What Is Pest Control?

Pests are a huge problem in nearly every part of the world. The method used to control pests depends on the extent of damage they cause and the costs involved. Pest control is a complex ecological process that involves both physical and chemical mechanisms. It involves prevention of entry, settling, and infestation of pests in a particular area. Effective methods of control provide a system that can monitor, detect, and eradicate pests.

Need For Pest Control

The need for pest control is evident from the damage done by pests in the past few years. Rodents and insects are carriers of various disease-causing pathogens. Many carry viruses and bacteria that can cause severe illnesses that would be very expensive to treat. They can infest your kitchen, bathroom or bedroom and even bite you or your pets.

Pest control is essential for the well-being of ecology and human health. They can cause devastating damage to properties and agricultural areas. There are different control methods available on the market depending on the type of pest wrecking havoc in your property or farm.

Pests like mice, cockroaches, and lizards make themselves comfortable in your home and multiply really fast before you know they are there. It only takes a few of them to start a colony. They multiply themselves within a few days and contaminate your belongings. It is, therefore, necessary to eradicate any pest in your home.

The primary purpose of using pest control methods in your home, office, garden or yard is to keep its occupants safe and healthy. They can contaminate your food and various daily-use items. Some pests can worsen existing medical conditions like asthma.

Different Types Of Pests

Pests belong to various subcategories of the animal kingdom. Some prominent examples of pests include spiders, rodents, and wasps. Each one of these categories requires a specific control approach.

Spiders

Certain spiders and bugs carry pathogens such as salmonella and E.coli, that can cause serious intestinal and urinary tract infection. The discarded body parts of these insects can also cause problems for people with lung problems. If you find one or two crawling or flying around in the house, it is not a big problem. It possible that you brought them home with you, unknowingly.

However, if you see a large number of them roaming around your kitchen, bathroom or other areas of the house, and you fail to get rid of them as soon as possible, they might get out of hand. This is often the first sign that an infestation is about to happen in your home. In this case, you need to call in an exterminator to help you get rid of all the pest in your house.

Rodents

Rodents can cause severe damages to property. They are also known spread various viral and bacterial diseases. When the infestation is serious, they can leave traces of faeces in your food and other items.

If you eat food contaminated with droppings, you might get really sick. Rodent control is essential for safety.

Rodents like rats are carriers of the Hantavirus and bubonic plague. They also carry various other dangerous pathogens like salmonella. Rats can also cut electrical wires, and in some cases cause damage crops.

Rodents move a lot, and in the process, they gather fleas and other microscopic disease-causing agents. These animals should be kept as far away from your home as possible to ensure good health. You can contact an exterminator to help you control rats.

Wasps

Wasps do not spread diseases, but they sting. The sting can be fatal to a person with a weak immunity. The viciousness and aggression of wasps is the reason they are categorized as insect pests. As such, they need to be controlled because an infestation would make your home inhabitable.

Wasps do not cause harm until you provoke them. When provoked, wasps sting multiple times. They are especially dangerous to people who are allergic to their sting. If a wasp or bee stings an allergic person, they can die within a few minutes. Therefore, it is essential to keep them away from your home. Make sure that you remove wasp nests or colonies as soon as you find them.

Methods Of Pest Control

The following are the most popular methods of pest control:

• Biological pest control
• Mechanical pest control
• Physical pest control
• Trap cropping
• Poisoned bait
• Field burning
• Use of pesticides

Ancient Methods Of Pest Control

Ancient Egyptians used pest-destroying animals to protect themselves from the ill effects of pests. For example, they used cats to control mice. This method is still used today to keep rats away from fields and houses. It is an excellent alternative to some expensive pest control methods.

Modern Methods Of Pest Control

Modern pest control techniques include the following:

Biological Pest Control

Biological methods of pest control are popular among exterminators because they are natural and quite effective. They can reduce the number of pests without causing side effects to the environment.

Biological control includes addition of certain pest-killing bacteria into water. This water can kill insects, but it is still safe for humans to drink. The primary purpose of using biological methods is to kill harmful species without impacting human health.

Mechanical Pest Control

Mechanical pest control methods include devices, machinery, and equipment to eliminate troublesome or harmful pests. The most common technique under this category, and one used a lot by farmers is creating a barrier between plants and the problems. This barrier acts as a protective layer that keeps pests out. This method is used in commercial pest control.

Mechanical pest control is quite similar to physical pest control. In this method, the pest managers attack pests prevent them from multiplying and spreading further. Thus, they help avoid further destruction of plants.

If you want to protect your property from unwanted invaders, your primary goal should be to remove that would encourage them to spread. Such things include heaps of garbage, standing water and other useless items.

Field Burning

Field burning is a traditional method of controlling the spread of pests. In this method, a field is burnt completely after harvest. This removes any remains or dead bodies of pests present at that place. This method also eliminates all pest eggs from the field, so there is no chance of harmful pests regrouping, multiplying and causing destruction. This type of pest control management is very efficient as it eliminates pests completely.

Trap Cropping

Trap cropping is a creative method of controlling pests. In this method, a plant is grown in the field and its job is to attract harmful pests towards itself distracting them from other valuable plants. Once the pests gather around the plant, it becomes easier for pest managers to control or kill them.

Pesticides

Integrated pest management is an effective and environmentally sensitive method of pest management. It involves a combination of logical and common-sense practices. This method uses data about the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment to control their spread.

It involves controlled use of pesticides, which is why it is considered one of the best examples of integrated pest management and control. Pesticides work best for controlling commercial pests at places where all other methods fail. The use of pesticides is common, and anyone can adopt it.