Pest control is eliminating or reducing undesirable organisms that damage crops, livestock, homes, or other property. This can be accomplished by prevention, suppression, or eradication.
Monitoring is the key to understanding pest populations and determining when control measures are needed. Information about a pest’s biology, natural enemies, and environment helps to decide the best control method and time of action. Contact South Shore IPM now!
Insects are a major part of the world’s biodiversity and many species play important ecological roles. Some insects are considered pests and cause damage to crops, and others carry diseases or pollinate plants. But some insects, such as predators and parasitoids, naturally control pest populations. And some, like honey bees and silkworms, provide direct economic benefits.
In fact, only a small fraction of the world’s insect population are considered pests. The vast majority are essential to ecosystems, including as natural pollinators and as prey for predators and other natural controls on pest species. For example, aphids are a serious problem in greenhouses but they are also the primary menu item for the natural predatory insects ladybugs and green lacewings. These natural predators consume aphids and other soft-bodied pests in large numbers to keep them in check, reducing the need for chemical control.
Other methods for controlling pests include releasing natural enemies into an environment to target specific pest species and maintain a balanced ecosystem. These methods can be augmented with chemicals such as pheromones and juvenile hormones. Pheromones mimic the signals of male insects to prevent them from mating, resulting in lower pest populations. Juvenile hormones help to control cyclical pests such as defoliating moths by keeping the immature pests from maturing into normal adults.
Cornell AES professional greenhouse staff use biocontrols to minimize their reliance on chemical pesticides. This approach is known as integrated pest management. It is particularly useful for controlling pests in the conservatory, which is used by students and faculty as well as the public. These biological control measures are often safer for the plants and less disruptive to the overall ecosystem than the spraying of broad-spectrum chemical pesticides that can harm beneficial organisms.
Rodents
Rodents such as rats and mice cause a wide range of problems for homes and businesses. Rodents chew and gnaw through wires, pipes, insulation, and even walls, which can lead to costly damage. They can also transmit harmful diseases, such as bubonic plague, typhus, and hantavirus. They can contaminate food and water, making it unsafe to consume, and they often leave behind unpleasant odors.
Rodents are opportunistic feeders and will eat almost anything they can find, including dry pantry goods, meats, fruits, vegetables, grain-based foods, and more. They will also eat pet food, which can make pets sick. They can also contaminate water supplies by spreading feces and urine.
They love to build nests inside homes, often in tight corners and crannies. They will drag shredded paper, cardboard, and other material into these spaces to create their nests. As they gnaw, chew, and tear at these materials, they will contaminate everything that is around them. They will also drop fur, feces, and urine wherever they go, which can cause diseases in humans.
Many people get ill after consuming contaminated food or by breathing in rat droppings and other rodent biproducts. These illnesses are usually caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites that have been transmitted by the rodents themselves or by fleas, mites, and ticks that have fed on contaminated rodent droppings.
Farmers worldwide consider rats to be one of the most important pre-harvest pests, costing them billions in lost crops every year (Prakash 1988; Singleton et al. 1999a). However, the impact of rodents has been largely overlooked in agricultural pest control. In order to develop more effective strategies, both ecological and economic dimensions of the problem should be considered.
Birds
Birds are Mother Nature’s natural pest predators. They are essential to many ecosystem services, including seed dispersal, pollination, and nutrient cycling, and help control insect populations. They are also important for human-aided pest control.
During an insect outbreak, birds can drastically reduce the numbers of insects by consuming them. This enables more eggs to hatch, more insects to mature, and less insect damage.
Swallows and purple martins are skilled aerial predators that prey on mosquitoes, flies, and fruit flies. By decreasing their populations, they protect crops from these damaging pests. Nuthatches and woodpeckers feed on ants and ant larvae, helping to control ant populations. This prevents them from invading gardens and disrupting garden ecosystems.
