Pests are organisms that spoil crops, damage property, or contaminate food. Pest control includes preventive and curative measures.

Natural controls such as weather and topography limit the distribution of many pests. Cultural practices can make the environment less suitable for pests. Chemical, biological, physical, and mechanical controls can suppress pests. Contact Pest Control Malibu now!

Identifying pests is an important step in any pest management program. When the identity of a pest is not known, it is impossible to use any control measures. Identification may be the only useful control measure in some situations. Pests often look different as they progress through their life cycle. The physical forms of a weed seedling, an immature beetle or worm, and the adult form of a caterpillar all vary from one another, making correct identification difficult.

Accurate identification is especially important when considering non-chemical methods of pest control. Using the wrong type of control may damage the target plants or harm beneficial organisms. It also wastes time and money and could put people at risk of exposure to harmful chemicals.

Pest identification is also necessary to make sure that a control method targets the pest that is causing damage. For example, if a forest tent caterpillar is damaging oak trees, a product that targets other caterpillars, such as the eastern or tobacco budworm, would be ineffective. In addition, certain species of insects have very specific host plants and will not respond to controls that are aimed at other hosts.

Once the identity of a pest is determined, it can be used to develop an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy that includes prevention and suppression. In most outdoor pest situations, prevention is the primary goal. IPM strategies focus on preventing pest populations from building to damaging levels or spreading.

In many cases, a pest can be prevented by changing the conditions that favor its existence as a pest. For example, the presence of some plant diseases is facilitated by environmental conditions such as cool, moist weather. Controls can be developed to address these conditions and prevent the disease from occurring.

In many situations, a pest problem can be controlled with non-chemical methods. These strategies can be as effective or more effective than chemical controls, and they may not require the repeated use of hazardous products. For example, earwigs and silverfish can be eliminated by removing hiding places such as piles of leaves or debris, sealing cracks and caulking holes. Similarly, phorid flies can be eliminated by swatting or vacuuming them when they are found indoors.

Pesticides

A pesticide is a chemical or biological agent used to prevent, destroy, control, or deter unwanted organisms that threaten crops, livestock, or property. Some examples include insecticides to kill insects, herbicides to kill weeds, rodenticides to kill mice and other rodents, and fungicides to kill fungi such as mildew and mold. In addition, biological controls such as sterile males or pheromones can be used to suppress the population of some pest species. Eradication of pests is rarely the goal in outdoor settings; instead, prevention and suppression are the most common goals.

The primary reason that farmers use pesticides is to save their crops from being damaged or destroyed by pests, such as insects, disease-carrying rodents, weeds, and other organisms. However, a number of problems often result from the use of pesticides.

Most pesticides are highly toxic to humans and other living things, including non-target plants and animals. They can also harm the environment, contaminate air, water, and soil, and end up in our food supply. Because of these problems, Beyond Pesticides supports finding safer ways to deal with pests.

There are many different kinds of pesticides, grouped into families based on their chemical properties or the way they act on the target organism (for example, organophosphates control pests by interfering with nerve-impulse transmissions or by blocking enzymes that regulate acetylcholine). Most pesticides have several ingredients. They can be sprayed or placed in baits, and can vary in their formulation (for example, some are fumigants that are applied as gases, while others are absorbed through leaves and then spread throughout the plant).

When using pesticides, it is important to select those that are designed for the particular pest you wish to control and follow the label instructions carefully. Also, be sure to use the least amount possible and keep them away from areas where children, pets or wildlife might come in contact with them. If you do have to use a pesticide, consider seeking medical attention immediately if any symptoms of poisoning occur. Also, it is a good idea to wear the protective clothing suggested in the label’s instructions.

Biological Control

The use of living organisms (parasites, predators, pathogens and/or competitors) to reduce pest populations is known as biological control. This is an integral part of an integrated pest management (IPM) program. It is a highly effective, environmentally benign and cost efficient alternative to the application of synthetic pesticides. The goal of biological control is to reduce the overall use of chemicals by promoting the population growth of natural enemies to the point where they suppress pests without the need for intervention.

Biological controls can be used in many settings. Farmers and growers use them in gardens, greenhouses and fields as well as in wetlands (purple loosestrife) and in forestlands and grassland restoration. In fact, many conventional pesticides are now replaced with biological pest control products (see the table below).

There are three broad ways people use biological agents to help suppress pests: conservation, augmentative and classic biological control. Conservation biological control seeks to conserve natural enemies by not disturbing their habitats, for example, leaving weeds untreated around sugarcane fields as a source of nectar for the white grubs that damage the plant. Augmentative biological control involves the manipulation of elements that favor natural enemies, for instance, digging channels to connect pools of water so predatory fish can more easily access them. The classic form of biological control is the importation and release of non-native natural enemies to establish a permanent, self-sustaining population that will keep pests below damaging or intolerable levels (see the table below).

In order to successfully use biological controls, it is important to accurately identify the pest species to be controlled. Surveys for co-evolved natural enemies in the area of origin of the pest are conducted to determine if there are any suitable organisms available. Once these have been identified, they are collected from the wild and then subjected to a rigorous quarantine process. They are then reared to high densities and released to the field (sometimes called inoculative or inundative release). Periodic releases of these natural enemies are used to suppress pests. It may take six to ten generations or more before the effect of the introduction is assessed.

Monitoring

Monitoring is the cornerstone of IPM programs and involves regularly searching for, identifying, and assessing pests, their damage, and their levels of abundance. Monitoring helps to determine a crop’s vulnerability to pests, and when treatment is necessary. It also enables the identification of control tactics that have been successful.

Scouting and other forms of monitoring can be used to determine when a particular pest is most susceptible to control methods such as pheromone traps or biological controls. Monitoring can also be used to monitor a pest’s phenological stages and movement through the field, or to measure damage levels.

Environmental conditions such as weather, food and water availability, and overwintering sites can have a significant effect on pest population dynamics. Incorporating this information into pest management models can provide early warning and help prevent or minimize pest outbreaks.

Natural enemies, including predators and parasites, can keep pest populations low. They are a vital part of the ecosystem and should be taken into account when establishing a pest control strategy. Sometimes, though, these organisms can be overwhelmed by a growing pest population and their numbers decline sharply. In these cases, it is important to recognize this and take steps to boost the population of natural enemies.

Other factors that influence pest populations include natural barriers, the presence of habitat, and available shelter or overwintering locations. Many pests have life cycles that depend on the season and their ability to feed, roost, and lay eggs. This makes it possible to predict their seasonal patterns and to establish controls that are effective at different times of the year.

Other control options include mechanical and physical controls. These are used to kill the pest directly or to make the environment unsuitable for them. This can be achieved by trapping, spraying, or excluding the pests from a site. Examples of this include mulches for weed control, steam sterilization of soil to manage diseases, and screens to block birds or insects from entering commercial greenhouses.