Pest Control Irving TX is the effort to keep harmful insects, animals and plants at a tolerable level. This usually involves a combination of methods.
Mice, rats and other rodents are common pests that need control in residential and commercial settings. They damage buildings, furnishings and food processing equipment and spread diseases such as hantavirus and salmonella.
Pests can cause damage to gardens, crops and structures. They also can carry diseases that threaten human health, such as those caused by cockroaches, fleas, mosquitoes and hornets. They may also damage or contaminate food and other products, such as grain, fruit and vegetables. Pests can be costly to control and the damage they do can have a negative impact on our quality of life.
Prevention practices include physical and biological controls. Physical pest control includes creating barriers to pest entry into buildings or gardens and eliminating their breeding sites. This can include placing traps and bait stations to catch and kill pests, or removing their nests. Cleaning up clutter can help prevent pests from entering homes or buildings, and caulking cracks and crevices can provide further protection. Keep trash receptacles closed, and do not pile up leaves or debris where pests might hide.
Biological pest control uses predators, parasitoids and pathogens to manage insect pests. These organisms are natural enemies of the pests, and they can be released in small, repeated batches or in a single large-scale release. They can also be grown in the laboratory and introduced to the field, and they can form part of an integrated pest management program.
In a landscape, weeds are considered pests, and methods to control them can include mowing, herbicides, mulches, crop rotation, cultivation and water management. The goal is to minimize reliance on synthetic chemicals, which can have a negative impact on the environment.
Monitoring and scouting involves searching for, identifying and assessing the numbers of pests and the damage they are causing. This information helps determine whether a pest can be tolerated or is serious enough to warrant treatment, and which biological, physical or chemical techniques are best. Threshold levels are established based on the biology of the pest, environmental factors and injury level.
Chemical pesticides are used to kill or repel the targeted pests, but they often have side effects that can be harmful to people and other living things. When using pesticides, always read and follow label directions. Rotating pesticides or using non-chemical alternatives can help reduce the development of resistance to pesticides.
Suppression
Suppression involves reducing pest populations to a level where they no longer cause unacceptable harm. Once the threshold is determined, monitoring and control practices can be used to keep pests below that threshold.
Monitoring means checking your field, garden, landscape, building or other site to see what pests are present and how much damage they have caused. This information can help you determine whether a pest should be tolerated, controlled or eradicated. Correctly identifying the pest is important to selecting the best management strategy.
Pests often need to be controlled in order to preserve the integrity of crops, forests and other natural resources. Pests may also pose health and safety problems. For example, rodent droppings can spread diseases, while fecal matter from mosquitoes and other insects can irritate skin and lungs. Pests can cause aesthetic damage, such as gnawing, leaf stripping and tainting; they may contaminate food (such as grains or vegetables) or spoil personal items (such as clothes).
Many kinds of organisms naturally control pest populations. Predators and parasites, such as birds, reptiles and fish, feed on or kill some pest species. In addition, pathogens, such as nematodes and disease-causing microorganisms, can suppress some pest populations.
Weather conditions affect pest activity and reproduction, sometimes directly and other times indirectly. For example, drought, freezing temperatures and rain can limit a pest’s ability to survive or reproduce by killing its host or restricting its water supply. In addition, landscape features, such as bodies of water and mountains, can restrict pest movement.
Physical controls, such as barriers, traps and nets, can prevent pests from entering an area. These controls may be temporary or permanent. For example, you can put out traps for raccoons or possums to catch them before they can get into your house. You can also make sure that windows and doors are tightly closed. Regular inspections of exterior walls, foundations and roofs can help you spot cracks or openings that can let in pests.
Chemical pesticides, such as sprays, dusts and baits, can be used to kill or repel specific pests. These chemicals are generally regulated and used by professionals.
Eradication
In outdoor pest control, eradication is rarely the goal. The more common goals are prevention and suppression. However, in some cases, such as when a pest has been accidentally introduced and has not yet become established, eradication may be feasible. This is often the case with Mediterranean fruit fly, gypsy moth and fire ant control programs. Eradication is a more frequent goal in indoor situations such as residential and commercial structures, schools, hospitals, food processing plants and other facilities.
Physical
Pests can cause serious damage to a home or business and lead to costly repairs or losses of income. For example, rats chewing through electrical wires can trip circuit breakers, leading to expensive repairs or even loss of power. Cockroaches, ants and termites can also destroy property and lead to costly repair or replacement costs. Pests can also spread diseases that pose a health risk to people and pets.
Chemical
Chemical pest control is a form of treatment that uses chemicals to eliminate pests or prevent them from causing damage. These chemicals can include repellents, which deter pests by making it unpleasant or dangerous to be around them, and insecticides, which kill pests. Chemicals are typically the fastest and most effective way to control pests. However, they can be harmful to the environment and humans if not used properly or if they are not the best option for controlling a particular pest.
Biological
Some pests have natural enemies that can reduce their populations. For example, ladybugs eat aphids, and by introducing more of these natural predators or parasites into an area, it is possible to control aphid infestations without using chemical pesticides. Another form of biological control is the use of microscopic nematodes, which are helpful in controlling many kinds of pests including fleas, grubs and worms.
The eradication of pests is important for protecting human health, safeguarding crops and food supplies, preserving buildings and property, and maintaining ecological balance. In addition, the long-term benefits of eradication are measured in terms of avoided infection and vaccination costs, which are a direct benefit to human well-being.
Monitoring
Monitoring is checking the presence of pests on a regular basis to determine what pests are in an area and how much damage they are causing. It is the basis for making decisions about when to begin control tactics and whether they have been successful. This practice is the foundation of most IPM programs and consists of random field inspections, the use of sticky traps, indicator plants and other scouting techniques. It allows the identification of pests, an estimation of their numbers and a comparison of their damage to that caused by a natural enemy or other environmental factor.
The most important component of the scouting process is to correctly identify the pest species, which is accomplished by examining their physical characteristics and life cycle. Accurate identification can dramatically improve a pest management program by allowing you to know exactly what you are dealing with and how it is best controlled. It also helps to differentiate between continuous pests that require constant control, sporadic or migratory pests that may need to be controlled periodically, and potential pests that do not normally need to be controlled but could become problematic under certain conditions.
Field scouting should be done on a regular basis throughout the year or growing season and should include a random inspection of all crop areas including the upper and lower surfaces of leaves, stems and flowers. It should also be performed around the base of containers that are susceptible to root disease, on tipped and hanging baskets, and in all vegetative areas of the greenhouse. It is also a good idea to start a file of labelled digital images of the insects you sample by year, season and crop so that you can refer back to these in future years to help with identification.
The most common pests in museums are vertebrates such as mice, rats, birds and fish that can soil or destroy collections. Vertebrate monitoring practices usually involve inspecting the collection areas with a flashlight, a mirror with a telescoping handle and a magnifying glass to examine nooks, crannies and behind equipment. Rodent bait stations should be inspected on a regular basis to ensure that the proper amount of bait is being consumed by rats and not scavenged by other wildlife.