Articles are long-form pieces that inform, inspire and engage your audience. They’re a powerful way to build brand awareness and drive traffic to your site.
Pests like ants and cockroaches contaminate our food, and rodents cause diseases such as plague, Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, and rabies. They also destroy furniture and woodwork. For more details, read on Pest Control Ballwin MO.
Accurate pest identification is the first step in an integrated pest management (IPM) program. Incorrect identification can lead to inappropriate chemical control, ineffective pest removal or even unnecessary environmental damage. The pests’ life cycle, development and behavior must be understood in order to make the right choices for controlling them. The goal is to reduce the use of harmful chemicals and improve plant health and performance.
In general, pests can be identified by their physical characteristics or the evidence they leave behind. A flashlight is often useful to help find hiding places, as well as a magnifying device to aid in identifying insect parts or frass. An extendable mirror may also be helpful to enable the inspector to inspect underneath equipment or furniture.
A pest’s environment and the time of year when it is most active also provides key clues to a successful diagnosis. Observe the behavior of the pest to determine its feeding, movement and other factors that influence its population growth. Inspect plants and other structures for signs of infestation including chewed or bitten leaves, pods or fruit, twigs and stems. If possible, collect specimens for a formal identification.
Identifying the pest is important not only for planning the most effective pest control methods, but it can be used to decide whether pest control is necessary at all. For example, a poorly-performing apple tree might have poor site conditions, rather than a pest infestation. A slug problem in the vegetable garden might be caused by inadequate soil or watering rather than by a particular species of weed.
Insects, weeds and vertebrate animals that appear in unexpected numbers can quickly become unmanageable without proper prevention measures. Pests can be a serious threat to the success of agricultural crops, as well as to commercial facilities. In some cases, a pest infestation is so severe that it can threaten the safety of personnel or the integrity of the facility itself. In such situations, a professional pest control company can provide the services required to eliminate the pests and prevent their return. The scope of work will include pest identification, inspection procedures and agreed-upon follow-up methods such as traps, sonic repellers, granular baits or fumigation.
Pest Prevention
Pest control is the process of reducing the number of pests to an acceptable level, typically below the levels that cause harm or interfere with human activities. This is achieved by using a combination of methods including biological, physical and chemical control strategies.
In order to determine the need for pest control, pests must first be identified. This is done by scouting (regularly searching for, identifying and assessing pest populations and the damage they are causing) and monitoring (regularly checking for signs of pest activity). Pest identification can be completed using visual inspection, sampling, trapping or collection. The type of pest, its damage and impact on humans are then assessed to determine the need for pest control.
Many pests are easily controlled through a series of preventive measures. These may include screening windows, sealing cracks, caulking and maintaining clean food and supplies in storage areas. In addition, routine maintenance of building and facility components can shut off entry points for pests such as repairing foundations, siding, roofs and utility penetrations. Keeping garbage receptacles and compost bins close to buildings, regularly cleaning up debris and trimming shrubbery can reduce habitats for pests.
Other preventive practices may include storing items away from walls, removing trash frequently and keeping food in tightly closed containers. Regular cleaning, sanitizing work areas and reducing clutter can also discourage pests.
Even with the best prevention efforts, it is not uncommon for pests to become a problem in some buildings. The occurrence of pests in numbers that cause damage, health implications for building occupants or simply distract people from the business at hand is called an infestation. Infestations are usually determined by an experienced pest control professional, and may be controlled through exclusion, repulsion or physical removal.
The simplest way to limit the need for pest control is to make a building unattractive to pests. This can be done by modifying the structure of the building itself, including screening or caulking, and by minimizing the amount of open space around the building. It is also important to maintain a record of all pest control services and pesticide applications, so that a pest control company can provide an accurate and complete history of pest activity in the building.
Pest Control Methods
Pest control methods include natural, biological, cultural and chemical controls. Natural controls such as weather or topography limit pest populations by limiting their reproduction and dispersal. Biological controls use predators, parasites or competitors to reduce pest numbers. Cultural practices can change environmental factors that support pests or benefit desirable plants. Chemical pest control uses synthetic or naturally occurring chemicals to directly affect or kill pests.
Identifying and detecting a pest problem is the first step in determining the need for pest control. Pests can cause a wide range of damage to crops, landscapes, structures and other valuable property. Damage to human health and well-being also can be caused by pests. Generally, it is a good idea to control a pest only when the expected harm from its presence or activity exceeds an acceptable level.
The simplest way to determine the need for pest control is by taking a walk around your home or business and looking under, behind and on top of things. You should also check for the presence of pest droppings. The size and shape of these droppings can tell you what kind of pest you are dealing with. For example, rodent droppings are elongated and conical in shape while insect droppings are tiny black dots.
Clutter provides places for pests to breed and hide, so getting rid of it can help prevent an infestation. Stacks of newspapers or cardboard boxes should be removed, and water-holding containers should be emptied regularly to remove mosquito breeding sites. Thoroughly clean kitchen benches and surfaces before preparing food and store food in sealed containers.
Most pest control companies will send a representative to perform an initial assessment and answer questions before proceeding with a treatment. These representatives often wear protective gear such as gloves, respirator and helmet. These devices protect against the spread of disease, contact with toxic substances and stings or bites. They may use a hose and backpack sprayer to apply various kinds of treatments. In many cases, the pest control technician will apply these treatments in or on your home or business, so it is important to keep children and pets away from the area while they are working.
Pesticides
When we think of pesticides, we normally picture the insecticides, weed killers and fungicides that we purchase in the store. However, pesticides are a very broad category of chemicals that have many forms and applications – liquid sprays, powders, granules, baits and foggers (total release aerosols). Most provinces and territories have regulations regarding the manufacture, sale, storage and disposal of pesticides, as well as training and certification for applicators, vendors and growers.
Pesticides are a complex and sometimes dangerous group of chemicals that can have serious consequences if misused, overused or improperly stored or disposed of. There is also the possibility of “pesticide resistance,” where the pest develops a tolerance to the chemical used to control it.
Most often, a pesticide fails to control a specific problem because it was not identified correctly or it was applied at a time when the pest was in a life stage or location where it was susceptible to the chemicals. Also, certain environmental conditions – such as hot dry weather – can make pesticides less effective at controlling the problem (e.g., millipedes love moist conditions).
In addition to the direct physical effects of pesticides, they can also be absorbed through the skin and inhaled into the lungs. They can also contaminate food and water supplies and harm wildlife. For this reason, it is important to understand and follow pesticide safety precautions when working with and storing them, for example, wearing protective clothing and following label directions for application rates.
The most effective way to reduce the need for pest control is to practice preventive methods that are not harmful to the environment or to humans. For instance, growing food in a garden that is protected by barriers or fences will help to keep the pests out; using natural insect repellents to deter the insects that damage plants; and providing natural sources of nutrients such as compost and mulch to the soil.
If you must use a pesticide, please choose the most environmentally friendly option available and always follow the safety instructions on the label. Also, remember that any substance that can kill pests can also kill beneficial insects.