Pest Control Coquitlam BC involves reducing the number of organisms that cause unacceptable harm. This is usually done through prevention, suppression, and eradication.
For example, a homeowner may try to prevent cockroach infestations by eliminating food and water sources and sealing entry points. Suppression techniques may include pheromones or juvenile hormones (natural insect chemicals that keep immature pests from developing into normal adults). Eradication methods include vacuuming, spraying, and dusting.
It’s important to accurately identify pests, whether they are insects, plants, or microorganisms because their characteristics influence how and when control actions are applied. Knowing a pest’s life cycle, food preferences, habitat requirements, and damage-causing potential helps prevent mistakes that lead to unnecessary treatment or off-target impacts.
In addition, a better understanding of a pest’s biology often improves management tactics, as it helps the pest management professional discover and act on weaknesses in the pest’s behavior or life cycle. For example, some pests experience “windows of opportunity” when they are most vulnerable to control, such as weed seedlings or immature insect species.
Proper identification is also a vital first step in practicing integrated pest management. Many pest problems can be controlled with non-chemical strategies such as sanitation, managing moisture, vacuuming and sealing off points of entry, proper firewood storage, and using dehumidifiers.
Species identification may involve:
- Careful examination of physical specimens.
- The use of keys or other resources.
- Even sending samples to specialists for identification at federally funded labs.
In addition, specialized digital imaging technology allows PPQ personnel to photograph suspect organisms and send them electronically for identification by national specialists.
Many pests change their appearance with each stage of development, or in response to environmental conditions, making correct identification difficult or impossible. For example, a weed seedling can look very different from an established weed, and an insect can go through dramatic changes as it develops from an egg to nymph to adult.
Scouting and monitoring are the best ways to identify pests, and determine whether or not a problem exists, and if control is needed. This should be done regularly, anywhere from daily to weekly, depending on the environment and the pest. Inspect a site or property along a predetermined route, checking for signs of pests and taking note of what you find – such as soiled spots, egg masses, larval nests, and more. Having the right equipment on hand will make these inspections easier and more productive. For instance, a flashlight and an extendable mirror can be very useful tools in examining hard-to-reach areas such as under leaves or behind equipment.
Prevention
Pest control begins with prevention, reducing the need for more-aggressive treatment methods. This involves inspecting and modifying the environment, such as using screens on windows, caulking cracks or filling holes where pests might enter the structure. It also includes sanitation and preventing the overproduction of plant material that attracts pests. These steps are part of an overall strategy called Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which is an effective way to manage pests and minimize the use of chemical pesticides.
Several ways to prevent pests include physical controls, such as traps, baits, lures, and physically repellents. These devices are usually aimed at specific pests and are designed to kill them or stop them from advancing to the next stage of their life cycle. Screens, floating row covers, mulches and physical barriers also block some pests. Other types of physical controls are alterations of the environment, including changes in soil temperature, moisture and sunlight.
Certain plants are attractive to pests, while other crops are not. Irrigation, proper watering, fertilizer application and plant variety can all reduce the attractiveness of a crop to pests. Another type of preventive control is the use of natural predators and parasites to keep pest populations below damaging levels. Birds, reptiles, fish and mammals all feed on pests or their eggs. Fungi, bacteria and viruses also suppress pests.
Scouting and monitoring are important for pest control because they provide information about the conditions that cause a problem. A pest infestation may be caused by weather, a change in food sources, or a fungus that has become too abundant. The amount of damage caused by a pest will determine whether or not control is required.
A pest that is just a nuisance does not require action. However, if a pest is causing serious damage or posing a health hazard, it should be controlled.
Homeowners can help prevent pests by taking a proactive approach, such as cleaning up spilled food or garbage, and keeping counters and shelves clear of clutter. Homeowners should also store food in containers with tight lids and place garbage out regularly. Finally, a regular deep cleaning of the kitchen can help banish odors that attract pests and can eliminate potential breeding areas for them, such as trays of fruit left out on the countertop or unwashed dishes in the sink.
Suppression
The goal of suppression is to reduce pest populations to levels below those that cause unacceptable damage. This can be done by a variety of methods, including physical, biological and chemical control agents. The process is most successful when it starts at the prevention stage, when pests are few and far between. Preventive practices include monitoring, scouting, trapping and pheromones.
Monitoring is the regular search for, identification and assessment of insect, plant-parasitic or weed pests. It is usually done by scouting and can be done in fields, greenhouses or yards. Generally, scouting involves searching for and identifying the pests and recording their numbers. Observations are then used to determine whether or not an action threshold has been crossed and, if so, when control is necessary.
Some crops, plants or structures are naturally resistant to pests, meaning they can tolerate a certain level of damage before suffering serious harm. This can be due to chemicals in the host that repel or inhibit pests, the presence of pheromones that confuse males or prevent mating and the physical characteristics of the host that make it difficult for pests to attack.
Another way to suppress pests is by enhancing the activity of naturally occurring organisms that prey on them. These are known as natural enemies or natural control agents. Some of these can be found in the environment and some must be augmented through the purchase and release of new ones. Natural enemy augmentation is often done as a preventive measure in which small amounts of natural enemies are released to establish themselves and provide mortality before the pest population reaches damaging levels.
Fungi are commonly used as biological control agents for reducing the populations of insects and to some extent, weeds. They work by invading the cuticle of the pest, releasing special substances that penetrate into cells and kill the insect. In addition, they can disrupt the metabolic activity of the insect.
Another method of biological control is through nematodes that serve as natural predators for many insect pests. These multicellular roundworms are referred to as entomopathogenic nematodes or simply nematodes and are associated with bacteria that cause them to be harmful to insect pests. For more information on these beneficial organisms and ways to conserve them, refer to Extension fact sheet EEP-7670, “Detection, Conservation, and Augmentation of Naturally Occurring Beneficial Nematodes for Natural Pest Suppression.”
Treatment
When pests cause damage, treatment may be necessary to prevent further loss or to recover from the problem. Pests that damage wood, textiles, food, or other parts of the home or business can be controlled by treating the infested areas. Depending on the pest, treatment may involve spraying, baits, traps, or physical removal. Treatment can also include preventative measures such as soil amendments or mulching.
The goal of pest control is usually not eradication, but rather keeping the population below the desired level. Eradication is often difficult to achieve in outdoor situations, but it can be successful in enclosed environments such as homes, hospitals, offices, and agriculture facilities. When a particular pest is first introduced, eradication efforts are often supported by government agencies. For example, Mediterranean fruit fly and gypsy moth control programs are examples of government-supported eradication efforts.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an approach that combines the appropriate pest control tactics into one plan to reduce pests and their damage to an acceptable level. Typical pest control tactics are host resistance, biological control, cultural control, mechanical control, sanitation, and chemical (pesticide) control.
Host resistance is the ability of a plant to resist infection by a pathogen or insect predator. This is usually the most effective long-term pest control strategy.
Biological control refers to natural enemies that reduce pest populations through predation, parasitism, herbivory, or competition. These enemies can be introduced from outside the area, bred in the laboratory and then released, or augmented by introducing other organisms that naturally occur in the environment, such as pheromones or juvenile hormones.
Cultural controls reduce the availability of food, water, or shelter to pests. This includes avoiding overwatering, which can lead to root disease. Sanitation practices can help reduce pest problems by increasing the frequency of garbage pickup and reducing food sources and places where pests can hide.
Microbial pest control uses bacteria, viruses, or fungi to suppress insect populations. These organisms are sprayed or applied to the soil and kill insects when they ingest them. This form of control is very specific and may only be effective against particular pests.