Pests damage plants, crops and buildings. They can also transmit diseases such as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, leptospirosis and plague.

Pest control strategies include prevention – keeping pests from developing; suppression – reducing the number of pests to an acceptable level; and eradication – killing off an entire pest population. Contact Treasure Valley Pest Control now!

Whether an insect, disease, weed or vertebrate animal, correct pest identification is critical to the success of any pest control effort. Proper identification allows you to determine the need for control and select an appropriate integrated pest management (IPM) strategy. Identification also helps you determine the best methods to control the pest, including cultural practices, mechanical controls, physical barriers, and chemical applications.

Many pests leave characteristic damage to the host plant or have other distinguishing features that help you to identify them. You can also find information in printed or online pest identification guides that help you to identify the specific species. In addition, most pests have certain weak points or windows of opportunity when they are more vulnerable to being controlled. For example, insects may be easiest to control during the immature life stages or when they are newly emerged from eggs (annuals), or weeds may be easier to control when they are young and seedlings or in early vegetative growth phases (perennials).

If you have trouble identifying the pest that is infesting your garden, contact your county Extension office or a professional pest management company for assistance. They can provide information about the pest and its habitat requirements, time of occurrence, and other important characteristics.

A flashlight – Pests often live or seek shelter in dark, secluded areas where they are difficult to see. A flashlight with a telescoping handle can be especially helpful for inspection behind equipment and furniture where pests are often found. Magnifier – A magnifier is very useful for examining insect parts, frass (excrement) and other evidence of pest activity. It is also helpful in locating points of entry, sanitation deficiencies and maintenance problems.

A good, quality pest identification guide that includes photographs can be a valuable reference tool in your fight against pests. These guides can be found at most bookstores and garden centers and some come with a pocket-sized magnifying lens for quick, easy identification of pests. They also offer tips for control of common pests such as cockroaches, houseflies, cluster flies and ants.

Pest Prevention

Pests can bring health, safety and sanitation concerns into homes and businesses. They can also cause structural damage, destroy food and spoilage, trigger allergic reactions and sensitivities, and carry and spread disease organisms. The best course of action is to prevent pests from entering the premises in the first place.

A preventive approach to pest control defines what clients are responsible for and what the pest management professional is responsible for with regard to sanitation, maintenance, cleaning, cultural practices and other areas that contribute to pest problems. It is usually less expensive than dealing with a full infestation.

Many factors influence the growth of a pest population, such as natural enemies, weather and food availability. Some natural barriers, such as mountains or large bodies of water, limit the movement of pests. The availability of shelter and roosting sites influences the number of pests, as do the presence of overwintering grounds. The life cycles of many pests restrict their populations and make them vulnerable to control measures that interrupt those cycles.

In many cases, natural predators or parasitoids can reduce a pest population without the need for chemical controls. Examples of these are lacewings, lady beetles and robber flies. Insecticides may be used in a limited way to enhance these natural controls.

A good pest prevention program starts with a thorough inspection of the property, including the structure, surrounding grounds and buildings. A flashlight and a magnifying glass are useful tools for inspecting dark, secluded spots where pests hide and breed. A telescoping mirror allows the inspector to check under and behind equipment and furniture.

The inspector should also take note of what makes the area attractive to pests. Woodpiles, weedy areas, compost piles and piles of debris can provide food, water and hiding places for pests. Regular weeding and trash removal can help keep pests away from the house. Gutters should be cleared of leaves and debris, and the roof should be checked for leaks or openings.

Indoors, the house should be vacuumed and washed regularly with hot water to remove dust and mites. Beds, rugs and pillows should be washed to rid them of fleas and bedbugs. Kitchens should be kept clean and food stored in sealed containers to avoid pest attraction.

Pest Control Methods

Once pests gain a foothold in your home, garden or yard, it’s only a matter of time before they start doing damage and creating health risks. That’s why preventing their spread is so important: pest infestations that are allowed to get out of control can quickly snowball into serious problems, such as structural damage or even serious illness for people and pets.

There are several ways to determine if pest control is needed:

Preventive methods include denying the pests the food, water or shelter that they need to survive and reproduce. For example, removing all possible sources of food for insects, such as keeping garbage in tightly covered containers and fixing leaky faucets, helps keep their numbers down. Mulching around plants deprives weeds of the sunlight they need for germination, and eliminating moisture sources can prevent fungal diseases in leaves.

Physical or mechanical control methods use traps, screens, fences, barriers and other devices to physically block the pests or alter their environment. For instance, tin foil can be used as an effective barrier for many ant species. Physical traps, netting and decoys are also common pest control tools.

Chemical pest control uses solutions, such as repellents and insecticides, to kill or deter the pests. These solutions are typically faster-acting than preventive measures, but they may pose health and environmental concerns when used incorrectly or in excess.

