Pests can contaminate food, cause damage to property and worsen health conditions such as asthma. They are also very difficult to get rid of once they enter a house.
Pests generally find their way into homes looking for food, water and shelter. To reduce the risk of pest infestation, make sure doors and windows are shut securely and keep the garden free from clutter.
Pest Identification
Accurate pest identification is the first step in developing a sound pest control strategy. At a minimum, key insect pests should be identified to Order so the appropriate cultural practices can be applied and the best, most economical biological insecticides used if required.
Vertebrate Jodhpur Pest Control Services can be a nuisance or health threat, destroying crops and personal property (like rodents) or carrying diseases that threaten people and other animals (like mosquitoes and ticks). Many can trigger allergic reactions or sensitivities, like bees, wasps, mud dauber wasps and cluster flies. Others contaminate food and spoil personal items, like ants and pine seed bugs.
Many of the same tactics used to identify insects can be used to narrow down potential vertebrate pests, including damage, tracks and droppings. This online tool can help you identify some common pests in California.
Pest Control Methods
Physical methods include removing or destroying nests, blocking holes in walls and doorways, and changing the environment to prevent pests from thriving. Some examples are reducing food and water supplies, keeping compost piles covered, using pheromones and juvenile hormones, and controlling temperatures to kill or slow growth of pests.
Integrated pest management, or IPM, is an approach to managing pests that considers all available options. It starts with monitoring and correctly identifying the pest. This information helps determine whether the pests can be tolerated or if control actions are needed. It also allows for the use of pesticides in a manner that minimizes risks to people, beneficial organisms, and the environment.
IPM programs often rely on scouting and monitoring to identify pests and assess their damage. This may involve walking a route daily and looking under leaves, in crevices, or at bait stations.
Pesticides
Pesticides are chemicals that kill or control unwanted plants, insects, weeds, rodents, mildew, germs and more. They come in spray cans, crop dusters, household cleaners and even hand soaps. There are biodegradable pesticides that break down quickly in the environment, and persistent (or systemic) pesticides that take months or years to break down.
Often, pesticides are designed to affect only one specific kind of pest. However, they may also harm “non-target” organisms — such as birds, wildlife, honeybees and aquatic ecosystems. They can also negatively influence human health, from short-term exposures like headaches and nausea to chronic impacts such as cancer, reproductive harm and immune system disruption. When using pesticides, always follow the instructions on the label! Using more pesticide than is recommended can cause poisoning. Acute exposures can cause symptoms such as changes in heart rate, muscular weakness and twitching, constricted pupils and rashes or burns on the skin. Chronic exposures can lead to respiratory problems and neurological damage including brain and nerve disorders.
Prevention
Pests like rodents and cockroaches can carry and transmit diseases, cause allergies and asthma, contaminate food and even damage property. Preventive pest control services can reduce the risk of health hazards and property damage.
The goal of preventative pest management is to stop pest infestations before they occur, preventing the need for treatment and saving time, money and hassle. Regular inspections of a home or business, focusing on entry points and conditions that attract pests, can identify problems. These problems may include wood piles or debris, cluttered storage spaces and loose siding or roof areas.
Sanitation practices, habitat modifications and limiting the availability of food and water can also help. Biological methods, such as the use of natural enemies, parasites and pheromones can also be used to reduce pest populations. Many of these methods are not effective on their own, but are most successful when used with other pest control tactics. Natural forces, such as weather and the environment, impact all organisms, including pests, and can help or hinder their control efforts.