Caldwell Pest Control involves managing the presence of pests to prevent their damage to human homes and businesses and their impact on food chains and habitats. Control methods are selected based on the pest’s characteristics and environment.
Thresholds are established to determine when pests become a problem that warrants action. For example, if there are a growing number of spiderwebs in the home, it’s time to call the exterminator.
The best way to prevent pests is to keep your house and yard clean. This means removing any rotting wood or vegetation, keeping the area around your house free of trash, and regularly cleaning out garages, sheds, and other outbuildings where pests often find their way inside.
In addition, it’s important to clean up spilled food and garbage immediately. Pests have strong olfactory senses and can detect food sources from quite a distance. That’s why it’s a good idea to use smell-blocking, tightly sealed containers for all food items stored in your home.
Clutter also attracts pests, so make a habit of cleaning up clutter and stacks of newspapers or magazines in and around your house. Trash cans should be tightly sealed and emptied frequently, and pet food should be kept in a secure container and removed from the home overnight. Cracks in walls and leaking pipes should be sealed, as should any places where moisture collects, such as under sinks or in the basement.
Look for entry points for pests and close them as soon as you spot them. Check under kitchen and bathroom cabinets, in crawl spaces, and behind the doors to your garage and basement for cracks or holes that could be used as entry points. Also, the exterior windows and doors should be examined for tears or holes that should be repaired.
Mechanical and physical controls include traps, screens, barriers, fences, and radiation that can prevent or suppress pests. Other methods, such as altering the amount of water or light, can sometimes control pests as well.
Biological controls are natural organisms that help control pest populations by killing or slowing their growth or reproduction. These can include predators, parasites, and other living things that naturally feed on or otherwise interfere with specific pest species. Biological controls typically involve little or no human intervention, and may take longer to produce results than other methods.
Using these techniques, combined with the other methods of pest control, will give you the best chance to keep your property pest-free. Remember to always follow the instructions and warnings on any product you are using, and be sure to store pesticides out of reach of children and pets.
Suppression
Some pests can cause so much damage that their presence becomes unacceptable. This is known as the “action threshold.” Suppression techniques are designed to reduce pest populations below this threshold. Suppression tactics can include a combination of preventative and corrective controls. The use of chemical, mechanical and cultural control methods is common in citrus groves. When using chemical control methods, careful consideration is taken of the effect on natural enemies and other non-target organisms. This is accomplished by applying the chemicals in a way that minimizes contact with non-target organisms, such as spot applications or treating alternating strips.
Biological control is the introduction of organisms that naturally feed on or parasitize a pest species. When a sufficient number of these natural enemies are mass-produced and released, they can significantly reduce the pest population. However, it is important to realize that most biological control agents are host-specific, meaning that they only feed on one or two pest species. Therefore, augmentative biological control may be necessary in areas where the predators are not able to naturally maintain adequate numbers of prey for pest suppression.
The physical control of pests is achieved through the use of traps, barriers, screens and other devices that physically separate or restrict an area from its surroundings. Some of these methods can also alter the environment of a pest by changing the temperature, amount of light or water availability. For example, sprinkling nematodes (microscopic worms) in the soil can control grubs, flea beetles and other insects that attack plants by injecting their host with bacteria that break down the insect into a usable food source.
Some pests, such as weeds and disease pathogens, can negatively affect tree health and productivity by competing for resources or by serving as a vector for other diseases or as alternate hosts for damaging insects. Therefore, it is often necessary to control them. Eradication techniques are aimed at removing the pests from an area or eliminating them entirely. This is a necessary approach in many environments, such as operating rooms and other sterile areas of health care facilities. It is also sometimes necessary in the open outdoor environments of citrus groves and other agricultural settings.
Eradication
Eradication is a process that removes an organism or disease from the Earth. It is achieved through deliberate efforts and intervention measures such as quarantine and vaccination. Eradication is considered a public good because it enhances human well-being. However, eradication is difficult to accomplish. The benefits must be weighed against the costs, which include future infections and vaccines.
A microbe is deemed eradicated when its global incidence drops below the threshold of one infection per million people. This requires a coordinated effort of nations and organizations such as the World Health Organization. For example, smallpox was eradicated after years of efforts involving vaccines and quarantine.
In a commercial setting, pest control methods may involve physical trapping or killing of animals such as birds, pigeons and squirrels that can carry diseases. Pest control professionals also use chemical sprays and granules to kill insects. Qualified, licensed pest control operators are the only ones who can legally operate these types of chemicals and should always read a chemical’s label to make sure it is safe for a home use and properly dispose of any leftovers or empty containers.
Biological Eradication
The use of natural enemies to control pests is an ancient practice. However, modern pesticides have devastated many of these predators and parasitoids. Often, the loss of these natural enemies allows the pest to become a major nuisance. Conversely, a non-toxic method of controlling a pest can dramatically reduce its densities and damage.
Microbial pest control involves using bacteria and other microscopic organisms to poison and kill pests such as beetles, flies and mosquitoes. Bacillus thuringiensis, commonly known as Bt, is a common microbial pesticide and is used in more than 130 different products. The EPA notes that microbial pesticides are less toxic to humans and pets than their chemical counterparts. However, microbial solutions are not as shelf stable as other pesticides and have a limited host range.
Other organic eradication techniques include the use of nematodes, viruses, plant pathogens and bacterium to control certain pests such as weeds. These methods of pest control are considered environmentally friendly and may be more effective than chemicals in reducing the numbers of undesirable organisms in the environment.
Integrated Pest Management
When a pest is infesting crops, the goal is to manage it rather than eradicate it. Integrated pest management techniques use a combination of physical, cultural, biological and chemical controls to reduce the pest population. Using an IPM plan reduces reliance on pesticides and decreases risks to humans, animals and the environment.
Pesticides can be used as part of an IPM program, but are only applied as a last resort. When they are needed, they are used carefully to prevent the development of resistance.
A key to success in integrated pest control is scouting. Identifying the type of insect or mite and understanding its life cycle helps the grower determine how to best fight it. Monitoring is also necessary to see if the treatment has had an effect. It is much easier to prevent damage before it occurs than to try to correct it after the fact.
Integrated Pest Management is a holistic approach to managing all organisms, including insects, mites, weeds, disease organisms and mammals that negatively impact the quality of turfgrasses, fruit and vegetable production and landscapes. It includes monitoring and scouting, pest identification, evaluation of economic or aesthetic injury thresholds and treatment decisions.
Mechanical integrated pest management techniques kill or block a pest by using traps, barriers or other means to restrict its access to food and water. Mulching and adding organic material to the soil encourage beneficial organisms, limiting the need for chemical controls. Soil heating or steaming disinfects compost, organic matter or weed seeds and prevents the growth of pathogens that can destroy crop plants.
Biological integrated pest control uses predators, parasitoids or diseases that occur naturally in nature to reduce the number of unwanted organisms. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) bacteria, for example, is effective at controlling caterpillars because it releases toxins that destroy the insect’s midgut. Other Bt strains work on other insects.
Integrated pest management takes a wide view of the ecosystem and recognizes that a healthy environment has a diversity of species. This balance helps maintain a steady state, making it less likely to be disrupted by pests or other environmental threats.