Pest control is the practice of managing plants, animals, or other organisms that invade people’s living and working spaces. Control methods include prevention, exclusion, and suppression.
Microorganisms such as the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis produce a protein that is toxic to certain pest insects, but does not harm other organisms. Nematodes, microscopic worms that live in the soil, can also perform pest control by attacking and eating aphids, fleas, and grubs. Contact Trapping USA Animal Removal & Pest Control now!
Insects are the largest group of land animals. They are extremely diverse and inhabit every habitat from snow to desert. They can be predators, parasites or pathogens, and they can also cause damage by chewing or laying waste to plant tissue.
Pest control usually aims at prevention or suppression of insect populations. Biological methods such as the release of natural enemies, the use of pheromones to attract or confuse pests, and the application of juvenile hormones can all be used in this respect.
The most common insect problems are caused by ants, cockroaches and bedbugs, and flies, wasps and bees. These insects can be a nuisance and are difficult to control, but safer nonchemical alternatives exist. The most serious damage caused by insects is done when they feed on crops, especially fruit and vegetables. This damage is often exacerbated by weather conditions.
Rodents
Rodents are a common pest in homes and businesses, often entering to find food. Look for signs of rodent activity like droppings, chewed edges on food packages, and gnawed holes in walls or floors.
Rodents can spread diseases through contact with their droppings, saliva, and nesting materials. They can also trigger allergies and asthma in susceptible people.
Rodent infestations are difficult to control. The best strategy is sanitation. Clean up potential feeding sources indoors and out, such as garbage bins and compost piles. Remove rotting fruit from garden beds and keep the areas under your fruit trees free of weeds and other hiding spots. Use spring-loaded traps inside and outside buildings and bait them with chunky peanut butter. Wear latex or rubber gloves when handling contaminated items and always use a disinfectant. Thoroughly clean swept and vacuumed surfaces before they are used.
Birds
Birds are beautiful when they’re outside, but their droppings can create a mess in grocery stores, food warehouses, coffee shops, and pharmaceutical manufacturers. They also carry more than 60 diseases that can make employees and customers sick.
Preventing a bird infestation starts with cleaning and maintaining outdoor break areas regularly. You should also encourage employees to not feed birds and keep trash bins closed.
A multi-sensory bird repellent is available to deter birds from landing on ledges, signs, awnings, roofs, and HVAC units. This product, called Bird Block, uses peppermint oil and a gel that birds perceive as a dish of fire or smoke. Also available are spikes, netting, and grid systems. Using pyrotechnics is another effective bird control method. But this requires a permit and is often restricted at airports, landfill sites, and agricultural crops.
Bedbugs
Bed bugs are difficult to detect since they hide throughout the day. They can leave dark red excrement and light-colored shed skins in the folds of mattresses, behind baseboards, on upholstered furniture and in crevices of wooden furniture.
Infestations should be dealt with immediately. Washing in hot water (above 120 degrees Fahrenheit) can help to kill the bugs and their eggs. Thoroughly vacuuming all areas, especially along baseboards and ceiling moldings and in the cracks between pillows, can also be helpful.
In addition, caulking can help to seal hiding spots in and around the home. Eliminating animal habitats such as bird nests or bat roosts can also be beneficial, as can eliminating piles of debris in and around the house. This will allow the pest control treatment to penetrate hidden places more effectively.
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are two-winged flies of the order Diptera (true flies) with long, multisegmented antennae and mouthparts designed for piercing and sucking blood. Most species of mosquitoes bite only mammals and birds, although the females of some species are also known to feed on reptiles and amphibians.
All mosquitoes require water to breed, so effective control programs must include point source reduction in breeding areas and larviciding (killing the eggs) when and where possible. Adulticide spraying to kill mosquitoes may be used when needed, but only as a supplement to eradication and larval controls.
