Different Types of Pests and How to Control Them
St Charles Pest Control involves managing different pests to prevent them from damaging property or endangering health. The aim is to balance the needs of humans, pets, and plants.
Physical control methods include removing or blocking nests, barriers, and traps. Altering the environment by controlling temperature can also help.
Insects have evolved to evade most pest control methods, so early detection is crucial. While not a health threat, they can cause itching and welts. In a warm environment, they mature in about a month and can produce multiple generations yearly. If left untreated, the population can grow out of control. Bed bug infestations are easier to treat at a low level, but even minor ones can be expensive and time-consuming to eradicate.
Since they are active at night and hide during the day, they can be difficult to find. Look for dark spots where they congregate, such as in tufts and folds of mattresses, box springs, and bed frames, behind wall plates, and inside drawers. They can also hide in upholstered chairs, sofas, and recliners. If a person moves to another room, the bed bugs will follow, so inspect other rooms and spaces around the apartment or house.
Clutter and strewn belongings provide places for bed bugs to hide and may interfere with inspection and treatment. Organize storage areas and move items away from walls. Use plastic containers to hold things that you don’t want in the bedroom, such as toys and books. Vacuum infested areas frequently and thoroughly. Seal any vacuum bag and immediately dispose of it outside. Don’t store anything under the bed, as it provides an ideal hiding place for bed bugs and other insects that like to share human dwellings.
While many DIY treatments exist, most are not as effective as professional services. The success of any treatment depends on thoroughness, cooperation of occupants, and the availability of appropriate tools. Professionals typically employ a combination of management tools, such as steaming, heat and freezer treatment, and insecticides. Insecticides are formulated as liquid sprays, aerosols, or dusts, and come in a variety of concentrations. The type chosen is usually based on the severity and breadth of the infestation, the preferred treatment method for each, and the presence or absence of resistance.
A trained pest controller can identify the correct product to use and apply it correctly. Some of the more popular products dispensed by householders, such as diatomaceous earth and insecticides marketed for use on furniture, are not as effective and can actually make the problem worse. In addition, most conventional pesticides don’t affect the resilient eggs that are part of a bed bug infestation, so they can survive and repopulate when an initial treatment fails.
Termites
Termites are known as the silent destroyers, causing more structural damage to homes than tornadoes, hurricanes and fires combined. They have the ability to consume wood throughout a house without anyone knowing it, and your homeowner’s insurance may not cover this type of damage. The good news is that there are preventative measures you can take to protect your home from these destructive pests.
Subterranean termite infestations typically begin in soil and work their way up through the wood in man-made structures, such as foundations, porches, decks, and more. There are several treatment methods for termite control, including fumigation and drilling into infested areas with insecticide. A more recent method is to use bait stations, where a small piece of wood is replaced with a slow-acting termiticide that worker termites carry back to their colony and share with other members. This can eliminate the entire colony over time.
If you suspect a termite problem, it’s important to contact an experienced professional for a thorough inspection and proper treatment. A professional will use the most up-to-date tools and techniques for eradicating the infestation and preventing future recurrences.
For subterranean termite control, a professional may also use monitoring stations to determine the level of activity in the soil around your structure. These are placed in the vicinity of suspected colonies, and they contain a small piece of wood that is slowly replaced with a slow-acting termiticide. Foraging termites locate the bait and carry it back to their colonies, where they eventually die from poisoning. This is a less invasive alternative to traditional treatments, but it can take longer for the termites to die.
While different species of termites have slightly different habits, most of them have a caste system that includes workers, soldiers and reproductives. Workers are sexually immature and help maintain the termite colony by building out nests, locating food and caring for young. Soldier termites guard the perimeter of the colony and defend against predators. Reproductives, or swarmers, are winged male and female termites that swarm in warm weather and fly off to find new sites where they can form new colonies.
Spiders
Spiders are perhaps the most difficult pests to eliminate. Unlike termites, which are typically limited to one or two entry points in your home’s foundation, spiders can enter through cracks in the siding or gaps in window frames. They are also not easily deterred by traditional insecticides because of the waxy cuticles that line their exoskeletons, allowing them to metabolize the poison before it can damage them. Additionally, most spiders have the ability to crawl through tiny crevices and spaces, making them hard to detect and treat with traditional pesticides.
However, it is possible to control spiders without resorting to harsh chemicals or harmful methods. For example, keeping your property clean and free of clutter can help prevent spiders from seeking out secluded areas to spin webs and hide. Regularly dusting or vacuuming your home’s windowsills, baseboards, and corners is a good way to keep these pests at bay. Additionally, sealing cracks and crevices can help prevent spiders from entering your home in the first place.
Another great way to control spiders is by using baits that attract them and deter them from entering your home or business. Sticky traps, for instance, are a humane and effective means of controlling spider populations because they allow them to be trapped without harming them. However, they should be used in conjunction with other forms of pest control to ensure a thorough and complete spider removal.
Lastly, some types of spiders are excellent natural predators, helping to keep local insect populations in check. Common house spiders, for example, are commonly found hunting roaches, flies, moths, and crickets. They will also eat rodents, such as mice, if given the chance.
Moreover, some species of spiders can actually disable and kill rodents by attacking them with their jaws. However, this is generally only successful if several spiders attack the rodent at once. For this reason, if you are concerned about your rodent infestation, it is important to work with a professional pest control company that can provide comprehensive services for both pests and spiders. By combining prevention, traps and baits, humane control techniques, and other treatments, it is possible to reduce spider populations in your home or business while protecting the surrounding ecosystems.
Rodents
Rodents are a large group of animals that include rats, mice, squirrels, and hamsters. They are uninvited guests in many places and cause billions of dollars in damage each year. They also act as secondary hosts to a variety of human diseases, including the bubonic plague. Rodents have a global distribution and are found everywhere, from the Arctic to the driest deserts and the wettest tropical forests. Some species, like the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) and the house mouse (Mus musculus), are considered to be invasive and have contributed to the extinction of some island birds such as the dodo.
Rodents can vary in size and appearance, but all are classified in the order Rodentia. The common feature is their teeth or incisors that continue to grow, allowing them to chew through a variety of materials such as wood, brick, and wire. They are usually herbivorous but can be omnivorous. Many have a tendency to live in burrows or trees, and some form societies with complex social structures. Mating habits vary from monogamy to polygyny, and some are promiscuous.
They have highly developed senses and can see, smell, hear, and feel their surroundings. Rats and mice can gnaw through electric wires which could cause fires, while also carrying various disease that we can get such as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, Leptospirosis, Salmonella, Lassa Fever, Plague, and others.
Some people try to control pests by depriving them of the resources they need to survive and grow, such as food and water, or by physically removing them. Other methods of pest control include introducing natural enemies, such as parasites and predators, or sterile organisms that will produce offspring that cannot survive.
The most effective way to prevent pests from coming into your home is to make sure it is clean, dry and well-maintained. If you see conditions that attract pests, such as cracks in walls or floors, call NYC 311 to report them and request repairs right away. Then, practice good sanitation and keep clutter out of your yard. Finally, do not leave food out in open containers or on counters where it will attract pests.