It is disgusting to see pests crawling in food preparation or serving environments and to leave them untreated means that the problem will quickly go out of control. The most basic thing is to keep an eye on even a tiny insect poking its nose into your pantry or other stocks and adopt active pest control techniques to eliminate them as earliest as you can. In this article, we will tell you about the methods of controlling pests and how you can benefit from each method.
What exactly is pest control?
This is a process that finds ways to manage the presence and existence of different types of pests and reduces their effect on the environment where they live. Many pests are dangerous for the health of human beings when they infest places, such as retail or food preparation environments and homes. But eliminating some pests from the food chains can disturb the natural balance. Therefore, it is more important to control the pest population rather than eliminate it or get rid of them altogether.
Active pest control techniques involve first detecting the presence of pests and then finding out and implementing the most appropriate solution to remove or control the pest population and make the environment safe for humans to live in.
What are the different types of pests?
Different varieties of pests can disturb the household and food environments, the three main categories are:
● Insects: The most common pest control issue faced by commercial as well as domestic premises is insect infestation. It is very difficult to control them as some insects are so small that it can take a while to identify them and by that time, they have become a huge infestation. Common insect pests are cockroaches, fleas, ants, bees, wasps, or bedbugs.
● Rodents: This is a common pest that comes into mind when people first think about pests. Rats and mice are a common pest problem that a lot of homeowners and food or catering businesses have to deal with.
● Birds and others: You may not know that birds and other kinds of animals can also be called pests and they can also pose a threat to the safety and well-being of people. Foxes and squirrels can cause serious problems in large numbers, while pigeons and seagulls are common bird pests.
What are 3 common types of pest control methods?
Many different approaches are part of active pest control, but we can categorize them into 3 main types of pest management, and we will explain them in a bit of detail here:
Physical methods
These involve trapping, killing, and removing pests by using physical barriers or pest-proofing techniques. These kill the pests or remove them, stop them from entering in the first place, or prevent them from coming back again.
The most common examples of physical pest control techniques involve these steps:
● Destroying or removing the nests
● Blocking holes, doorways, and windows
● Using temperature control methods to kill the pests
● Setting traps to catch the pests and then eliminate them from the environment
● Farming uses field burning and trap cropping as common physical methods for active pest control
What are the advantages of physical methods for pest control?
If you are using physically active pest control techniques, then you will get these benefits:
● The biggest advantage is that it doesn’t use any dangerous chemicals that could impact the environment or prove dangerous if a person accidentally comes into contact with it
● They are environmentally friendly
● These methods always prove to be effective since the pests cannot develop any resistance against them
What are the disadvantages of physical methods for pest control?
● Many people believe that trapping pests and removing them from their natural habitat is inhumane, even if you keep the pest safe and healthy
● Some of the methods trap and kill the pests and it is considered inhumane to kill rodents or larger creatures
● It may prove ineffective if you have a large infestation as you have to remove all the pests and it could take a lot of time and prove tricky and difficult
● You cannot rely on this method to stop the pests from coming back to their infestation site
Chemical methods
When a person thinks about active pest control, pesticides, and chemical sprays automatically come into their mind. This is the most widely used method for pest control to manage weed infestation and deal with different crop diseases.
Chemical pest control substances are termed pesticides and they usually poison and kill the pests on which they are used. A way to use them is to leave them in places where pests are present or they can also be combined with physical traps and physical treatment methods. Pesticides are toxic and can be extremely harmful to humans if ingested, so only qualified pest controllers should use chemical pesticides.
The two extreme chemical pest-controlling methods are ultra-volume (ULV) fogging and fumigation. The former combat insect infestation by spreading a small amount of insecticide. Whereas, the latter method is the opposite as it involves sealing a building that is infested by pests and filling it with pesticides to kill any pests present inside.
What are the advantages of chemical methods for pest control?
You can get the following benefits from using chemical methods for active pest control:
● It is very effective and is a relatively fast method to remove pests
● They are pretty quick and simple to use, with no technical techniques involved
● Using pesticides is a cheap method of pest management and for people with little pest control qualifications, there are weak substances available in the market
What are the disadvantages of chemical methods for pest control?
● Pests can develop resistance to chemical pesticides and controlling the new resistant species can become a big challenge
● If household pets and humans ingest the chemical pesticides, they can prove toxic and impact the health seriously
● If you use heavy chemical pesticides frequently, then it can leave residue on plants which leads to health issues or can even contaminate the groundwater
Biological methods
This is the oldest method still in use to control and manage pests. This method involves introducing another natural organism in the same environment. Now usually the predator of the pests would control and manage the pest population. This method controls larger pest populations that could be dangerous for humans. Moreover, it is a safe and healthy way to deal with pests.
Introducing natural predators is one of the biological active pest control methods. Whereas, another one is to introduce microorganisms on plants that protect their host species by deterring pests.
What are the advantages of biological methods for pest control?
● These methods present a long-term solution to the pest problem, suggesting that you only need to use this method once
● It is the most environment-friendly method as neither any species are removed by humans. In fact, there are none of dangerous chemicals used
● You don’t need any effort or much cost after the initial introduction of natural predators. In fact, to control the pest population the method can look after itself
What are the disadvantages of biological methods for pest control?
● One cannot rely on this method for pest control. Because we cannot tell the predator specie to act in a specific way after introducing them into a new environment
● It doesn’t wipe out the entire pest population is a relatively slow process and is unsuitable for when you need to deal with a pest infestation quickly
● It can disrupt the natural balance and food chain. Also, it can lead an infestation of the predatory organism, which you will have to remove or reduce
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should we use active pest control?
The frequency of using pest control methods depends on the type of infestation you have. For instance, in case of a one-off pest problem, you will need pest control measures a handful of times, whereas, for seasonal infestations, you will need regular pest control measures. If the initial measures fail and the pests make a comeback, then you may also need a different approach or regular measures.
What are the ways by which we can deter pests?
Keeping the place clean is the key to deterring pests and pest infestations. You should keep food in sealed containers and place them where pests cannot access them. The scent of foods is often the first attraction for pests, so keeping the food items sealed and letting no smells escape are the steps that help avoid a pest infestation.
You can deter rodents by blocking any holes in the windows, doorways, and other parts of the buildings. One useful idea can be a material that rodents cannot gnaw. And also fit pest screens over any windows or doors that you need to leave open regularly.
Why is it better to use physical methods as compared to chemical ones?
The pesticides used in chemical methods may be an effective method to control pests. But seeing their environmental impacts, they may be declared as the worst methods. It can take longer for physical methods to become fully effective. They don’t threaten the environment or any other living beings, which is a possible threat by chemical methods.
You can read:
Is it good if I do my own pest control to know how good is it to do it yourself. But Also, analyze the benefits and risks associated with it.
Summary
It is better to first examine the kind of infestation you have. In fact, search for the stage it has reached. Finally, you can then decide which pest control measure would be the most effective to deal with the situation. Acting quickly and working effectively are two of the major steps. Here, active pest control as a delay can make pest infestation worse. Again, an ineffective treatment could startle the pests and make them double in numbers very speedily.
