Pest Control is the process of managing pests. This can be done through physical, biological, or chemical methods. For more information, click the Pezz Pest Control to proceed.
Physical methods include traps and barriers. They are typically non-toxic and best for small infestations.
Blocking points of entry is important. For example, caulk cracks and crevices around baseboards, drains, and pipes.
Insects
Insects are the largest group of animals in the arthropod phylum and the most numerous of all living organisms. They have a chitinous exoskeleton, three body parts (head, thorax and abdomen), two pairs of wings, compound eyes and a mouth.
In nature, insects live all over the world and are extremely diverse in appearance. Among them are butterflies, bees, mosquitoes, house flies, silk moths, beetles and crickets. Most insects develop from eggs, then pass through larvae, nymphs and adults to reach maturity. This process is called metamorphosis.
Many insect species are important from an agricultural standpoint because they pollinate plants, spread seeds and act as decomposers. In addition, some insects serve as scavengers and predators of injurious plant pests.
Other insects cause damage to crops or their foliage by injecting pathogens into plant tissues through the piercing and sucking action of their mouthparts or by spreading disease pathogens on their bodies. They can also carry pathogens in their feces, allowing the disease to complete its life cycle on a new host.
Because of their abundance, size and diversity, insects are essential to the health of ecosystems. Their behavior and ecology are valuable objects of scientific study, providing important information on genetics, population biology and other physiological processes. Insects are a major source of food for other animals and can play critical roles in aquatic ecosystems as grazers like mayflies, damselflies and stoneflies, scrapers and detritivores such as caddisflies and alderflies, water striders and diving beetles, and predators such as dragonflies and damselflies, backswimmers and crane flies.
Rodents
Rodents are animals that feed on plants, seeds, and other food and use their sharp incisors to destroy or damage materials such as wood and glass. They are also a significant source of diseases transmitted to humans and other animals. Rodents are prodigious breeders, and an infestation can quickly spread from one location to the rest of the property.
Rodents inhabit a wide variety of habitats, including tree holes and crevices, rock or cave crevices, burrows, mounds of cut vegetation in aquatic environments, and underground tunnel systems. They may be active all year or enter periods of dormancy or deep hibernation. Species such as rats (Rattus norvegicus) and mice (Mus musculus) breed rapidly, with litters of up to 22 offspring being produced in a single year.
To control rodent populations, sanitation is critical. Remove garbage, woodpiles, stacks of lumber and other material, and other items that provide shelter. Store foods in rodent-proof containers and dispose of trash on a regular basis. Replace dumpsters and other trash containers with those made of materials difficult for rodents to chew, and keep them securely closed.
Rodent-proofing of buildings should include the use of metal screens over vents and floor drains, tight fitting doors with self-closing latches, and caulking around pipes, windows, and door frames. In addition, rodent bait stations should be placed along pathways and entry points to structures. Bait blocks and solid rodenticides should be housed in tamper-resistant bait stations to prevent contamination by non-target animals.
Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are small, wingless insects that feed on the blood of humans and animals while they sleep. The reddish-brown creatures hide in tight spaces like behind headboards, under mattress pads and inside upholstered furniture. They’re nocturnal, but they may also bite during the day. Their flat bodies help them fit into small hiding spots and avoid being smashed by people or furniture.
Keeping high standards of hygiene and housekeeping can help keep bed bug populations to a minimum. Thoroughly washing bedding and clothing (including curtains, rugs and drapes) in hot water helps eliminate the pests and their eggs. Vacuuming and spraying common hiding areas with surface pesticides registered to control bed bugs can also help. Use only pesticides labeled for indoor use, and follow the application directions closely.
If you suspect a problem with bed bugs, call your pest control company immediately. They will examine your home for infestations and bed bug-friendly hiding places, then give you a list of preparations to make before the treatment begins. These include separating treated from untreated rooms, vacuuming the room’s seams and crevices using a nozzle attachment, vacuuming the baseboards and ceiling moldings and emptying dust containers and removing covers from stuffed furniture.
