Pests are creatures like mice, rats, ants and roaches that spoil or damage property. They can also carry diseases that threaten human health.
The goals of Pest Control In Bakersfield is prevention and suppression. There are many methods of preventing pests, and some are more effective than others. Look for companies that use IPM techniques.
Ideally, the goal is to prevent pests from becoming a problem in the first place. That’s why preventing infestations is the first step in any pest control strategy. Preventative measures include reducing the presence of attractants, modifying environment conditions and using traps and other methods to lure pests away from a site. Prevention also includes identifying and addressing entry points into buildings, such as holes in walls, doors and windows, loose siding, or utility lines. IPM focuses on avoiding the use of pesticides and other toxic substances whenever possible. Pesticides are used only when monitoring reveals they are needed, and only in the form and quantity required to be effective. This approach minimizes risks to human health, beneficial organisms and the environment.
All pests need food, water and shelter to survive and thrive. Removing attractants can dramatically reduce the number of pests at a location, and keeping living areas clean helps eliminate food sources. It is a good idea to keep trash bins tightly closed, and to recycle only in sealed containers. It’s important to take out garbage regularly, and to be aware of your local waste collection days so that you do not overfill your bins. Removing rotting woodpiles, clearing brush and keeping grass cut low can help deter rodents from entering buildings.
Pests are a nuisance to people, but they can also cause property damage and even pose health hazards. They can transmit diseases and damage plant life, as well as cause allergies. In addition, they can be a fire hazard when chewing through wiring. The most common pests are insects, rodents and fungi.
Fungi are organisms that grow in damp areas and eat organic matter, releasing dangerous bacteria and making people sick. Rodents and cockroaches can carry Salmonella and other bacteria that cause disease, and rodent droppings can contaminate surfaces. Insects bite and can spread diseases, and mosquitoes can be a major nuisance for hotel guests.
Some natural forces affect all organisms, causing populations to rise and fall. Monitoring is essential to detect these changes, and to determine whether pesticides are necessary. Often, when a pest population reaches unacceptable levels, suppression rather than eradication is the appropriate course of action. This involves lowering the number of pests to a level acceptable for humans and the environment, with a combination of monitoring, preventative measures and, when necessary, pesticide applications.
Suppression
Some natural forces cause pest populations to rise and fall without specific intervention from humans. These include climate, natural enemies, physical barriers, and availability of food, water, and shelter. Human intervention may also be used to modify the environment so that it is more unsuitable for pests. This is often called “suppression”.
The goal of suppression is to reduce the numbers of pests below levels that cause economic damage. In general, this means reducing them to as few individuals as possible. It is usually accomplished by a combination of control methods, including tolerance, deterrence, and management. Biological control (the use of natural enemies) is an important component of any control program.
Biological control includes the use of predators, parasitoids, and pathogens to limit pest populations. These organisms are generally considered to be safer than chemical pesticides and to have a more benign environmental impact. They can be conserved or released (if legal and approved) to manage pests in crops and in the landscape. For example, the release of a parasitoid that attacks and kills a pest can be very effective in reducing crop losses. The conservation of natural enemies is also very important for the overall health of an ecosystem.
Other pathogens, such as fungi that infect and kill insects, are also used to suppress pests. Entomopathogenic nematodes, for instance, are an important tool for managing many soil insect pests in orchards and greenhouses. These nematodes are not considered to be dangerous to humans or plants and are available as a commercial product.
Traps, screens, fences, and other devices that can prevent or intercept the movement of pests are also commonly used. Pheromones, which are naturally-produced chemicals that attract and direct insect behavior, can also be used to monitor or control pest populations. The use of pheromones to lure male insects into traps to interrupt mating can reduce pest numbers.
The goal of any control strategy should be to minimize the use of pesticides, especially synthetic chemical products. This is known as integrated pest management, or IPM. A grower should only use a control method that can achieve the desired results with as little risk to himself, his employees, his equipment, and the environment as possible. This will help reduce costs and increase safety.
Eradication
The eradication of pests may require the use of fumigation, which is a method for sterilizing an area to remove all of the organisms that are dangerous or undesirable. Fumigation is generally performed by professional pest control companies that are licensed and follow industry safety guidelines. This method is often used to eliminate wood-destroying pests and other organisms that cannot be killed by other methods, such as fungi and stored product pests. It is also used to eradicate disease-causing organisms, such as fungi and bacteria.
This term is derived from the Latin word for pull up by the roots or uproot. The eradication of pests is an ambitious goal that requires coordinated efforts at the community, regional and global levels. The success of an eradication program is dependent upon a variety of factors, including host resistance to chemicals and/or vaccines (as in the case of malaria or guinea worm), nonhuman hosts that allow the microbe to survive (such as a reversion of the polio virus), and political problems and civil strife that prevent the execution of control measures (as seen with the attempt to eradicate poliomyelitis).
Physical removal of pests, such as trapping or hand-picking, can be effective for some types of pests, particularly rodents. However, it is often time-consuming and labor-intensive and may not be the most effective approach to controlling larger infestations. It is also sometimes viewed as inhumane, especially when a large number of animals are removed from the environment.
Chemical pesticides are a common method of control, and include herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. These substances affect the nervous system, metabolism or reproduction of a targeted pest, usually by killing it or repelling it. When used correctly, they can be a very effective tool for preventing and controlling pests, but they must be selected carefully and applied appropriately to avoid harming pets and people.
Whenever possible, it is better to use non-chemical methods of pest control. If these are not sufficient, a licensed pesticide can be applied to a targeted area. Always follow the label instructions for application and use the minimum amount required. Before applying a pesticide, take steps to remove food, cooking utensils and other personal items from the area to be treated. Be sure to ventilate the room during and after treatment, and leave the house while surface sprays are in effect. Be sure to choose a pesticide that is specifically designed for the target pest, and use it only where necessary.
Monitoring
Whether pests are causing damage or simply being a nuisance, they should be monitored to ensure that they do not reach unacceptable levels. Monitoring is an integral part of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) tactics and includes checking or scouting for pests, determining their level of infestation and understanding how control options can be used effectively.
A monitoring plan includes a routine inspection of the facility with a trained professional. The results of the inspection allow pests to be identified, their activity level assessed and site history built. It also helps to anticipate problems and develop preventative actions that will reduce the chance of a problem occurring.
Regularly inspecting and servicing devices for pests such as sticky boards, fly traps, pheromone traps and rodent bait stations is important for a proactive IPM program. These devices may need to be re-wound or reset, cleaned, provided with fresh bait and even moved to new locations within the plant. Technology has enabled some mechanical traps to have sensors attached that will send immediate notifications, including text and email, if the device needs attention. This allows a technician to quickly respond and address the issue, rather than waiting until the device is checked on the next service visit.
The frequency of inspections and the type of devices will depend on the level of infestation and the types of pests. For instance, a food business may be required to monitor for a number of pests, such as flies and rats, on a continuous basis due to public health regulations. Other pests may be monitored on a more periodic basis, such as nematodes in the soil that are an issue for many growers and can be detected by examining the plants for small holes.
If pests are found and their numbers exceed an action threshold, control tactics must be initiated to eliminate them or prevent their buildup. This phase should be based on non-chemical methods first, with a plan to move to chemical treatments as a last resort. An evaluation of the effectiveness of control measures should be undertaken after treatment to determine how effective they were and when they may need to be repeated.