Dealing with Fleas: Prevention and Control Tips
Pest Control involves removing food, water, and shelter from unwanted organisms. Often, this can be done without the use of chemical pesticides.
Preventative methods include securing garbage, removing weeds, and sealing cracks around pipes, drains, and doorframes. A good pest control company can shoulder some responsibility for this by scouting, monitoring traps, and blocking access points. Visit Our Website to learn more.
A preventive program is the best way to keep pests from invading a home or business. The first step is to remove what attracts them, such as food, water, or shelter. This may include storing foodstuffs in tightly-sealed containers, and repairing cracks and holes that allow pest entry. Keeping trash bins closed as much as possible and reducing clutter also helps to deter pests.
All pests need air to live, so it is important to close off places where they can breathe. This may include repairing cracked walls and sealing spaces around pipes and wires, as well as caulking or installing copper mesh to cover vents. Keeping yards and vacant lots mowed and free of debris also makes it harder for pests to hide.
Identifying pests is the next step, using current comprehensive information about their life-cycle and habits to develop control methods. These may include using sticky traps to find insects and checking for signs of rodent activity like gnawed wood or chewed plastic to determine the species present.
Once an infestation is detected, it is essential to respond quickly and effectively. This can include increased sanitation and cleaning of affected artifacts, cooler temperatures to slow the growth of molds and other organisms, and fumigation with low or controlled atmospheres to sanitize collections.
Physical or mechanical controls include traps, screens, barriers, fences and radiation to modify the environment that pests live in. These methods are sometimes used in conjunction with chemical control.
Chemicals are used only as a last resort, and when they are necessary should be applied only by trained professionals with a permit. They should be kept out of the reach of children, and always read and follow label instructions. Never transfer pesticides to another container, as this can increase the chances of ingestion or misuse.
In the long term, an integrated pest management (IPM) approach is the best way to prevent pests and their impacts on people’s lives, property and health. This involves an ongoing combination of preventive and responsive activities, and it includes routine monitoring and evaluation to make sure that the pests are at a manageable level.
Suppression
The objective of suppression tactics is to rapidly reduce pest population levels when signs of pest activity are detected. This is done by deploying cultural or physical barriers or applying biological controls as soon as the threshold for damage has been reached (see “Understanding Thresholds” within the Assessment section of the IPM tactics page). In many cases, a combination of these suppression techniques are needed to manage a problem.
Biological Controls
This involves the conservation or releasing of natural enemies to limit the growth of pest insects. Examples include predatory mites that prey on aphids in greenhouses, the wasp parasitoid Encarsia formosa that suppresses the greenfly in orchards, and the nematode Nematodes toxin-producing bacteria that kill harmful soil grubs (see the activity on this page). Biological control agents are often commercially available.
Another form of biological control uses a bacterium engineered into a biopesticide that can be applied to the surface of an insect and disrupt the gut of the organism, leading to its death. This technology has not been widely adopted, however, because of concerns about bacterial resistance and the need to apply it inundatively to interrupt the insect’s life cycle.
Other biological control methods involve the mass rearing and release of native or exotic organisms that have been adapted to feed on or parasitize a particular pest species. These may be released to the field in small, repeated batches or in a single large release, depending on the specific needs of the situation. Care must be taken to select suitable species and introduce them in an environment where they will thrive.
In a similar manner, pathogens such as fungi and viruses can be used to suppress insect pest populations by infecting them with disease. Again, these pathogens are often commercially available, but their effectiveness is largely dependent on the specific environmental conditions in which they are introduced. They should be applied as early in the season as possible and in conjunction with a cultural or physical barrier. As with the other biological control approaches, careful monitoring is necessary to assess their success or failure.
Detection
The first step in preventing pest infestations is to regularly check for signs of pest activity. This means not only looking inside the house, but outside the property as well. Observe ant hills, termite mud tubes, overgrown vegetation and brown lawns as these are key indicators of a pest problem. Look for signs of pests around the house too, such as droppings, cracked or crumbling bricks and tiles, stains and sheens on surfaces, clogged drains and untreated holes in walls.
Signs of a pest infestation should be spotted immediately, as these can often cause significant damage in a short space of time. For example, rodents gnawing on electrical wiring can lead to a fire hazard and may require extensive and expensive repairs to mitigate the issue.
In addition, it’s important to recognize and listen for sounds that indicate a pest problem. Scratching noises in walls, ceilings or attics, scurrying, squeaking or gnawing sounds typically indicate that there is a pest problem.
A foul smell can also be a telltale sign of an infestation, as many pests produce unpleasant or even toxic odors. It’s also a good idea to keep a close eye on the appearance of pest droppings, as some species leave distinct marks or streaks that can help to identify them. Rodents for example, leave pellet-shaped droppings while cockroaches may leave darker grease marks.
Regularly sweeping, vacuuming and mopping the home will allow you to spot any unusual spots that may indicate the presence of pests. This is particularly important if you have nocturnal pests such as mice or rats, who are most active at night.
It’s also a good idea to clear away clutter, rubbish and piles of paper or cardboard, as these are often used by pests to build nests or hide during the day. Overwintering insects such as ladybugs or cluster flies can also be a problem, and it is recommended to inspect the attic and crawl spaces for these pests to prevent them from gaining access in the winter months.
Treatment
Pest control can be broken down into four stages: prevention – keeping pest numbers low; suppression – reducing pest populations to an acceptable level; eradication – eliminating a specific pest population; and monitoring and evaluation – tracking pests and their damage. Preventive measures are generally the first line of defense. For example, avoid storing food in cardboard boxes; store tinned food in plastic; remove garbage regularly; and reduce clutter to prevent pests breeding.
If preventive steps fail, it is often necessary to use pesticides. Pesticides may be chemical, organic or natural. The choice of treatment depends on the pest, the scale of the problem and the risk to humans, pets, plants or property. Pesticides are designed to kill the target pest and have a minimal effect on other organisms, so care is taken to choose the most appropriate method for each situation.
The most common types of pesticides are sprays, gels and dusts. It is essential that these products are used by trained and experienced pest control technicians, as incorrect usage can increase the likelihood of adverse effects. The product label should be read carefully, as it contains detailed instructions and/or information on how to use the product correctly, safely and effectively.
Generally, it takes about 2 weeks for the visible population of pests to decrease after a treatment. It can take up to 6 weeks for cockroaches and large spiders to be completely eradicated. During this time it is important not to disrupt the process by re-treating the area. This can cause the infestation to resurge.
All Things Pest Control uses safe, odour free, non-repellent chemicals that are applied as a fine mist to the inside of cabinets and other hidden areas where pests live and hide. It is important to note that pests are not able to detect the treated areas and will continue to come into contact with the residual product, so it can take a little longer than expected for total eradication of the problem.
If you have any questions about the Pest Control process or would like some advice, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our service technicians are always happy to help.