Learn about the pests in your area and the options to control them. Clutter creates places where pests can breed and hide. Store food in sealed containers and remove garbage regularly. Contact Nature Shield Pest Solutions now!
Pests can gnaw on wires and damage furnishings, spreading diseases such as hantavirus, leptospirosis, salmonella, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis. Control methods include scouting, pheromones, and mating disruption.
Despite being most familiar with them as pests or disease carriers, insects are a very important group of organisms. They pollinate plants, produce useful substances such as honey and silk, control pests, and act as scavengers. Insects are amazingly adaptable and occur in almost every environment on earth, including the polar regions and deserts. Their body is made up of three distinct areas: the head or thorax and abdomen, and most have two antennae. They are cold-blooded and have compound eyes and other sense organs.
Behavior ranges from the inert parasitic forms that lie in the nutrient bloodstream of their hosts and extract nutrients by absorption to predatory beetles, such as the ladybug species Adalia bipunctata, that devour aphids by catching them with their specialized mouthparts. Other beneficial insect assassins include the mite species Hypoaspis miles, which feeds on thrips and other mites that damage crops; the cabbage maggot Chrysomyza hortorum, which is very effective in controlling caterpillars of brassica plants; and the wireworm moth larval cystopteron, which is very effective at controlling wireworms in fields and greenhouses.
Many gardeners and farmers are now turning to the use of biological pest control. This involves introducing predatory or parasitic insects that naturally exist in the ecosystem and rapidly reduce the population of a targeted pest. There are a few snags with this approach, though. For example, if the introduced insect species also feeds on other native insects, it could result in non-target attacks that aren’t desirable.
Rodents
Rodents like mice and rats are one of the most problematic pests that humans have to deal with. These rodents carry dangerous diseases that can be spread to people, including rabies, rat bite fever, hantavirus, salmonella food poisoning and leptospirosis. They are also capable of transmitting established pathogens from contaminated areas to uncontaminated ones via their feet, droppings, fur and urine. They gnaw and chew through many different materials, including paper, fabrics and plastic. They also tamper with and damage wires and eat drywall, insulation and wood.
Rodents invade buildings looking for food, water and shelter. They are opportunistic feeders, and will eat nearly anything in their path including grains, fruits, vegetables and dry goods like cereals. To help prevent a rodent infestation, keep food in tightly-sealed containers and sweep up crumbs. Make sure garbage cans are emptied often, and install rodent-proof lids on them.
The best way to protect a facility is to work with an experienced pest control company that can provide comprehensive and tailored solutions. Identifying signs of rodents in a building is also essential, such as rodent pellet-like droppings, gnaw marks and burrows. Regular inspections can help ensure that a building is free of rodents, and will also allow for early detection and intervention to minimize damages caused by these pests. This can be a crucial step in protecting patients and employees and avoiding expensive property repairs.
Bedbugs
Bedbugs, which belong to the genus Cimex, are blood-eating insects that tend to bite humans at night while they sleep. They are tiny and wingless, and their bites often look like rows of tiny reddish-brown dots. Bed bugs can spread from person to person by crawling or hitching rides on clothes, luggage, and other belongings. Their feeding can cause skin rashes and psychological effects, and they can also trigger allergic reactions in some people.
The best way to avoid bedbugs is to clean frequently, especially when guests come to visit. Wash bedding, curtains, and other fabrics in hot water and dry them on the highest dryer setting. Throw away infested stuffed animals, shoes, and other items that can’t be washed. Vacuum your mattress and the area around it every day, including windows and molding, and seal the vacuum bag in a plastic trash container and dispose of it outdoors immediately afterward. Use a brush attachment to scrub the seams and crevices of your mattress, and purchase covers that fit over mattresses and box springs, which can help prevent bedbugs from entering or escaping.
When you suspect an infestation, look for dark spots on your mattress or bedding, whitish eggshells, and reddish-brown fecal droppings. Inspect the cracks and crevices of your box spring, bed frame and headboard, and inspect nearby furniture such as nightstands and dressers. Foggers, also known as bug bombs, don’t usually work against bedbugs and may be toxic to humans if used incorrectly.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches scavenge in dirty environments and can mechanically transfer disease organisms on their legs and bodies to food, utensils, and surfaces. They can also introduce pathogens into water systems by contaminating pipes and damp spaces. These pests can aggravate allergies and asthma in susceptible individuals, especially when their droppings or shed skins are airborne.
These scavenging insects enter homes and buildings in search of food, moisture, and warmth. They typically gain entry through cracks and crevices, loose-fitting doors and windows, or open utility openings. Caulking and sealing these entry points can help prevent cockroach infestations.
Regular cleaning, prompt wiping of spills, and transferring garbage outdoors into roach-proof receptacles can make it more difficult for cockroaches to live in your home. Regularly vacuuming carpeting and removing soiled linens can also reduce the cockroach population. Store food and pantry items in tightly sealed containers, and rinse and sanitize cans and bottles before placing them in the trash. Repairing leaky faucets can reduce moisture conditions that promote cockroach growth.
Many types of insecticides are available for controlling cockroaches. Pest control professionals apply these products, which may come as liquid or aerosol sprays, in areas where cockroaches are commonly found. These treatments may also include bait stations, which are placed in strategic locations and contain a growth regulator or insecticide. The cockroaches are attracted to the bait, ingest it, and die or become unable to reproduce.
Wasps
Wasps are an important part of our ecosystem as they are significant pollinators and also feed on nuisance insects that harm plants. But they can be bothersome when their nests are built near people and pets. While the stings of wasps are painful, they don’t kill humans unless provoked.
Some wasps are social insects and build nests in colonies consisting of queens and workers. These are commonly seen as yellow jackets, hornets and paper wasps. Others, like the mud dauber, are solitary and build a small mud “hut” on stucco walls. If you see these little huts, look for a hole on the bottom and top. This is where the wasp egg has hatched and molted through to the adult stage.
The best way to control wasps around your home or garden is to eliminate their food sources. This means fixing any leaking pipes or drains, and cleaning containers and surfaces where sugary residues may collect.
Parasitic wasps are a valuable tool in pest control as they seek out hard-to-reach pests, such as aphids on vegetable crops or caterpillars in tree foliage. Once found, a parasitic wasp will lay her eggs inside the host insect. Once the larvae are developed, they will consume and kill their host insect and then eat their way out of its empty shell before pupating or cocooning. This reduces the need for chemical pesticides and preserves the integrity of natural ecosystems.
Ants
Ants have a wide range of roles in ecosystems and are important to humans as scavengers, in seed dispersal and even in soil structure. But they can also be pests in the home and garden, especially when they swarm in food preparation areas or nest near doors and windows. Identifying and managing pest ants can be accomplished with barrier, perimeter or bait treatments.
The type of ant you have determines the best control methods. Look for enclosed, tamper-resistant bait traps that have a premixed food with the pesticide. Worker ants take the bait back to their colony and feed it to the queen, killing the entire nest. Choose baits that contain hydramethylnon, boric acid, fipronil, or sulfluramid. Avoid sprays, bombs/foggers and liquid concentrates; they can irritate lungs and leave chemical residues indoors.
A remarkable thing about ants is their ability to communicate with each other using pheromones (chemical signals that ants leave behind). This is how the ant “tells” her sister how far away the next meal is, and whether she should help.
Farmers around the world use pesticides to increase crop yields by reducing the number of insects that eat or damage crops. But a growing body of research is showing that ants may be just as effective, or better, at killing the pests than commercial chemicals. So, researchers are studying how ants can be used as natural pesticides on farms.