Pests can transmit disease or damage plants, buildings, and people. Fortunately, there are usually several ways to control them.
Suppression is a common goal. Its goal is to reduce pest numbers to a level below which they do not cause unacceptable harm. Contact Abbotsford Pest Control now!
Prevention involves preventing pests from damaging plants and structures in the first place. This may include removing pests’ food, water, and shelter or blocking their access.
Pest Identification
Pest identification is a necessary first step in developing an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy. It helps you decide whether a particular pest is a problem, how severe the pest problem is, and what control methods are appropriate. For example, a fly infestation may be better addressed by cleaning up clutter and food sources in the kitchen than by spraying toxic chemicals around the house.
In a museum environment, pest identification is also useful in determining which collection items are most at risk of damage from the pest and what the life cycle of that pest is. Knowing what the pest eats, where they breed, and how frequently they reproduce helps to minimize collections damage by eliminating or reducing their breeding areas.
For example, a caterpillar in a plant or a beetle in a root system damages leaves, fruit, flowers, or roots by chewing or puncturing these tissues with its sharp mouthparts. Different pest species attack at a certain stage of a plant’s growth or in a specific environmental condition, and many have special feeding structures to help them locate and feed on the preferred plant parts. Insect pests are the most common cause of plant damage. Many insect pests have sucking mouthparts that can damage leaves, stems, fruits, and roots by extracting sap. Some insect pests also spread diseases that can deteriorate or kill plants.
Most IPM strategies focus on prevention and suppression of pests rather than eradication because eradicating a pest is very difficult, especially in outdoor environments where it can easily disperse. Eradication is more of a goal in enclosed spaces, such as dwellings; schools, offices, and health care, research, and office buildings; and food processing and preparation sites.
Monitoring is essential to a successful IPM program. It includes regular checks of the outside or inside of a building, field, garden, or forest to see which pests are present and how many. Monitoring can be done by anyone, including students or volunteers. It is best if it is done regularly and consistently to detect pests early before they reach damaging levels.
A logbook can be used to record the results of scouting, including details of the pest found and the dates when the damage was noted. A Pest Sightings Register is also helpful to document and analyze data. This register lists the date, pest name and type, where it was seen, who reported it, and follow-up action taken by the staff and/or pest control provider. It is important that this information be gathered before the development of pest resistance to pesticides. Eventually, the most resistant pests will survive and thrive, even in the presence of the toxic chemical. Then, the use of harmful pesticides will be ineffective and the overall goal of IPM will have failed.
Pest Detection
Pests can cause damage to crops and structures, contaminate food and water, and pose a health risk. They may also carry pathogens that can infect humans and animals with serious diseases such as hantavirus, leptospirosis, Salmonella and other infectious agents. To help protect the health and safety of consumers, businesses must take steps to prevent pest infestations. The first step is pest detection. Detection is achieved through inspections and monitoring, with correct identification being a key part of the process. Incorrect identification of pests is a major reason for failure in pest control programs.
Pest detection is a continuous activity that involves searching for signs of pests throughout the day and night. A typical pest detection strategy includes visual inspections, monitoring traps, scouting, and checking bait stations. In addition, pest detection strategies include checking for pest damage and monitoring for parasitoids.
In addition, monitoring can provide valuable information about the biology of a pest, its ecology, and environmental factors that influence its population. Such information helps determine whether a pest can be tolerated or controlled, and which management strategies are most appropriate.
A thorough, regular inspection of a facility can help to reduce or eliminate pest problems before they become a major problem. Inspections should be conducted at least once a week or twice a week, depending on the facility’s operating conditions. Inspections should be conducted by qualified staff who are trained in recognizing the various pests that can cause damage to foods or facilities.
Proper equipment and tools can make the job of detecting pests much easier. A flashlight, for example, is essential for inspecting dark and secluded areas where pests are likely to hide. A telescoping mirror is useful for allowing inspectors to easily check behind and beneath equipment and furniture. And a magnifying glass is helpful for examining insect parts, frass (excrement), and other evidence of pest presence.
Another important tool for detecting pests is a pest identification chart that records the physical characteristics of common pests and provides information about how to recognize them. These charts can be purchased from pest control suppliers or made by the user.
Some pests are constant and must be continually controlled, such as rodents and birds that destroy fields and croplands, plant disease organisms that afflict desirable plants, and certain insects that transmit plant viruses. In contrast, other pests may only occur occasionally or are sporadic and can be controlled by reducing the conditions that favor them. Prevention strategies include reducing the attractiveness of the landscape or food source to the pest, using natural barriers such as fences and pheromones, and providing alternative sources of food and shelter for the pest. Suppression strategies involve the use of chemicals, such as pesticides. Eradication strategies may be used if the pest population is large or threatens public health and welfare.
Pest Prevention
Pests cause more than just annoyance and property damage. They can also spread disease, contaminate food and water supplies, harm plants, and lead to asthma, allergies, and other health problems. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent and control pests, rodents, insects and other organisms that may affect your home or business.
Pest prevention is a continuous process of monitoring, identifying and assessing the presence of pests, how many there are, and what damage they have caused. This information enables you to determine if the pests can be tolerated or if they need to be controlled. It also helps you select the most effective pest management methods and the best time to apply them.
Monitoring is a continuous process of searching for, identifying, and assessing the presence of pests. It includes examining plants, soil, garbage receptacles and other locations for signs of pest activity. It also involves evaluating conditions that may attract and support pest populations, such as food availability, water availability, and shelter. Monitoring allows you to decide whether a particular pest is a nuisance and needs to be controlled, or if the damage they cause can be tolerated.
Before pests become a problem, they generally live and feed in the open. Therefore, they can be prevented from entering a building by sealing cracks, screens and door sweeps, and by trimming branches and shrubbery to eliminate hiding places. Preventive measures can also include storing and disposing of food in tightly covered containers, and keeping trash receptacles clean.
Once a pest is inside your structure, it can be difficult to control them. It is important to understand that controlling pests is a team effort and everyone in your building has a role to play. Residents can help by maintaining cleaning practices that discourage pests, reporting maintenance problems promptly to their building manager or owner, and being careful not to bring pests into buildings on packages, clothing, books, luggage or equipment.
In addition, residents can help by not leaving out pet food or water, storing food in containers, keeping garbage receptacles and indoor spaces tidy, and fixing leaky pipes and other conditions that can invite pests. Finally, they can reduce the use of pesticides by observing proper safety procedures, wearing protective clothing and gloves when handling pesticides, and keeping children and pets out of areas where pesticides are used.