Pest control aims to keep pest populations below levels that cause unacceptable harm. Preventive methods include removing the pests’ food, water, and shelter or blocking their access to these.
Remove roosting places for rodents and other pests by keeping wood piles away from the house. Also, thoroughly clean rarely used cupboards and storage areas to eliminate food sources. Contact Bridgewater Pest Control now!
Preventive pest control methods aim to prevent the growth of a pest population to levels that are unacceptable. These can be achieved through a variety of techniques including exclusion, eradication and biological controls.
A key step in prevention is to maintain a clean environment. This can be done by implementing cleaning routines, disposing of garbage regularly and limiting the availability of food, water and shelter to pests. Effective structural prevention is another cornerstone of preventive pest control, focusing on blocking entrance points and other possible routes by keeping areas well-maintained and making them difficult for pests to access.
Natural forces also have a significant impact on pest populations. Weather conditions, particularly temperature and day length, influence the activity of pests and their ability to reproduce. Climate can also affect plants and their growth, which influences the number of pests that will be attracted to them. Herbivorous and predatory insects and parasitic organisms control pest numbers by feeding on or attacking them.
In some situations, it is impossible to prevent the appearance of a pest. In these cases, it is important to respond quickly to minimise damage and distress. This can be done by increasing sanitation, conducting fumigation or implementing other restorative measures. In addition, it is important to keep a close eye on the problem and continue monitoring.
When using pesticides, it is important to follow safety guidelines and read the label. Ensure that the product is suitable for the area in which it will be used and that it is not a health risk to people or pets. In addition, it is important to remove food, cooking utensils and other personal items from the area to be treated before applying chemicals. In addition, when using surface sprays, it is important to carefully target the pest, avoiding surfaces that are touched often. Finally, it is important to properly store and dispose of pesticides when not in use. For example, unused pesticides should be kept in closed bottles or containers and stored away from living spaces. In addition, they should be stored in a secure location that is not accessible to children or pets.
Suppression
In cases where preventive strategies are not possible, suppression tactics reduce pest populations to safe levels that minimize damage. Choice of suppression methods depends on pest biology and behavior, tolerance for injury, economics and impacts of control measures themselves (see Assessment section within Monitoring page).
Suppression tactics include cultural practices such as weeding to remove hiding places for insects or vertebrate predators; cleaning equipment to reduce movement of pests between fields or crops; removing crop residues that provide overwintering sites for insects or rodents; and trap cropping to attract and kill a specific pest insect by planting it near the crop being protected. Chemicals may be used to suppress pests, but the timing of these applications is crucial – use only when the pest population has reached unacceptable levels (see Thresholds in Monitoring page). In all cases, careful evaluation of the situation and environmental conditions is essential before selecting a suppression tactic.
Biological controls rely on the natural enemy mechanisms of predation, parasitism and herbivory to limit pest populations. Increasing these natural enemies in a given area can be accomplished by conserving native species, or by augmenting the natural enemy populations occurring in an area by introducing new enemies to that area on either a continual basis or in an inundative fashion. Classical biological control also involves the breeding and mass-release of natural enemies to a pest habitat, preferably with careful consideration of the life cycle of the enemy and the pest.
Mechanical and physical barriers include window screens to keep pests out of buildings, greenhouse ventilation to control aphid infestations, and row covers that keep diseases off tomatoes or insects off fruit. Chemicals that physically interfere with the pest’s life cycle or disrupt their growth or development are also useful, such as fungicides and insecticidal soaps.
Regulatory controls, such as quarantines and eradication programs, are employed when the occurrence of a pest poses a threat to human health or damages property, such as crops or plants. These efforts are often initiated by a government agency. In some cases, growers or green industry professionals initiate a regulatory control effort to protect the reputation and integrity of their businesses.
Detection
When pests are spotted, it is important to take action right away. Pests can cause property damage and pose health risks. Rodents, for example, spread diseases such as hantavirus and leptospirosis, while cockroaches and dust mites aggravate asthma and other respiratory conditions.
Pests may be difficult to detect, but if you’re noticing unusual noises or droppings in your home, it’s a good idea to call a pest control expert. They can help you determine the severity of your infestation and develop a plan to eliminate them.
One of the first signs that a pest problem is occurring is crop damage. If you notice holes in your vegetables or wilting plants, it’s important to take action right away before the pest population grows. Similarly, if you’re seeing damage to wood furniture or torn clothing, it’s time to call for help.
Another sign of pests is a change in behavior. For example, if you’re usually hearing mice scurrying around your house at midnight, but now you’re waking up to the sound of them running through your walls, this is a serious indication that you have an infestation. Increased daytime activity from pests is also a sign that the problem is getting out of hand.
If you can’t identify the pests you’re seeing, it’s helpful to keep a pest identification journal. Record where and when you see pests, their physical appearance, and the damage they’re causing. You can then compare your findings to a pest identification book or online to determine the species.
For plant-destroying pests, you can also note the types of crops you’re noticing damage on. This can help narrow down the list of potential culprits by eliminating animals that don’t eat certain types of crops or by highlighting those that prefer specific kinds of foliage.
In addition to pests that destroy crops, there are also exotic pests that threaten our local forests, urban landscapes, and open spaces. These pests are often insect-based, but there are also weeds, nematodes, and vertebrates that can be harmful to our environment. To prevent these harmful organisms from becoming established in our community, the state’s pest detection and eradication programs are in place.
Treatment
Pests can cause structural damage, contaminate food and pose health risks. Some pests carry diseases that can be spread to people, such as rat-borne diseases like plague, hantavirus, leptospirosis, salmonella and others. Others can trigger allergies, asthma and other respiratory problems. In addition, they leave behind droppings and other material that can damage a property and make living in it unpleasant, uncomfortable or even dangerous.
To control pests, you need to eliminate their food sources, water, shelter and breeding grounds. This can be done through physical traps, baits, sprays or barriers. For example, you can close off entry points into your home, use wire mesh to block access to crawl spaces and caulk cracks around doors and windows. Also, you can keep food in sealed containers and clean your kitchen benches before preparing meals.
If preventive measures fail to control a pest problem, you may need to resort to chemical control methods. Pesticides are chemicals that poison and kill pests or interfere with their development. They are usually sprayed or placed in baits or traps and are used to eradicate a problem that has reached a certain threshold level.
Generally, it is best to use a combination of preventive measures and treatments. If you do decide to use pesticides, always follow the label’s instructions and safety warnings. Also, avoid spraying areas where family members and pets play or sleep. If using a surface spray, apply it only to out-of-the-way places like along skirting boards.
It is important to understand that pesticides aren’t always effective. Some pests have complex life cycles and require more than one treatment to eradicate them. For example, fleas take about a month to develop from eggs into larvae, pupae and adults. Conventional flea treatments usually only target fully-grown adults, not the eggs or larvae.
Taking precautionary measures can reduce the need for more intrusive and harmful treatments. Regularly cleaning floors, countertops and storage areas, securing trash bins, and reducing moisture can help deter insects and rodents. In addition, regularly inspecting and fixing any damage caused by pests can also help prevent infestations in the future.