Eliminate breeding sites by emptying and changing the water in bird baths, fountains, wading pools, rain barrels and potted plants at least once a week. Use a mosquito dunk to kill any mosquito eggs that appear in these containers. Plant mosquito-repelling shrubs or flowers in your yard, including lavender, sage, rosemary and lemon balm.
Bees
Bees are an important part of our ecosystem. However, if bees invade living areas, they should be removed promptly and professionally by a pest control professional. Protective equipment, such as a suit with protective gloves, bee veil, hat, and long-sleeved light-colored coveralls should be worn when dealing with a bee infestation.
Regularly inspect your property for beehives and swarms of bees and wasps that may have established themselves on or near your home. Keeping landscaping shrubs and trees well-groomed can help keep bees away from outdoor eating areas, garbage containers, recycling bins, and automobiles. Also, a properly labeled insecticide such as carbaryl (Sevin) can be sprayed directly into a bee nest or hive opening to eliminate the colony over time. Other options include sprinkling the soil with parasitic nematodes. (See the article, Nematodes: A Natural Way to Control Pests.
Wasps
Wasps are predatory and help control pest populations of aphids, caterpillars, and other insects that damage plants. They also assist with pollination and scavenge decomposing organic matter, speeding up decomposition and returning nutrients to the soil.
Wasp colonies reach their peak population in late summer and early fall as new queens and males are produced. Once mating has finished, fertilized females hibernate through the winter and start new colonies in spring.
To limit the number of wasps around your home, regularly inspect your property for nest locations. Remove nests as soon as possible to prevent them from maturing and attracting more wasps. Buy a residual liquid pesticide at your local hardware or home improvement store and spray potential nesting areas to stop them from being built in the first place. Plant herbs and flowers such as peppermint, sage, clove, rosemary, thyme, eucalyptus, and geranium that have scents that repel wasps.
Flies
Flies are common pests of both outdoor and indoor environments. They breed in wet, decaying organic materials such as garbage, manure, compost or rotting plant material. Most species of flies are predacious or parasitic and some, like mosquitoes, can transmit dangerous diseases. Some flies (especially house flies) are known to be carriers of various human pathogens, including anthrax, some forms of conjunctivitis, dysentery and typhoid fever.
Sanitation is a key first step to control flies. Garbage should be stored in fly-proof containers and emptied regularly. Keeping windows and doors closed is important to prevent fly entry, especially during summer. Repairing and replacing window screens is also helpful. Flies can be controlled through pest control using non-chemical methods, including flies repellents and baits. Some flies are parasitic and feed on vertebrates, such as humans, birds, mammals, lizards and fish.
Ticks
Ticks are one of the most troublesome outdoor pests, and it’s essential to get rid of them before they bite. These parasitic arachnids can carry serious diseases that are dangerous to humans and pets alike.
Tick repellant formulated for skin is the most effective way to protect yourself from ticks while outdoors. In addition, regular tick control treatments are essential to keeping them at bay.
A perimeter spray treatment that contains bifenthrin or permethrin is an eco-friendly preventative. These sprays are safe for most garden plants, and they can be applied to wooded shady areas and along paths and trails. Installing physical barriers such as a fence will restrict the area ticks can enter your yard. Planting deer-resistant shrubs, and regular mowing to 3 inches will also reduce tick populations. Beneficial nematodes can also help as they feast on tick larvae, keeping them from maturing and spreading an infestation.
Ants
Ants can invade homes and buildings through cracks in foundation walls, drywall and the tiny openings around venting, drains and cables. They can also enter through open doors and windows.
Pavement ants are a common home invading species. They nest in the soil under stones, in pavement cracks and crevices of masonry. They feed on grease, meat, dead insects, honeydew and the roots of planted seeds. They are about 1/12 to 1/4 inch long and are light to dark brown or blackish with two nodes in the petiole and 12 segmented antennae.
Avoid ant invasions by keeping food in airtight containers and wiping up food spills promptly. Spray tamper-proof baits in and around the home as needed. Avoid ant insecticides on entire walls, floors and cabinets since they may leave residues that are hazardous to children and pets.