Your pest control expert will apply crack and crevice treatment in any areas that bed bugs tend to nest or congregate, such as under mattresses or along the sides of the frame. They might use spot treatment as well, spraying a concentrated dose of an insecticide in any places where the bugs are visible, such as on the corners of walls or behind headboards. They might also use deterrents, such as puffed in dusts containing diatomaceous earth. The chemical works by drying out the pests, and it’s safe to breathe when applied correctly.
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are a nuisance pest that feed on mammals and other animals, including birds and reptiles, and can spread serious diseases, including West Nile virus, dengue fever, and Zika virus. They are also known to bite humans and transmit heartworms in dogs. Mosquitoes are insects in the order Diptera and belong to the family Asilidae. They have long legs and wings, and their heads feature a proboscis for piercing and sucking.
Mosquito eggs are laid on the surface of water and hatch into aquatic larvae, commonly referred to as “wrigglers.” These worm-like larvae spend most of their lives in standing water and feed by consuming algae and organic debris in the water. As adults, mosquitoes emerge from their pupal cases and are free-swimming, breathing through tubes on their thorax.
For adult mosquito control, state and local governments typically use a combination of spraying, fogging, and coils to reduce populations. Products sold to homeowners for this purpose are called adulticides and contain ingredients such as organophosphate insecticides (malathion or naled) and synthetic pyrethroids (allethrin, cypermethrin, etofenprox, iprodione, permethrin, resmethrin, or sumithrin).
Source reduction is the most important way to control mosquitoes. This includes eliminating all standing water around homes, such as rain gutters, old tires, buckets, toys, and other containers where mosquitoes breed. Also, running fans in the house during the day can help keep mosquitoes away from residents while they are sleeping.
Flies
Flies are a nuisance pest that can also cause disease. Filth flies such as house and fruit flies feed on decaying organic wastes, which carry and transfer pathogens that cause food-borne illnesses. The hairs on the bodies of some fly species allow them to pick up and move pathogens from one surface to another, including human skin.
There’s hardly an environment or organic material that doesn’t attract fly larvae. Aquatic species breed in lakes, ponds, rivers, puddles, marshes, birdbaths and swamps. Others live in soil, fungi and plant stems and leaves, garbage and dead animal tissue. Some are parasitic, laying their eggs inside or on vertebrates such as birds and mammals, where they hatch to consume the animal’s blood or secretions.
Insecticides are generally not effective at controlling fly populations long-term. Instead, preventative measures such as cleaning up materials that attract flies, keeping uncovered garbage cans closed and using mesh screens on doors and windows are the best fly control methods.
In cases where a problem persists, professional pest control services can provide targeted treatments around the outside of your New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland or Delaware area home or business. For example, a specialist might spray exterior surfaces in areas where flies congregate (such as the doorways of restaurants or horse stables) with an EPA-approved residual insecticide that provides temporary control. These products can be found as a powder to be mixed with water, a ready-to-use liquid or emulsion, or as an aerosol.
Cockroaches
As cockroaches scavenge for food, they pick up bacteria, viruses and other pathogens on their legs and bodies. When cockroaches come in contact with contaminated surfaces, utensils and foods, they can transfer these disease-causing agents to humans.
Cockroaches are also a health hazard because they can trigger allergies and asthma in sensitive individuals. They carry substances on their bodies like feces, shed skins and secretions that can be airborne when the pests move through ventilation systems or wall voids.
The long-term control of cockroaches requires sanitation and exclusion. Ensure food containers are tight-fitting, wipe down surfaces often and remove debris from areas where cockroaches are known to hide. Install covers (escutcheon plates) over points where plumbing enters walls and caulk cracks where cockroaches can crawl through.
Apply dusts and liquid insecticides at label rates to cracks and crevices where cockroaches are known to live. Do not spray around electrical outlets, as some products may damage wires. Eliminate moisture problems by repairing leaks and ensuring damp spots are dried promptly.
Businesses like restaurants can suffer a loss of reputation and revenue when cockroach infestations are allowed to persist. These pests contaminate food supplies and preparation surfaces with bacteria and other pathogens, leading to health code violations and possible lawsuits from sickened customers. Commercial pest control specialists can develop a strategy for reducing cockroach populations that includes pest treatment, baits and sealing off potential harborage sites.