Pest control is the action taken to prevent pests from causing unacceptable injury or harm. This can include removing food or water from sources where pests might be found, sealing cracks, and fumigating stores.
Monitoring means checking to see what pests are present and how much damage they are doing. This information helps you decide whether to use prevention or control methods. Contact Seaside Pest Control now!
Taking the time to prevent pest problems is often more cost effective than dealing with the aftermath of an infestation. Prevention involves identifying and blocking points of entry, keeping food in sealed containers and removing waste on a regular basis, storing hay or straw away from the house, fixing leaky pipes and ensuring that garbage cans have tight lids.
Pests are attracted to homes and retail or food preparation environments primarily for the water, food or shelter they can find there. Their presence in these environments can lead to contamination of foodstuffs by rodent droppings or insect parts, spoilage of goods and the physical damage caused by pests themselves. In addition, pests can also carry disease causing bacteria and fungi in their guts and on their bodies, as well as parasitic mites that can feed on crops.
Preventative measures include the use of a variety of non-toxic methods such as traps, baits and removing waste regularly. If non-toxic methods are impractical, a pesticide should be used but only in a manner that minimizes exposure to people and pets. In general, it is best to select a pesticide that is specifically designed for the pest in question and that has been approved by the Environmental Protection Authority. This reduces the likelihood of off-target impacts such as those caused by spraying food storage areas with a general pesticide.
Suppression
Pests thrive on a variety of resources including food, water and shelter. They are attracted to areas where moisture and humidity levels are high. Many are also drawn to wood piles or compost bins, where they find shelter during freezing winters and frigid springs. Cracks around window sills, foundation or roof and utility lines can provide entry points for pests.
Many of the factors that promote pest infestation can be controlled with preventive measures. Examples include using pest-free seeds and transplants, avoiding weed problems through proper cultivation, scheduling irrigation to avoid conditions that favor disease development, cleaning tillage and harvesting equipment between fields or operations and maintaining good field sanitation practices.
If preventive methods do not control a pest problem, the next step is suppression. This can be done through a variety of ways, such as using traps for rodents, removing weeds by hand or using mulches to reduce weed populations. Chemical treatments can be used to control a wide range of pests. However, it is important to consider the impact of these chemicals on beneficial insects and other organisms.
Before applying any suppression method, it is important to determine if a tolerance level (also called a threshold) has been or is likely to be reached. This will help you select the best biological, physical or chemical control option.
Eradication
A more drastic approach to pest control, eradication involves removing a pest population entirely. This can be achieved through spraying with ultra-low volume (ULV) fogging or by fumigation. In the case of a building, this may involve sealing it and filling it with gasses such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen to suffocate any pests inside.
Eradication methods can be especially important for food manufacturers who must comply with strict government regulations and industry codes of practice. In such cases, a pest problem must be dealt with immediately to prevent contamination of the food supply and/or to protect the brand image.
When the eradication method is done correctly, it can lead to a permanent removal of the pest. However, this requires expert knowledge of the specific pest and the environment in which it is found, as well as the ability to identify any underlying problems that can affect the success of any treatment plan.
Preventive measures such as sealing entry points, removing food sources and reducing pest attractants are often recommended by experts. Similarly, the use of natural pesticides such as the soil-dwelling parasitic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae can be an effective way to eradicate pests from gardens and home lawns. However, it is important that any chemicals used to kill pests are properly labeled and applied by qualified technicians.
Monitoring
Monitoring is the activity of checking traps, glue boards and other pest control devices to determine the number and type of pests present. This can be done on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis depending on the level of infestation and is an important part of a comprehensive pest control program. Monitoring results can be used to determine if an action threshold has been reached and can also indicate whether or not control measures have been successful.
Thresholds refer to the level of pest infestation at which a pest control measure must be taken to prevent unacceptable contamination or damage. The use of threshold information can improve pest monitoring and decision-making by helping to identify when it is necessary to begin control tactics.
In addition to the monitoring activities mentioned above, a food business should regularly inspect the entire facility including equipment, corners, crevices and other areas where pests hide. The use of a flashlight can help to reveal these areas and is particularly useful when checking traps, glue boards and other pest monitoring devices. A frequent inspection will help to detect pest activity before it becomes a serious problem. Another important step in monitoring is to make sure that the bait inside of stored product pest monitors, rodent stations and other rodent control devices is fresh. If the bait is past its change date then it can be very difficult for these devices to be effective.
Eradication
The aim of eradication is to cause as little harm as possible to the non-target organisms, while achieving complete or near-complete extinction of the pest. The terms exterminate, extirpate and eradicate are synonymous; they mean to drive something out of existence (as a species, a family or an idea) or to remove it completely from its location.
A successful eradication programme requires planning, monitoring and surveillance. It should start with a delimiting survey, which may be carried out initially or to confirm earlier surveys. Surveillance should continue in accordance with the eradication plan and may include a pathway analysis, inspection of clonally or contact-linked material, trapping and aerial observation. It may also involve inquiries to growers and those responsible for storage and handling facilities, as well as the general public.
An eradication campaign should be initiated before the extent of an infestation reaches a critical threshold and be conducted at local or regional levels rather than at national or international scales. This has been shown to increase the probability of success and reduce the time needed for the pest to be eradicated.
The factors that influence the outcome of an eradication campaign vary between species and locations. They are categorised into those that cannot be changed by the managing authorities, and those that can. The latter have been placed at the top of the classification tree and the former at the bottom.
Integrated Pest Management
Integrated pest management (IPM) is an ecosystem-based strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests or their damage through a combination of techniques, including biological control, habitat manipulation, modification of cultural practices and use of resistant varieties. It uses monitoring to assess pest populations and to determine if and when action is needed. Treatments are based on the best available information and minimize risks to people, beneficial insects and the environment.
To be successful, an IPM program needs to involve multiple partners and stakeholders. These include State and Federal agricultural, environmental/non-governmental, and educational organizations; nursery, greenhouse, vegetable and fruit growers; landscapers and grounds keepers; pest control product manufacturers; and the general public. IPM programs must also provide education and training through field and regional workshops and meetings; workshops and conferences; publications; and other media.
By focusing on preventing pest infestations and using chemicals only as a last resort, IPM programs can reduce costs and save time in the field or in the office. They can also help to protect human health, the environment and non-target organisms. For building residents and tenants, IPM can lower maintenance costs by reducing the need for chemical pesticides and improving building conditions that attract and support pests. It can also cut pest complaints by 90 percent. For more information, see Pest Management for Building Residents and Tenants.