. It is important to monitor pest populations and their conducive conditions as part of an integrated pest management (IPM) program. Monitoring provides an early warning system and helps determine when to begin control tactics.

IPM programs include a combination of biological, physical and chemical controls. Physical controls can include physical exclusion (screening, caulking and plastering) and trapping, and the use of repellents and pheromones to deter pests. Chemical controls can include pesticides and herbicides, fungicides and plant growth regulators. Biological controls, such as the use of beneficial organisms that can feed on or parasitize a pest, provide natural pest control without chemicals.

Monitoring can involve checking or scouting to find and identify pests, measuring their population levels, and assessing the level of damage they are causing. It can involve tracking environmental conditions, such as temperature and moisture levels, that can affect pest populations. It can also include determining if pests are at threshold levels, the point at which they require action to prevent unacceptable damage or contamination.

Threshold levels may be set by law or by standards for buildings, fields and crops. For example, food facilities may be required to take action against rodents, flies and cockroaches to prevent contaminating or damaging foodstuffs.

Monitoring can be time-consuming and requires a great deal of effort to collect, analyze and interpret data. However, it is a vital part of any effective pest control strategy. The information collected from monitoring can help determine when and how much pesticide or other control tactic should be used, and if the control measures are successful. Monitoring can also help identify and prioritize IPM maintenance tasks, such as repairing screens or caulking to prevent pests from entering the facility. It can also be useful in determining whether or not a food production site is meeting third party certification standards and regulatory compliance requirements.

Identifying pests is a key step in developing a pest control strategy. Correct identification gives information about the pest that can be useful in developing management tactics such as exclusion, quarantine, repulsion, or physical removal.

Close outdoor rubbish bins and keep garden compost closed to avoid feeding rodents. To reduce fly populations, put out flypaper or plant pyrethrum-producing daisies around the house. Contact Pest Control O’Fallon, MO, now!

Pests once relegated to the bedtime rhyme—are becoming an increasing problem for homes and multi-unit buildings. They can enter and spread rapidly, particularly in apartment complexes where many people share the same space. In addition, they are difficult to treat because many infested items go undetected and unreported by tenants, who then unknowingly transport them to other units and apartments.

Bed bug infestations are most likely to occur when they travel in luggage, backpacks, purses, and second-hand furniture brought in from outside. They can also be brought in through cracks and crevices, or on clothing or shoes worn in infested places such as hotels, college dorms and hospitals. Once inside, they hitch rides throughout the building on these items as well as on residents’ bodies and clothes, spreading quickly.

Infestations are challenging for professional pest control companies to deal with because of the invasive nature of these bugs, their ability to resist many types of insecticides, and the length of time they can survive without feeding. Most professionals use a combination of treatments. This includes a spray of a product that penetrates and kills the bugs, plus a treatment of the sleeping surface (mattress and box spring) and other upholstered items, treating seams, folds and cracks. In addition, a dust or powder that is able to penetrate and kill the pests is often applied around electrical outlets and other inaccessible areas.

Although some DIY products are available, it’s important to remember that the proper application of these chemicals is key to a successful outcome. Most homeowner products are not labeled for use on mattresses, and most require multiple sprays to be effective. Additionally, diatomaceous earth has limited effectiveness and can be messy to apply. Professionals have access to a variety of sprays and dusts that are more targeted and tend to be more effective.

Termites

When termites invade homes and businesses, the damage they cause can be extensive. Termite damage exceeds $1 billion annually across the country. Termites are wood eating pests that destroy structures such as home foundations, sheds, decks and porches. They also damage paper, books, swimming pool liners and filtration systems. There are more than 2,000 species of termite worldwide. The most common home-invading species are eastern subterranean termites, Pacific dampwood termites and southeastern drywood termites. Generally, a homeowner will only become aware of termite infestation when they see swarms of flying termites emerging from tree stumps, woodpiles or other sources outside the home.

Termites are more active in warmer temperatures as they work to store food for winter. In some areas, they are year-round pests. While a termite infestation can be difficult to detect, there are warning signs that can include wood that sounds hollow when tapped, bubbling or cracked paint on the exterior of the house or crawl space, and mud tubes connecting the colony to structures such as houses or garages.

There are a variety of methods for managing and controlling termite infestations. Conventional liquid termiticides create a barrier in the soil that prevents termites from entering buildings. However, they do not kill existing termites tunneling through treated surfaces and are often ineffective against established infestations. Bait stations, which contain slow-acting toxic chemicals that termites take back to their colonies, can be more effective but require regular monitoring and replacement of bait. Biological control agents such as beneficial nematodes and fungal pathogens that parasitize and infect termites are another option. These methods, along with homeowner assistance in reducing possible termite food sources and addressing moisture problems, can help to keep the population of these pests low.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes have an extraordinary biology, adapted to the environments they live in. The insect’s life cycle, anatomy and physiology make it a fascinating object of study for many academic departments. While mosquitoes have been known to transmit a variety of diseases, the most common and potentially dangerous of all mosquito-borne pathogens is malaria.

