Pest Control West Vancouver BC, uses chemicals and other methods to manage organisms that damage crops or spoil food. Its objectives are prevention, suppression, and eradication.
Accurate pest identification is essential for developing an effective control program. There are continuous pests that require regular control, sporadic pests that need occasional control, and potential pests that can become pests under certain conditions.
Identifying the pest is the first step in developing a pest control strategy. Pest identification includes learning the pest’s life cycle and habits and determining its impact on crops or property. Pests can be insects, mites, weeds, diseases, or vertebrates. Proper identification will help you decide if pest control is necessary and which management tactics to use.
Many factors can affect pest populations, including food sources, overwintering sites, and habitat. The geographic location of your property will influence the pests that are present, with mountain ranges and large bodies of water restricting the movement of some species. In addition, natural enemies and predators of a pest can have a significant effect on the population.
A pest control technician should be able to correctly identify the type of pest problem at your property, which will allow them to develop a tailored treatment plan. In addition, pest identification helps to ensure that the appropriate pesticide is used. For example, insect pests must be identified down to the order in order to select an approved biological control agent like Bacillus thuringiensis that is effective only against certain orders of insects, such as Lepidoptera or Coleoptera.
Accurate pest identification can be difficult, especially since many types of pests look similar during different stages of their life cycles. Having access to reliable identification guides, such as those provided by your commodity or industry organization, Cooperative Extension office, or State land grant university, can be helpful. In addition, a good flashlight and an extendable mirror can be useful tools for inspecting hard-to-reach areas where pests hide or seek shelter. A magnifying lens can also be helpful for identifying insect parts, frass (excrement), or other signs of pest activity. Lastly, preventive maintenance practices can be an important part of any pest control strategy. For example, caulking and sealing cracks can reduce the entrance of some pests into your home or business. Also, regularly cleaning and storing items will make it more difficult for pests to find shelter inside or outside your property.
Pest Prevention
Pest prevention focuses on best practices that stop pests from taking up residence in the first place. It is often a less costly and more environmentally friendly approach than pest control. It involves analyzing pest trend and risk, implementing sanitation and cleaning strategies, maintenance and cultural practices to deny pests access to a product or facility. It can also include defining what the client and pest management professional are each responsible for, such as establishing a protocol to inspect incoming shipments for pests or requiring uniform cleaning that prevents employees from accidentally carrying pests into a locker room area.
Some pests can be prevented with simple steps such as removing food sources and water sources that attract them, sealing cracks and crevices to exclude them and using repellents to discourage them from entering. Other pests require more comprehensive approaches such as introducing natural enemies to reduce their population (parasites, predators, and pathogens) or altering the insect’s environment through pheromones or juvenile hormones.
When prevention methods are not enough, it’s time for pest suppression. Insects and rodents can contaminate food, damage homes and buildings, and create health problems such as asthma and allergies. Cockroaches and mice drop body parts that irritate people and pets and can trigger allergic reactions and asthma attacks in some children and adults. Their droppings and feces can worsen indoor air quality, contributing to poor indoor air ventilation.
Chemicals used to kill pests can cling to carpets, furniture and clothing and pose health hazards. If they are not properly used, they can cause asthma and other health problems in people and pets. Pesticides can also linger in the air and soil and affect surrounding plants and ecosystems.
It’s a good idea to use pesticides sparingly and only when necessary. If you must use them, read and follow the label’s instructions and safety warnings. Using baits or traps with a lower concentration of pesticide may be safer than spraying. Avoid foggers and bombs which disperse the chemicals into the air instead of targeting a specific spot, which can be dangerous to people and pets.
Pest Suppression
Once pest populations build up to unacceptable levels, they need to be suppressed or reduced. Suppression is usually a long-term goal in pest control, and it requires a combination of tactics to achieve it. Some of these tactics may require some time to take effect.
Biological control uses natural enemies (parasites, predators, pathogens) to reduce or eliminate pests and the damage they cause. It also involves enhancing the effectiveness of these natural enemies, such as by adding more of the enemy to an area or introducing new enemies that were not previously in the area.
Physical or mechanical controls are devices, machines, or techniques that physically deter pests or alter their environment. Examples include traps, barriers, fences, and nets. These are often used to prevent pests from entering homes and businesses. They may be augmented with bait stations that allow for the placement of poisons and/or attracting materials to lure pests into the traps where they will be killed or rendered inactive.
Chemical or microbial control uses bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microorganisms to destroy or deter pests. Examples include nematodes and bactericides. These are sometimes used in conjunction with other control methods, such as habitat manipulation or changing cultural practices, to achieve the desired results.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) combines prevention and suppression in a treatment plan that minimizes risks to people, nontarget organisms, plants, surfaces, and the environment. It starts with a thorough assessment of the pest problem, including identifying the pest species and their preferred environmental conditions. It then uses monitoring to determine whether the desired outcome is being achieved. If not, the management strategy is revised.
Always follow pest control product labels and use proper personal protective equipment. This includes wearing long sleeved shirts and pants, closed-toe shoes, face and eye protection, and gloves when applying any kind of pest control material. Personal safety is important for all types of pest control, but especially so when using microbial or chemical control methods. This is because these methods require handling of hazardous substances. It is best to have a professional apply them.
Pest Eradication
Pest control is the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest (any animal, plant or fungus that impacts adversely on human activities and environment). The human response will vary from tolerance, through deterrence and management, to attempts to eradicate the pest. Biological control is often a component of pest eradication programs, using natural enemies to suppress pest populations. Natural enemies include predators, parasites and pathogens. In some cases, such as when the population of a particular organism reaches pest status due to a lack of natural enemies, importing additional enemy species from the pest’s native habitat may be required.
Chemical control is the use of chemical substances to manage pests. Common chemicals used in pest control include herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides, fungicides and larvicides. Each class of pesticides has its own advantages and disadvantages. Each must be studied and approved prior to sale under U.S. laws, including the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, to ensure that they are safe for their intended use.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an ecosystem-based strategy that combines techniques such as monitoring, habitat manipulation, modification of cultural practices and the use of resistant varieties to prevent or reduce the need for chemical pesticides. The use of pesticides is restricted to situations where thresholds are exceeded, and applications are made only after monitoring indicates that they will be beneficial or at least have no negative impact on people or the environment.
Physical controls are methods that physically exclude pests from an area, or limit the access they have to food, water and shelter. Some of these controls involve trapping (using sticky cards, for example), manually removing or damaging the pests, or cutting off their supply lines. Others include the installation of physical barriers, such as fences, wire mesh or tree trunk guards. Mulch, hay and compost can also be used to exclude pests.
Biological controls are methods that use a pest’s natural enemies to control it. This includes predators, parasites and pathogens that attack the pest or its offspring, or otherwise restrict their numbers or growth. In addition, the introduction of new enemies from a pest’s native habitat can be used, as was done when importing vedalia bettles to control cottony cushion scale on California citrus trees.