Pests are organisms that negatively affect human activities through disease, contamination and damage. They can be plants, birds, rodents or other animals.

Clutter provides places for pests to breed and hide. Keep your yard and home clear of woodpiles, stacks of newspapers, or other potential nesting places. For professional help, contact Kansas City Pest Control.

Monitoring lets you know when to take action. Scouting and monitoring include observing a pest to determine whether it warrants control, what methods to use, and when to apply them.

Pests are unwanted creatures that invade our homes, businesses and environments. Some cause health concerns such as mosquitoes, flies, ticks, cockroaches and bed bugs. Others spoil or damage food (like rodents, birds and aphids), plants (like pine seed bugs, cluster flies and boxelder bugs) and personal items like clothing (silverfish and earwigs). Some have a frightening or unpleasant appearance, such as snakes, beetles, spiders and termites. Others have a strong odor, such as raccoons, squirrels and bees.

Prevention as a form of pest control is all about eliminating the environment that allows these creatures to thrive and avoid using toxic chemicals. It involves keeping areas free of clutter that provides breeding grounds or shelter for pests and repairing cracks, crevices and holes to stop them from getting in. It also includes making sure that garbage is properly secured and regularly removed from the premises. This prevents pests from getting into your food or contaminating it with bacteria and other contaminants.

In addition, preventing pests by blocking entry points can save money and resources. For example, using a quality sealant around the baseboards of your home can stop mice and other pests from entering. Similarly, installing screens on doors and windows can stop insects and birds from nesting in your home or business.

If you are unsure about what type of pest problem you have, it is important to learn about the pests and what types of treatments are available for them. Then you can make an informed decision about whether to use a particular pest control method. It is also important to carefully read the label of any pesticide you are considering using as it will contain detailed instructions and information on how and where it should be used and any potential hazards.

If non-toxic methods do not provide sufficient control, it may be necessary to use a pesticide. However, even this should be done with care and caution to ensure that only the intended pest is targeted. It is always best to enlist the help of trained pest control specialists rather than trying to do it yourself.

Suppression

Pests are rodents, insects or weeds that damage crops, property or human health. They can spread diseases and spoil food. In homes and urban areas they often cause destruction and loss of personal possessions. Pest control attempts to limit their numbers through exclusion, repulsion, physical removal or chemical means.

The best way to avoid pests is to prevent them from coming into a field, home or garden in the first place. Plowing, crop rotation, careful selection of plant material for transplanting, and frequent cleaning of greenhouse and tillage equipment can all prevent the movement of pests. It is also important to clean up and store harvested vegetables and fruit properly to prevent them from harboring insect pests in fields and gardens.

If prevention tactics do not control pests, they can be suppressed by changing the environment they live in. Adding mulch, using organic compost or adjusting irrigation schedules can help make an environment unsuitable for the pests. Keeping living and working spaces clean can help as well. Clutter provides hiding places for pests, and blocks their movement. Regularly removing garbage, and using trash cans with tight lids can deprive pests of their food source. Sealing cracks and crevices, using caulking or knitted copper mesh around pipes, drains and vents can block pests from entering buildings.

Biological controls, such as predatory insects and parasitoids, can limit pest populations by attacking or killing them directly. Sometimes these organisms can control pests more effectively than chemicals, particularly if their population is large enough. Natural enemies can be introduced from the pest’s native habitat, or they may be imported and released, a practice known as classical biological control.

Biological control can be complicated and unpredictable. For example, red weaver ants are effective in controlling some pests, but they can also transform into abnormal forms called prions that are like viruses and kill people. Consequently, products used to kill them must be carefully chosen and regulated by the EPA. Other examples of biological control include sterilisation programmes, which can be carried out on domestic or wild animals to remove disease-causing agents.

Eradication

Eradication is the removal or destruction of a pest species that interferes with human activities. It differs from suppression in that the effort is permanent. Successful eradication requires the effort of all nations at the local, regional, and global levels.

A key element of eradication is verification, in which independent, respected parties certify that no microbe transmission has occurred. This is particularly challenging because a disease can only be eradicated if transmission stops everywhere, not just in some places. This is why the eradication of smallpox and rinderpest required global efforts (Cochi and others 1998; Goodman and others 1999).

There are many methods for destroying unwanted organisms, and each works best on different pests. Some of the most common are trapping, baiting and spraying chemicals. All of these methods require careful attention to detail in order to maximize their effectiveness and minimize risks to people, pets, wildlife and plants. Using different methods in combination is also often a better approach than using any single method alone.

Chemical pesticides can be powerful tools in the fight against pests, but they must always be used responsibly and only by trained and certified applicators. This is especially true in rental properties where the use of pesticides is regulated by the New York State Environmental Conservation Law. In addition to the proper application of pesticides, it is important to understand the chemistry behind the product so that the applicator can fully evaluate its efficacy and safety.

Biological pest control can be an effective and environmentally friendly alternative to toxic chemicals. For example, parasitic nematodes, such as the cockroach-eating nematode Steinernema carpocapsae, can be sprayed into the soil to kill a wide range of insects by injecting them with a bacteria that breaks down their cell walls.

Some of the most dangerous pests are those that carry or spread diseases, such as rodents, bed bugs and cockroaches. Others cause or trigger allergies and sensitivities, such as earwigs, silverfish, pine seed bugs and cluster flies. Some damage buildings, landscaping and personal belongings, like wood-boring beetles, ants and termites. Still others contaminate food or otherwise threaten the quality of edible produce, such as fruit flies and aphids.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

IPM is a decision-making process that uses observations, including inspection and monitoring, to make pest control decisions based on pre-determined management objectives. It takes an ecological approach to selecting control methods, using less risky tactics first, and only resorting to more toxic chemicals when necessary. It also includes evaluation and record-keeping to ensure that the program is effective and safe. IPM programs are site and system specific. They take into account the life cycle of the pest, damage potential, natural enemies, and environmental conditions.

A key feature of IPM is prevention, using techniques such as physical barriers, regular cleaning and sanitation, and altering the environment (temperature, humidity, and food sources) to prevent pests from developing or maturing. IPM also promotes the use of resistant cultivars, crop rotation, and other cultural practices that reduce or eliminate the need for chemical controls.

Once a pest problem has developed, IPM plans set action thresholds – levels at which pest numbers or damage would be unacceptable if no control actions are taken – that influence when pest control strategies should be initiated. This is a very important step, because the goal is to control pests before they cause significant damage. If a threshold is not set or is exceeded, then all options, including the use of more toxic chemicals, are considered.

IPM systems also minimize pesticide use by employing biological, cultural, mechanical and physical, and chemical methods. These techniques are incorporated into the management system as they are needed, resulting in sustainable pest management practices that protect human health, the ecosystem, and waterways.

In addition to protecting humans, the ecosystem, and local waterways, IPM programs often provide financial benefits. For example, growing crops with fewer pesticides leads to lower energy costs, and weatherizing buildings helps save on heating and cooling.