Biological pest control uses organisms that are natural enemies of the targeted pest, such as predators and parasites. Biological controls are less invasive than chemical pesticides and can be more cost-effective, but they still take some time to work. Examples of biological pest control include nematodes, such as the cockroach-eating bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, which can be sprayed to kill caterpillars, and biostimulants, such as organic compost. Fumigation is another chemical pest control method that involves sealing and filling a building with special gases to completely eradicate pests. Eradication is rarely attempted in outdoor settings, but it’s an option for indoor spaces such as food processing and storage facilities. Eradication is also sometimes an option for imported pests such as Mediterranean fruit flies and gypsy moths.

Pesticides

A pesticide is any substance that kills or prevents the growth of a damaging organism. It can be manufactured from natural products or from synthetic chemicals. It can be used on plants, animals or rodents. It can also be used to protect structures or products from damage. Pesticides come in many forms, including spray cans and crop dusters, liquids or powders. They can be found in your house and garden as well as on crops, in the workplace or at schools and businesses.

Over 800 different types of pesticides are registered in the United States. They are grouped into categories by the type of organism they control and by how they work. Insecticides kill insects; herbicides destroy weeds and other unwanted vegetation; fungicides kill mold and mildew; and rodenticides kill mice and other rodents. Other pesticides may modify a plant’s growth (regulators), drop the plant’s leaves prematurely (defoliants) or act as a drying agent (desiccants).

Chemical pesticides are often toxic when absorbed through the skin, inhaled or swallowed. They are often contaminated with impurities or “contaminants” that are not purposely added but are a result of the manufacturing process, such as dioxins and DDT. In addition, they may break down into metabolites that are just as or even more hazardous than the parent pesticide.

Natural and organic pesticides are based on things found in nature, such as microbes, certain minerals or plant extracts. They are usually allowed for use on organic crops. Synthetic pesticides are chemical compounds or mixtures that are designed to mimic the action of a naturally occurring substance and are generally required for conventional agriculture.

All pesticides cause harm to the environment when they are applied improperly or in excess. In addition, they can lead to diseases in humans and other animals when ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Insecticides can also be a significant contributor to the decline of pollinators, which are critical to food production, and they can create conditions that foster the growth of pathogens that threaten human and animal health. They can also contribute to ambient pollution and harm water quality.

The pest control industry offers a wide variety of treatment options. These include natural, biological, cultural, mechanical, and regulatory controls.

For example, mulching around plants can help keep them healthy and less attractive to pests. Regular trash removal with lids can reduce the likelihood of pests raiding your open bin. And reducing clutter eliminates places for pests to hide. Contact Pest Control O’fallon MO now!

Insects are generally considered to be pests when they injure or destroy crops, vegetables or fruits. But insects can also be beneficial from a human viewpoint. They pollinate plants, act as scavengers and control other pest insects. Their body parts and droppings enrich soil.

Most of the 1 million known insect species do not damage humans, buildings or crops. Some, such as honeybees and other pollinators, are considered important to our food supply. Others, like fleas, ticks and mites, cause discomfort for humans by feeding on them or spreading disease.

Pests may be controlled by destroying eggs or larvae before they mature, as well as spraying adults with insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils and neem oil, making sure that the entire surface is covered. In addition, row covers and reflective mulch can help prevent pests from entering a planting.

It takes time for most insecticides to reach full efficacy. Therefore, it is especially important to spray a pest when its population is low. This can be accomplished by examining egg clusters to determine when the bugs are about to hatch or by monitoring adults closely for signs of infestation.

Parasites kill other insects, and predators attack and consume them. The number of parasites and predators depends on the size of a pest’s population, as does the rate at which it grows. Therefore, it is very difficult to eradicate an insect infestation completely.

Nevertheless, a careful application of natural enemy organisms can significantly reduce the need for pesticides. The goal should be to keep pest numbers at a sustainable level through careful management of crops and landscapes.

Many commercially available “organic” pesticides are derived from extracts of plants or animals and do not contain synthetic chemicals. However, these products do not always provide effective control, and can be more hazardous to the environment, pets and people than conventional pesticides. In addition, they can require longer intervals between applications than do traditional insecticides. If organic insecticides are used, they must be applied as recommended in the label’s directions.

Rodents

Rodents are small mammals that make up the family Muridae, which includes rats, mice and squirrels. While rodents are important members of many ecosystems, they often become pests when they invade people’s living spaces and eat food, contaminate water, chew through wires and damage property. They also transmit diseases and act as hosts for fleas, which in turn spread rodent-borne diseases such as plague, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and salmonella. In addition, they damage crops and landscapes by digging up and eating plant roots.

Rodent infestations are a common problem for homeowners and can occur due to easy access to food, water and shelter inside buildings. Rats and mice easily crawl through openings in vents, drainage pipes and sewer lines to get indoors, where they can find more food and nesting materials. They may also chew through wires, which is a major fire risk in the home. In fact, it’s estimated that 25 percent of all house fires attributed to unknown causes are actually started by rodent gnawing on wiring.

