Pest Control is a strategy that includes the identification, monitoring and management of pests. It is a vital part of any garden or home maintenance programme and should be used consistently to prevent the build-up of pest populations. Pests are organisms that cause damage or nuisance in their environment and can be either a physical threat (like rats, mice and cockroaches) or a health threat (like ticks, flies and mosquitoes).
Pests often have a grotesque appearance, like silverfish and earwigs, or cause itching or discomfort (like bed bugs and cockroaches). Some are carriers of disease or bacteria, like rodents and cockroaches, while others trigger allergic reactions and sensitivities, such as cluster flies and mud dauber wasps. Others stain or discolour surfaces, such as ants, wood worms and pine seed bugs.
A Pest Control Centralia program should be based on an understanding of the pest’s biology and the environmental conditions that favour it, as well as on the damage it causes. This enables you to determine the best tactics to use for its control.
Generally, prevention is the preferred approach to controlling pests, particularly for outdoor situations. Prevention strategies are largely a matter of common sense, and include keeping areas free of debris and removing vegetation that provides shelter for unwanted species (like brush and tall grass) or favourable habitat for insects that can harm desirable plants (like weeds). It is also a good idea to water your gardens regularly, as this will reduce the moisture levels in the soil that pests thrive in.
If prevention fails, or a pest population becomes uncontrollable, then eradication may be the appropriate tactic. This is rarely attempted in outdoor pest situations, but it can be an option for indoor infestations (like gypsy moth and Mediterranean fruit fly) or where a particular crop is threatened by a new parasite, such as grapevine leafroller and fire ant.
The first step in a pest control program is to accurately identify the pest, which can be done through observation and/or specimen collection. This can be assisted by knowing what to look for, such as wings (flies and mosquitoes), legs or other body segments (like pillbugs and earwigs) and the shape of their mouthparts (like hornets and wasps).
Once you know what you’re dealing with, it’s important to understand the pest’s breeding habits and life cycle. This enables you to locate their nests and breeding sites, so that they can be targeted with specific control methods. You should also be aware of the damage the pest is causing, which will help you evaluate the situation and set an action threshold (the level of pests at which you take action to prevent unacceptable injury or harm). Finally, it’s important to minimise the risk to family members and pets while using pest control products. This means removing food, utensils and personal items from the area to be treated; covering or removing garbage bins; and being careful when applying surface sprays around skirting boards or in corners of rooms.