Pests are often a sign of an unbalanced environment, so take preventive steps to limit their numbers. Keep things clean and free of clutter that provides hiding or breeding spaces. Trim branches that hang over buildings and keep garbage cans tightly closed.

Promote the presence of natural enemies that injure or consume pests (predators, parasitoids, pathogens, rootfeeding nematodes). Use cultural controls to control pest populations. Scroll down to explore more about Facility Pest Control.

Whether dealing with insects, weeds or diseases, accurate pest identification is the first step in controlling them. A good identification provides critical information such as how the organism is affecting a crop, what it eats, its life cycle and other factors that influence its presence or abundance. Proper identification also facilitates the use of cultural practices, tools and other management strategies that avoid injury to beneficial organisms or natural predators.

Start by looking closely at the organism in question to see its physical characteristics. Look at its size, color and shape. Also, consider the time of year and what phase of its life cycle it is in. Many pests are easiest to control during a particular window of opportunity in their lives. For example, weeds are easier to kill in their seedling stage or before they bloom (annuals). Plant disease organisms may be easiest to control when they’re at their most vulnerable during the early stages of infection.

Once you’ve determined the species of the pest you’re dealing with, it’s helpful to have a reference book or online source to consult for more information. For example, if you suspect a cabbage worm infestation, you can compare your specimen to a photo of the creature in an insect identification book or on a website. If you can narrow down your results, comparing to photos of other related pests can help confirm your identification.

Once the specific pest is identified, a decision must be made whether to suppress it or eliminate it. In the case of a problem pest, suppression is a common goal because it reduces the population to a level where the damage it causes is unacceptable. For example, if an insect is consuming the leaves of your vegetables, you can choose to apply biological controls such as nematodes to kill it. These biological pesticides, like the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, work against more than 400 insect species without harming people or animals. However, they must be used precisely and at the right time in order to be effective. For this reason, it’s essential to identify the pest correctly so you can select the right control strategy.

Pest Control Methods

Choosing the most appropriate pest control method requires an understanding of the biology and behavior of the pest you are trying to manage. In addition, there are several cultural practices that can be used to limit the damage caused by most pests.

Monitoring (searching, identifying, and assessing the number of pests) is critical for all types of pests. Monitoring can be done by trapping insects, scouting for weeds and vertebrates, or by checking environmental conditions (such as temperature, moisture, and light levels).

Knowing when to initiate and maintain control strategies is key. Most pests have “windows of opportunity” during their life cycles when they are most vulnerable to control methods. For insect pests, these windows are often in the larval stage or immature nymph stages. For weeds, these windows are in the seedling or early vegetative stage.

Preventive controls reduce the number of pests at the time they are most susceptible to control. For example, removing weeds before they mature, removing or covering garbage cans and other containers that may serve as host plants for weeds, and regularly repairing torn window screens and drain screens can all prevent pests from finding shelter inside your home.

Biological controls use predators, parasitoids, or disease organisms that normally occur in nature to reduce the numbers of pests. This can be as simple as releasing ladybugs to eat aphids or as complex as spraying the soil with helpful nematodes such as the roach-eating Steinernema carpocapsae.

Sanitation controls minimize the food, water, or shelter available to pests. Sealing cracks and crevices, repairing damaged screens, and fixing leaky plumbing can help keep pests out of your house and garden. Planting flowers that are attractive to natural predators and parasitoids, or shrubs such as asters or serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis) that attract bird predators can also reduce the number of damaging insects in the yard.

Pesticides

Pests can damage crops, lawns and gardens. They can also displace native plants and harm animals and the environment. Ideally, we would prefer to eliminate the need for pesticides through preventive practices, but, when this is not possible, we should use the least hazardous chemical products to achieve our objectives.

Most pests thrive in conditions that support them and can be controlled with physical barriers or by removing their preferred food sources. Pesticides should only be used as a last resort.

The goal of pesticides is to destroy the target organism while having minimal negative effects on non-target plants, animals and the environment. While many pesticides have been improved over time, they are still not perfect and may have unwanted side effects.

Insecticides (bug killers), herbicides, fungicides and rodenticides are all considered pesticides. These chemicals are found in spray cans, powders and ready-to-use liquid formulations for home and garden use as well as in household cleaners and hand soaps. They are also available in concentrated forms for agricultural and industrial use.

When using any pesticide, it is important to follow the product label instructions carefully. It is illegal to use a pesticide for a purpose or in a manner not described on the product label.

All pesticides are poisons, and can cause health problems in people depending on the type of chemicals in the pesticide, how much is used and for how long it is exposed, and whether or not any skin is exposed to the chemical. They can enter the body through inhalation, by absorption through the skin or eyes, or by ingesting.

The potential for adverse health effects from exposure to pesticides can be greatly reduced by working with a pesticide only when necessary, keeping pesticides away from children and pets, and disposing of them correctly.

Most health problems related to pesticides are caused by improper application, not the chemical itself. Often, pesticide failure is due to an incorrect identification of the pest and/or its life cycle stage and location when the pesticide was applied. It is also important to know that not all pesticides kill all pests – some are resistant or have different life cycle phases.

Baits

Baits are an important part of modern pest control. They offer advantages over spraying and are a more humane method of controlling pests. They allow pest control professionals to treat areas where people live, work and play and reduce chemical use. They are also an effective alternative to sprays in sensitive areas such as hospitals and schools. Baits are less likely to cause cross-resistance and have lower environmental impacts.

Depending on the formulation and active ingredient, baits are available in gel, liquid and granular form. Baits have the ability to target a variety of pest species and are often used in combination with other treatment methods such as residual sprays, heat treatments or traps. They can be used on both interior and exterior surfaces and are ideal for use in urban settings where sprayed insecticides can have unintended effects on the environment.

The effectiveness of a bait depends on several factors including the amount of active ingredient ingested by a pest. This can vary due to differences in the susceptibility of a pest, feeding patterns, developmental stage and even strain. Transfer effects are also a factor. One study showed that cockroaches fed on a cockroach bait containing abamectin had the potential to transfer it to other cockroaches via trophallaxis (i.e., transfer by feeding or grooming).

Liquid and gel baits are easily transported in a hand-held applicator and can be applied directly to infested surfaces or in bait stations. Typically, they require more frequent application than other methods. Baits can be dusted into wall voids, attics and crawlspaces to gain control of pests in these tight spaces. Alternatively, they can be placed in a bait station such as a BaitPlate or D-Sect IPM Station and then applied to the surface of the wall or in a crawlspace.

Granular baits are also easily transportable and can be applied in many places where pests forage such as mulch beds, grass and ground cover vegetation and under decks. They can be used in addition to pyrethroid or neonicotinoid sprays without creating cross-resistance. Granular baits are weather resistant, don’t lose efficacy in wet environments and have low PPE requirements.