The first step in eliminating these bloodsucking insects is to drain standing water, which is where they lay their eggs. This includes emptying and scrubbing, turning over or covering anything that holds water like ponds, bird baths, planters, kiddie pools, tires, flower pot saucers, toys, garbage containers and other containers around the home, along with making sure gutters are cleaned out regularly.

Another important prevention step is to use an insect repellent, particularly one with a high DEET content. This will not only prevent itching and inflammation from mosquito bites, but it can also keep mosquitoes away from children and pets who may be unable to tolerate DEET.

Other ways to control mosquito populations include planting plants that repel mosquitoes, such as lavender, eucalyptus, catnip and marigolds. Regularly weeding and mowing lawns can help reduce the numbers of mosquito larvae and adults in your yard.

A final tip is to use a homemade mosquito-repelling spray. Combine one tablespoon of baking soda with one cup of water and shake well. The paste will create an alkaline environment that counteracts the acidity of sweat and saliva on which mosquitoes breed. The baking soda will also reduce itchiness and promote healing of bites. This natural remedy can be a good alternative to commercial chemical bug repellents, which can sometimes cause allergic reactions.

Fleas

Fleas are tiny, wingless parasites that survive by sucking blood from animals and people. They find their hosts by sensing body heat, movements and breathing. Once fleas locate a host, they latch onto the skin, fur or feathers and start feeding. Eggs are laid in the feces and saliva of the host (as well as in rugs, carpets, cat or dog beds, kennels, sand boxes and lawns). After 2 to 14 days the eggs hatch into larvae, which are white, worm-like and legless. They shy away from light and wiggle into carpet fibers, rugs and other protected areas where they have three molts and develop chewing mouthparts. When they are ready to become pupae, they spin silken cocoons that they camouflage with bits of debris. After a few weeks, the pupae emerge as adult fleas.

Because of the length of the flea’s life cycle, moderate to severe infestations may take months to eliminate. Control measures include sanitizing the indoor environment by washing all bedding and rugs, frequent vacuuming floors and carpeted areas and sweeping crevices in crawl spaces. Also, limiting outdoor access for pets and discouraging rodents (including rats, mice, squirrels, chipmunks, opossums and raccoons) from entering the home by screening vents, chimneys and openings in walls.

Regular use of a pet-safe topical treatment applied monthly to dogs or cats will also help eliminate fleas. These treatments, available as liquid drops or as chewable tablets, are absorbed through the animal’s skin and prevent reproduction. They also kill adult fleas. Liquid sprays are also available for treating indoor environments. Before applying sprays, remove all toys, clothing and stored items from floors and closets. Also, pet food and water dishes should be removed and fish tanks covered or their aerators disconnected. Sprays should be directed at areas where fleas, eggs and larvae are likely to be found, such as napping spots on furniture or in carpets.

Spiders

Spiders move into homes in search of shelter, food and safety from the elements. They also take up residence inside if there are pests, like flies, mosquitoes and ants, around, which spiders devour.

Good cleanliness practices can reduce spider infestations. This includes frequently sweeping and vacuuming to eliminate webs and crumbs, and thoroughly washing fruits and vegetables. Controlling other household insect populations will also help keep spiders away, as will putting down pest repellent near the exterior of the home.

Clutter and debris encourage spiders, whose webs may be used to capture and hold prey, inside the house. If possible, declutter the immediate area of your home and keep woodpiles, leaf piles and firewood stacks away from the structure.

Indoors, spray a nontoxic spider pesticide under furniture and along baseboards to create a barrier that repels and kills spiders. Store-bought sprays intended for this purpose typically contain insecticidal and/or pyrethrin compounds, which are less toxic than conventional chemicals but should still be applied in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

Outside the house, use a spray formulation of your choice to treat areas where spiders commonly live and build their webs. These include eaves, corners of garages and the space under porches. Spraying in a pin stream rather than a mist can minimize the possibility of pesticide residues on skin and clothing.

A natural, nontoxic alternative to store-bought sprays is a homemade spider repellent made from equal parts white vinegar and water. Apply this solution in the same places you would spray a store-bought product, but avoid spraying within 10′ of plants where bees are foraging to prevent harming these beneficial insects. This is especially important for rhododendrons, arbor vitae and other evergreen ornamentals often planted up against homes.