Birds can also help decontaminate the environment from harmful chemicals. They can be exposed to pesticides through ingestion of seeds that have been treated with these chemicals or from ingesting parasitized insects and other wildlife. They can also be exposed by sprays, such as glyphosate herbicides, and by eating or drinking water contaminated with pesticides. These exposures lead to bioaccumulation, which means that the poison builds up in the bird faster than it can metabolize it.
Over 150 bird “die-offs” have been linked to the organophosphate diazinon, which is used on lawns. The loss of these beautiful and important birds can have devastating consequences for humans and the planet. To support these important pest controllers, encourage them with food sources in your yard by setting out bird feeders and offering a variety of nesting locations. And, be sure to avoid using herbicides and other pesticides that are harmful to birds. By doing so, you can reap the benefits of natural pest control and contribute to healthy ecosystems throughout our local communities and beyond.
Repellents
Repellants are chemical products that discourage insects (mosquitoes, flies and ticks) from landing on or biting the skin. They work by interfering with the pest’s sensory receptors. These repellents may cause a physical discomfort in the pest, such as burning (capsaicin), numbing (methyl anthranilate) or swelling/fouling (lambda-cyfluromethyl – MCPP).
These products must be reapplied frequently, and often have limited duration. They are often unable to offer long-term protection, particularly in high pressure infestation situations. Generally they are less effective against social insects, such as ants or cockroaches, than individual or household pests.
A popular type of natural insect repellent is based on essential oils. Oils from lemon eucalyptus, geranium and other plants have been found to be effective against mosquitoes, as well as some ticks. These oil-based repellents are regulated by the EPA, and are generally considered safe for use when a serious bug problem exists. However, they have to be reapplied frequently, and can become ineffective if wiped off by sweat or water contact.
Other types of natural repellents are less effective against mosquitoes and ticks, but can be useful for other insects. Among them are botanical extracts such as those derived from neem and pyrethrum, which have been used for centuries in traditional pest control. Other natural ingredients such as soybean, geranium and cedar oils have been shown to be repellents. Several synthetic repellents are also available, including picaridin and DEET. These have a higher level of efficacy than some other products, and are often odorless. There are also ultrasonic devices that emit sound frequencies that can repel, confuse or injure insects and rodents. These are marketed as a non-chemical alternative to traps and baits, but the effectiveness of these is disputed by testing labs.
Chemicals
Professional pest control services use chemical sprays to kill and repel infestations of insects, weeds and rodents. They also employ a range of green and eco-friendly treatments. But, even though these solutions pose fewer risks to the environment than traditional chemicals, they are still toxic and can cause harm to you, your family and pets if not used correctly or when overused.
There are three main fate processes that determine the amount of pesticides remaining in the environment: adsorption, transfer and degradation. Adsorption is the process by which chemicals bind to soil particles, similar to how iron filings stick to a magnet. This enables them to remain close to the pests that they target. Adsorption can also reduce the impact of a spray application by preventing it from spreading into areas where it is not needed.
The transfer process involves the movement of a pesticide from one location to another. This is essential for preemergence herbicides, as they need to move in the soil to reach germinating seeds. However, this can also lead to reduced pest control and contamination of surface water and groundwater. This happens through volatilization, runoff, leaching and absorption.
Microbial degradation involves the breakdown of a pesticide by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. This can be influenced by soil conditions, as some chemicals are more susceptible to hydrolysis in alkaline conditions than others. For example, cypermethrin is highly susceptible to hydrolysis in alkaline soils and is broken down within hours in such conditions.
Chemicals can also break down by the action of sunlight or by weathering, a natural process that breaks down and removes chemicals from the environment. However, this can take a long time and may not completely remove the pesticide from the soil.
The ubiquity of insects and their plethora of ecological niches make them one of the most important groups of organisms on the planet. Insects are vital to natural systems, pollinating and recycling soil nutrients. However, insects can also damage cultivated crops and impact livestock causing food losses (pests).
