Pest Control Columbia MO involves preventing or eliminating unwanted organisms such as ants, rodents and cockroaches. Most pest control techniques are designed to kill, or at least make life miserable for the organisms being targeted.

Monitoring means checking a field, landscape or building to identify pests, determine their numbers and assess the damage they have caused. This information helps select the most effective management strategies.

Insects are a vital part of most ecosystems. They provide food for other organisms (including humans), serve as pollinators for plants, decomposers of organic matter, and are keystone species that shape the appearance, complexity and function of many natural and agricultural landscapes. They are also important predators and, in some cases, pest control agents. In addition, some insects transmit diseases to human beings and animals.

In order to manage insect pests, growers must first understand how the life cycle of insects works. Insects begin as eggs, which hatch into larvae, or nymphs. The nymph stage is visually similar to the adult but smaller and without wings. Once the nymph has matured, it will enter the pupa stage, which is a non-feeding period that lasts from a few days to several months depending on the insect. It is during the pupal stage that insect pests are most vulnerable to pest control actions.

Once the insect reaches the adult stage, it is ready to reproduce and continue the cycle. Insects may fly, crawl or walk to find suitable breeding sites for their offspring. Adults may be found in a variety of habitats, including fields and forests.

Some species are managed as crops for their valuable commodities, such as silk and honey. While others are considered pests and are controlled with the use of insecticides.

Because of their importance to the environment and economy, it is crucial that we take steps to minimize the negative effects of insects on our farms and communities. Achieving this goal is often a balance of integrating physical, biological and chemical methods into an integrated pest management plan. Physical methods include scouting for pests, monitoring pest numbers and selecting the right amount of action to take. It is a good idea to try to reduce the number of pests before resorting to chemicals whenever possible. For example, releasing beneficial insects like ladybugs to eat aphids is usually a more environmentally friendly option than spraying an entire field with insecticides. Also, growing healthy plants and using nutrient-rich compost can help reduce the number of unwanted pests.

Rodents

Rodents are mammals (order Rodentia) that are distinguished by a pair of prominent front teeth called incisors that grow continually. They gnaw and chew to wear down these teeth and to obtain food. The most familiar of these mammals are mice and rats. Other members of the rodent family include squirrels, voles, hamsters, beavers, porcupines and prairie dogs. Rabbits and hares, while they share some characteristics with other rodents, are in their own order of mammals (Lagomorpha).

Rodents have coexisted with humans for centuries, damaging crops, contaminating food, spreading disease organisms, creating fire hazards and causing electrical problems by chewing on wires. Some of these rodents, such as house mice and Norway rats, can live in close association with people, eating the same foods and using buildings for shelter. Such rodents are often referred to as commensal.

Many rodents also carry diseases that affect humans directly by infecting them with fleas, ticks and mites. Rats, for example, carried the bubonic plague that killed 25 million people in medieval times. Thousands of people are bitten by rodents each year, and others develop asthma or other respiratory illnesses from exposure to rodent dander, fur and urine.

To limit rodent infestations, municipal pest control programs use a combination of methods, including exclusion and sanitation. Exclusion tactics involve sealing entry points to prevent rodents from entering structures. These entry points can be cracks, crevices, gaps or holes. To reduce the chances of a mouse making its way into a building, doors should be kept closed and cleared of debris. Exterior vents and floor drains should be covered with screens or grates.

It is helpful for municipal staff to educate the public about rodents and their behavior. This can be done through presentations to schools, community meetings and neighborhood associations. The most effective means of public education, however, is to provide it proactively. This can save staff time that would otherwise be spent answering questions from the general public, special interest groups and media. A proactive program may include a telephone hotline for residents to call with questions or concerns.

Diseases

Diseases are caused by bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses that reduce an organism’s ability to feed or reproduce, or cause it to die. Like pests, diseases can be spread by direct contact between people or animals (such as bites from infected mosquitoes or handling infected animal feces), by air (such as through spores or droplets) or via water and soil (such as by drinking contaminated rainwater or scooping up infected dirt from the floor of a greenhouse). They can also be transmitted by eating infected food or plants, or by contact with inanimate objects such as glassware.

The spread of disease can be further accelerated by abiotic factors, such as poor soil quality or inadequate fertilizer levels. Some diseases are spread naturally, for example, by aphids spreading multiple plant diseases in their feeding activities or by leafhoppers and other insects carrying bacterial pathogens from field to field. Pests and diseases can often be controlled by taking preventive measures such as rotating crops, providing adequate nutrient levels, or using resistant varieties of plants, wood, or animals.

Natural enemies of insect pests — predators, parasitoids and pathogens — play a critical role in limiting densities of potential pest species. However, pesticides can kill or otherwise devastate these natural enemies. As a result, pests that were previously of little economic importance may suddenly become damaging when their natural enemies are eliminated. Reducing the use of pesticides and restoring populations of natural enemy species can greatly reduce the numbers and damage caused by many pest species.

Biological control is the introduction of living organisms that suppress or eliminate pest species. This can be accomplished through scouting, searching out and collecting suitable natural enemies in the wild or in other locations, rearing them in the laboratory for release in the field, or through seasonal inoculative releases. The latter requires extensive research into the biology of the target pest, the behavior and life cycle of its natural enemies, and the possible impact of the new enemy on native or other non-target species that may also be harmed by it.

Prevention

A well-established pest control program can reduce the need for chemicals and other pesticides that are dangerous to your health, pets, children, and plants. Using preventative pest control tactics will stop problems before they occur, saving you money in extermination costs as well as keeping your home or business safer and healthier for everyone inside.

Preventative pest control strategies focus on making the environment unfavorable to pests, reducing conditions that encourage them, and eliminating their food, water and shelter sources. Often, this is done through regularly inspecting a property to identify pest entry points – such as rotten trim or open vents – and proactively sealing them before a problem develops. It also includes good sanitation practices and limiting the presence of food sources, such as garbage left out or spills.

When a pest infestation does occur, it is important to treat it immediately before the problem worsens. A pest control technician will use an integrated pest management (IPM) approach to manage the pest. This involves identifying the pest, assessing the level of infestation, and selecting the most appropriate control method or combination of methods to minimize harm to people, property, and the environment.

The most effective strategy depends on the type of pest, its behavior, and the damage caused. For example, rodents consume and contaminate about 20 percent of the world’s food supply and cause more property damage than all natural disasters. IPM controls include traps and baits, physical removal, and blocking of entrance points. Chemical controls may also be used, but only when they are needed and when they will cause less harm than the pest is causing.

Biological pest control uses a pest’s own enemies, such as parasites, predators or pathogens, to reduce its population. This is usually not considered eradication because there is often a time lag between the introduction of the natural enemy and the effect on the pest.

Repellants are a common form of preventative pest control that is relatively safe for the environment and people, especially when compared to insecticides or fungicides. Repellants work by mimicking the aroma of a pest’s natural predator or prey, thereby deterring it from approaching the target area. Many repellants are based on plant oils, fragrances or spices and are very effective for most pests.