Pests can damage property and introduce harmful pathogens that lead to health concerns. They can also cause safety risks such as slippery surfaces or disease-causing droppings that can be inhaled.
Pest control involves a variety of methods to get rid of these unwanted organisms. These methods include chemical pesticides, which kill the organisms, and physical methods such as traps or barriers that block access to an area. Contact Ben’s Pest Control for professional help.
Pests are organisms that harm crops, plants, soil, turf, lawns, landscapes and wildlife or devalue property. They also disrupt natural ecosystems by displacing native species or altering environmental factors (such as soil health, nutrient content, available moisture, fire events and habitat structure) to the detriment of human uses (EPA, 2014). Even desirable species can become pests if their populations increase beyond acceptable levels.
Several species of insects including western spruce budworm, gypsy moth, and hemlock woolly adelgid experience population cycles in which the insect populations remain low for several years and then suddenly explode into large outbreaks that severely defoliate or attack the bark of the trees. When these outbreaks occur, they can kill vast areas of forest.
Pest identification is key to successful pest control. Observe the damage caused by the pest and note how it is feeding. A good magnifying lens is important to aid in the identification of small insects. A thorough knowledge of the life cycle of the pest is helpful as well.
Insects are the most commonly damaging arthropods in garden and food crop production. Many pests cause direct crop loss or interfere with harvesting, thus they are considered significant threats to agricultural yield and quality. In addition, some insects contaminate harvested foods and vegetables with their waste products, which can have serious health consequences for humans and animals.
Many plant-feeding pests have piercing-sucking mouthparts that insert into plant tissue to “suck” out fluids. These include aphids, stink bugs, squash bugs, thrips and mites. These insects often defecate a sticky liquid called honeydew on leaves, stems and fruit. This causes a dull or discolored appearance and can encourage the growth of sooty mold.
Biological pest control relies on predators, parasites and pollinators to keep insect populations at reasonable levels. Unlike chemical pesticides, which are often selectively harmful to beneficial organisms and disrupt the ecosystem, these natural enemies prey on specific pest species, thereby maintaining balanced, long-term pest control. They also offer an environmentally-friendly alternative to chemical sprays that may be prone to developing resistance in target pests and leaving toxic residues in the crop.
Rodents
Rodents are a huge problem in gardens and homes. Their insatiable appetite and inability to turn down a good nesting spot drive them to invade homes and other places where they can find food and shelter. This means kitchens, pantries, and pet food bins, as well as bird seed, compost, hay, and any other place that looks inviting. Rodents are also known carriers of different diseases, some of which can be fatal for humans.
Rodents’ strong jaws are great for chewing through food packaging, but they can also gnaw through pipes and wires to make their way inside buildings. This can leave exposed wires, leaking pipes, and other damage that could result in expensive repairs or replacements. Rodents can also carry fleas that carry the bacteria responsible for the plague outbreak in 14th century Europe (Yersinia pestis).
Rodents’ droppings, urine, and dander can all become airborne and circulate in indoor spaces, making them a threat to the respiratory comfort of people in the home, especially those with allergies or asthma. They can also trigger other health issues like inflammatory bowel disease and worsen symptoms of existing conditions such as bronchitis, emphysema, or even heart failure.
A rodent infestation is a serious issue that needs to be addressed promptly. A professional pest control service will work to keep rodents from invading homes by removing food sources, blocking access points, and installing exclusion devices. Regular inspections of your garden, yard, and roof are important to prevent rodents from finding their way in. Properly storing food in sealed containers and keeping trash cans tightly closed is another preventive measure.
The size of a property is another factor that impacts the price of pest control services, as larger areas may require more traps and bait stations to be effective. Additionally, if the pest control team is required to go into difficult-to-reach spaces such as attics and basements, this will increase the price of services. Greenix pest control professionals consider all of these factors when providing a quote. However, a homeowner can help reduce the cost of pest control services by storing food in sealed containers and keeping trash bins tightly closed.
Birds
Birds are a natural part of any garden ecosystem, but they also offer valuable aid in pest control. Birds can help control crop pest populations without any additional input of fertilizers or chemical sprays. In fact, many gardeners can see this benefit firsthand. If you’ve ever used pesticides in your yard, then you may notice that birds are less abundant than usual. Pesticides can cause plants to release scents that attract insects, and this can be counterproductive to natural pest control. Birds can still help control pest populations, however, by feeding on those insects. This can expose the insects to temperature extremes, loss of moisture and parasites that reduce their fertility and survival. For example, woodpeckers flaking bark from tree trunks can expose bark beetles to all of these factors and can kill them.
The number of bugs that can be killed by a bird depends on the species and its foraging strategies. For example, woodpeckers are particularly effective against codling moths, which eat alfalfa and other crops. Scientists have studied bird-insect interactions around the world and found that they can be important farmer allies.
One study found that farmers using no synthetic insecticides had higher crop yields than those who used all synthetic chemicals. Another study linked neonicotinoid use to a decline in beneficial songbirds in the United States.
While bird habitat conservation has long been a part of farmland management, little research has looked at how to target songbird species for their natural pest control benefits. Researchers on a New England farm found that bird species, age and day of year (DOY) had significant impacts on the frequency of pest DNA in fecal samples. But they were unable to link site, sex and breeding stage to these results, suggesting that other factors are at play.
Researchers hope that identifying the most beneficial species can help growers target habitat management for specific bird species to enhance their pest control. They are also working to understand what factors determine when birds feed on pests and when they do not, so that farmers can take these considerations into account.
Other Wildlife
Crawling or walking pests are a problem in many gardens and homes. From rodents to cockroaches and millipedes, these pests can damage food plants and other garden features. They can also pose health hazards from their faeces and droppings as well as cause allergic reactions in people. In addition to this, some crawling pests can produce venom or be poisonous – particularly spiders and centipedes.
Often, the best way to control these pests is through physical means such as trapping or deterring them. This can be done through the use of traps, netting, or a variety of repellents such as sprays and electronic devices such as ultrasonic repellers.
Other wildlife can affect pest control by feeding on or destroying them or by acting as natural predators. This is a vital part of the ecological process and is essential to balancing nature. However, it is important that humans do not overstep their boundaries and interfere with these relationships. This is why Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices are so important.
These are strategies that aim to balance the needs of both people and wildlife and include methods such as crop rotation, soil amendments, and habitat modification. The idea is to change the environment so that pests have fewer places to hide and are less likely to survive or reproduce.
Another important factor in integrating pest management is the inclusion of “natural enemies.” These are the insects, birds, and other animals that naturally control pest populations through predation and parasitism. However, their population levels are affected by environmental factors such as weather conditions, available resources, and competition with other species for resources. This makes it difficult to predict how they will respond to human activity such as pesticide application.
Some pests are more of a concern than others, for example, rodents and bird droppings can carry a number of serious diseases including salmonella and E. coli as well as contribute to asthma and other respiratory illnesses through their feathers and dander. Other pests such as cockroaches, bed bugs and clothes moths can also be a threat to health.