Pests can cause damage and pose a health threat. They are often controlled with baits and traps.

Some natural forces influence pest populations, such as climate and natural enemies. Other factors, such as the availability of food and water, limit their growth. Contact Pest Control Fort Worth TX now!

Prevent pests by removing their food, water and shelter. For example, cover outdoor rubbish bins and keep them clean.

Pest Identification

Pest identification is the first step in integrated pest management (IPM) and the cornerstone of good pest control. IPM includes prevention, suppression and eradication of pests in crop fields, gardens and homes using tactics that cause the least harm to people, property and the environment. IPM relies on accurate identification of pests through “field scouting,” which involves regularly searching for and identifying insect pests and their damage to crops or plants.

Proper pest identification can help reduce the amount of chemicals needed to control a particular pest. It also helps ensure that the proper control method is used to minimize harm to beneficial organisms and the environment. Different pests require different management strategies, and using the wrong methods can lead to a lack of control or even cause injury to beneficial organisms.

A number of resources are available to aid in the identification of pests including visual identification guides and online identifiers. These resources correlate physical features of a pest with its name, describing characteristics such as color and size. These guides are often curated by experts and may be found in both digital and printed formats.

Identifying pests is especially important because their appearance changes as they go through the various stages of their life cycle. In addition, many insects look similar to each other and non-pests during their immature stages. For example, immature beetles and caterpillars can look very similar.

If you are unable to properly identify a pest, contact your local County Extension Office or a professional pest management company for assistance. While there is usually a fee associated with such services, it can save time and money by avoiding unnecessary treatments that are likely to fail.

Proper pest identification can also help prevent injury to people and pets, as well as to the environment. For instance, some pests carry diseases or cause allergies. Knowing which pests are present can enable you to take steps to prevent contact and avoid exposure. It can also be helpful in determining the need for safety measures for homeowners who must perform manual control activities.

Pesticides

A pesticide is a substance or mixture of substances that prevents, destroys or controls pests (unwanted organisms that interfere with the production of food, wood products, fibers and animal feed). It may be either natural or synthetic. Organic pesticides are derived from living things and can be produced from plants or animals; inorganic pesticides are man-made and are made from nonliving material such as metals and minerals. Pesticides can be biodegradable, breaking down quickly, or persistent, taking months or even years to break down.

Pesticides are grouped into chemical families based on their mode of action or the type of pest they control. For example, the organophosphate family includes insecticides, which disrupt nerve-impulse transmission by blocking the enzyme cholinesterase, thereby depressing acetylcholine levels and paralyzing insects. Other pesticides include herbicides, which kill or suppress weeds; fungicides, which kill or suppress molds and mildews; and nematodes, which kill microscopic wormlike organisms that feed on plant roots.

All pesticides are toxic to some degree. Most cause respiratory and skin irritation; some are carcinogenic; and some have long-term effects on the environment. Most chemicals require careful handling and disposal to avoid contamination of water, soil, food or animals. The risk of exposure increases when workers fail to follow label instructions and safety precautions.

Pesticides can be formulated into liquid, solid or gaseous forms. Liquid formulations include sprays, solutions, emulsifiable concentrates and aerosols; solid formulations include dry flowables, powders, soluble granules, pellets, tablets and baits. Pesticides in gas form are called fumigants.

All pesticides must be regulated by federal, provincial and municipal governments. These regulations cover everything from registering pesticides to applying them, and they are designed to protect humans, animals and the environment from any harm that might result from the use of a pesticide. There are also special rules that govern the disposal of obsolete or unsafe pesticides.

Barriers

A physical barrier is one of the most basic forms of pest control, especially when it’s used to protect trees, plants and food crops. These barriers can be created through a variety of methods, including sticky, shield, bag, cage or copper obstacles, all designed to keep out unwanted pests. For the best results, physical barriers should be placed as early as possible in the growing season and they are most effective when paired with crop rotation.

Physical barriers can also be created around buildings to prevent termite infestations or other pests. These barriers are often sand, basaltic or stainless steel particle, or they can be chemically treated (like soil or plastic barriers). Newer technologies include elastomeric membrane barriers that can seal around foundations and other parts of buildings to prevent termite infiltration.

Some varieties of plants, wood, and animals are naturally resistant to some pests, so using these types of materials or planting a garden with pest-resistant plants can help keep the population below harmful levels. In addition, natural features like mountains and large bodies of water restrict the movement of pests.

Many pests thrive only as long as their food supply or overwintering site is available, so removing these resources can limit their numbers. Similarly, a pest’s enemies can limit its numbers by attacking it or destroying its eggs or larvae. Biological pest control uses the natural enemy system to manage pest populations, and it can be as simple as releasing ladybugs to eat aphids or as complex as introducing nematodes to destroy insects that harm plants.

These strategies can be paired with short-term tactics such as pesticides, or with long-term management techniques that encourage a healthy environment to discourage pests and their damaging activities. The key is to evaluate the benefits and risks of each tactic, use it correctly, and observe local, state and federal regulations that apply to your situation. Contact All Green Pest Control and Lawn Care in Lehi or along the Wasatch Front today to learn more about controlling pests and getting your Utah home, garden and lawn pest-free!

Traps

Many kinds of traps are used to monitor pest populations in crops. They vary in design but they all use insects’ natural tendencies and ways of moving to lure them into the traps. Some of the most common traps include sticky traps, pheromone traps, shelter traps, and mechanical traps.

Sticky traps (also called pan traps) are an inexpensive way to monitor for insects in vegetable crops. They are typically made of double-sided clear sticky tape that is available at stationery stores. These traps are effective for monitoring the presence of foliar-feeding mealybugs, soft scale insects and thrips. However, because adults of these species generally cause the most damage and are not trapped by this method, this is a poor tool for deciding treatment need or whether any action thresholds have been exceeded (see ESTABLISHING ACTION THRESHOLDS). The traps also do not provide specimens for diagnostics.

Pheromone traps use a synthetic insect attractant to mimic the pheromones emitted by a target insect and lure insects into the trap. Pheromones can be a good tool for monitoring insect infestations, but they cannot be used to decide when or where to treat a crop because each insect emits different pheromones. The number of pheromone traps needed for each crop depends on the species being monitored, the level of action desired and the presence of other predators.

Shelter traps, also called artificial cover traps, take advantage of an insect’s tendency to seek refuge in cracks and crevices. They are simple to construct with any type of container with holes drilled in the lid. The traps are placed around susceptible crops like beans, cowpeas and pigeon peas and baited with the same materials that would attract the pests.

Mechanical traps use physical barriers or moving parts to prevent pests from getting out of the trap. They can be as simple as a plastic pitfall with a funnel-shaped entrance that draws the insects inside, or they can be as complicated as an electric trap that uses low-voltage electrical lines to give crawling pests a painless shock when they touch them.