A typical large city receives tens of thousands of rodent complaints and performs tens of thousands of inspections and baiting services each year. The most common residential species of rodent are the Norway rat, the black rat and the house mouse. These are known as “commensal” rodents, meaning that they have adapted to share the same habitat with humans, using structures for food and shelter and feeding on the same seeds and grains used in human foodstuffs.

Rodents can cause significant problems in homes, including structural damage from gnawing and burrowing. They also contaminate food with their fur and urine, destroying it, and they can transmit disease, such as the bubonic plague that killed 25 million people in Europe in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

Rodents are difficult to control because of their adaptability and prolific reproduction. They are also leery of new things in their environment and can quickly learn to avoid traps. Taking measures to reduce the attractiveness of baits and rodent droppings, such as removing them promptly and thoroughly cleaning surfaces, can help prevent them from becoming wary of traps and other controls. It is also advisable to place traps in pairs or groups, and to use several different types of traps.

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are a major problem in hotels, motels, apartments and homes. They require a constant supply of blood to grow and reproduce, which they get from sleeping people. Although they feed at night, the pests are active during the day as well, searching for a host. Their presence usually causes itchy welts and other symptoms in humans. These critters are notoriously difficult to eradicate. Their small size allows them to hide in a wide range of places, from seams and folds of mattresses to cracks in walls, bed frames and furniture. They also reside in drawers and cabinets, on door and window frames, in wood paneling and behind pictures.

Many household products, including bleach, alcohol, cigarette lighters and “bug bombs” (foggers), are ineffective against them and can actually be dangerous. Professional heat treatments are the most effective option; they destroy all stages of a bed bug and eliminate their eggs. The process is expensive and takes several hours to complete, but the results are permanent.

Cooperation by occupants during treatment is essential to a successful outcome. Bed bug treatment requires thorough inspection of rooms and adjacent areas for these mobile pests, which are often found in the crevices of beds, dressers, bedside tables and chair backs, closets, wallboards and wood framing, under loose wallpaper and in crowded rooms. Excess clutter should be removed, as this affords more hiding spots for the insects. Items that are heavily infested should be bagged or wrapped in plastic to prevent dislodging the pests on en route to a trash can or dumpster and to limit their spread.

Insecticides are generally used by professionals to manage a bed bug infestation; they are available in liquids, sprays and aerosols. The EPA’s product search tool can help you find one that is suitable for your home. Many of these products have specific instructions for use and require multiple applications to be effective, so it is important to follow the directions carefully.

Preventive measures include sealing cracks and crevices in which the pests can hide, checking luggage and clothing upon returning from a site where bed bugs may be present and washing all clothes and linens at the destination before bringing them home, and educating staff to inspect sleeping and seating areas. Some people suggest a mattress cover that keeps the pests from escaping during washing, while others advise putting shoes in an outside closet after leaving an infested hotel or hostel and decontaminating suitcases on arrival at home.

Other Pests

Other pests include those that damage crops or infest homes and other structures. Some of these pests transmit disease to people, pets or livestock. Diseases such as West Nile virus spread by mosquitoes and Lyme disease spread by ticks can be serious or even fatal. Others, like roaches and ants, cause itchy and frustrating infestations that can be difficult to get rid of without the help of an Ehrlich specialist.

There are many different ways to classify organisms as being pests, but one common approach is based on their impact on human activities. Pests interrupt normal processes such as growing, harvesting or eating and they can interfere with the function of ecosystems by disrupting the balance of populations of other organisms. Pests also pose a threat to health by spreading pathogens that can infect humans and animals with serious diseases.

Pests can be separated into groups according to their feeding habits. Defoliators that strip plants bare are one group, and caterpillars that consume entire leaves or plant parts are another. Leafminers dig tunnels into leaves and tell-tale signs of their presence include the creation of leaf galls. Another group includes gall makers that insert all or part of their bodies into plant tissue to form swollen areas, such as the alfalfa weevil and spruce gall aphid.

The Hymenoptera order contains insects that are social and live in colonies, such as honey bees, hornets, yellowjackets and wasps. Some species, however, are solitary and act as predators or parasites of other insect pests. These include parasitic bees and wasps, leafcutting bees, digger bees and stem sawflies (Borer et al, 1989). The Homoptera order includes the most important pest insects of agricultural crops such as aphids, scale insects, mealybugs, adelgids and psyllids, and the largest insects of all, the cicada.

Some solitary predatory and parasitic species are important natural enemies of crop pests. These natural enemies can be conserved to maintain their population levels or introduced in large numbers to suppress pests and reduce the need for chemical control. This is called biological control. Successful biological control involves the mass rearing of predators and parasitoids and periodic releases to the field, either on a seasonal basis or inundatively.