Springfield MO Pest Control is the management of pests using techniques that minimize harm to people, property, or the environment. Pesticides are often used to treat serious infestations. Look for a company with solid credentials and a license to apply pesticides that pose a minimal risk of exposure to humans, pets, and wildlife.

Eliminating or reducing pests’ food, water, and shelter needs can prevent many pest problems. This is the first step in IPM, which is also the most environmentally friendly and safest approach to pest control.

Clutter, food crumbs, and easy access to water are like a five-star resort for pests, so clean countertops and floors frequently. Dispose of garbage on a regular basis, and keep outdoor areas free of trash, wood piles, and other places for pests to hide. Keep trees and bushes away from houses and trim limbs that might reach over the roofline. Standing water attracts mosquitoes and other pests, so minimize the amount of moisture around buildings.

The weather can affect pests directly by killing or suppressing them and indirectly by influencing the growth of their host plants. Rain, snow, cold temperatures, and drought all affect pest populations.

Pests usually invade structures in search of food, water, or shelter. Therefore, the best way to prevent them from invading is to make the environment uninhabitable by blocking access or removing their food, water, and shelter sources.

Chemical products such as traps, netting, barriers, screens, and other mechanical devices can block access or alter the environment of pests. Using them in combination with other controls is called integrated pest management.

A good preventive program starts with thoroughly inspecting and assessing the building, its contents, and the surrounding environment. In addition to sanitation, inspections should include a review of building conditions and procedures, especially in high-traffic areas and temporary storage areas. Continued site monitoring, including a reporting program for pest sightings and indicators, should be part of any prevention effort.

Suppression

Often pest problems can be suppressed with natural means before they become severe. Preventive measures, like frequently cleaning areas where the pests live and removing weeds before they grow, help reduce the chance of an outbreak. Suppression methods restrict the activity of pests and slow population growth. If a pest problem becomes severe, eradication methods destroy the entire population.

Many insect, weed, vertebrate and microbial pests have natural enemies that limit their numbers or damage. These natural enemies include predators, parasitoids, herbivores and pathogens. In addition, many bird, reptile, amphibian and fish species feed on pests or their eggs. Weather conditions, especially temperature and moisture, affect pest populations directly or indirectly by altering the growth of their host plants.

Physical barriers, traps, screens, fences, and radiation can sometimes be used to prevent pests from entering or spreading through an area. Pheromones and juvenile hormones can also be used to manipulate insect behavior.

Chemicals are usually only considered when natural control options are exhausted. Insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and other chemicals can be used to kill or disrupt the life cycle of a pest. However, using any pesticide requires careful evaluation of the situation and environmental conditions. The pesticide label provides important information including safety precautions, first aid and proper use requirements that must be followed.

If a pesticide is to be used, it must be selected carefully to minimize interference with natural enemies. Spot applications of the pesticide in areas of high pest density and treatment of alternating strips within a field can reduce the amount of spray that reaches and interferes with natural enemies. Biological controls, in which naturally occurring predators or parasitoids are increased by rearing and releasing them, can be an effective method of pest control. However, this approach is expensive and time consuming.

Eradication

Pests can carry bacteria, fungi, and viruses that cause diseases in humans, animals, and plants. Bacteria can contaminate food, water, and surfaces in the home, while fungi and viruses cause various illnesses in people and plants. When pests like rats, cockroaches, and mice infest the home, they can spread these dangerous organisms to surfaces and food, putting the family at risk of disease. Fungi and viruses can also deteriorate and damage plants. Pest control technicians are trained to identify and eliminate these creatures before they get out of hand.

Chemical pest control uses solutions to repel or kill unwanted insects and rodents. These may include repellents, sprays, or baits. Some chemicals, such as insecticides, are able to deliver instant results. However, the use of pesticides is not without risks and often fails to achieve desired results. This can be due to the development of pest resistance or incorrect application (including dosage and timing).

Physical traps, netting, and decoys are physical control methods that do not involve using chemicals or poisons. They are typically more time consuming than other controls, but can be effective when the infestation is small. Other physical control methods include sealing cracks and crevices, caulking, repairing weather stripping around doors and windows, and putting steel wool in holes.

Pesticides are chemicals that can kill or control pests, but they also can harm other plants and animals, including humans and pets. It is important to select a pesticide that is designed for the specific pest and follow all label instructions carefully. It is also a good idea to record the name and EPA registration number of any pesticide used in your home.

Biological Control

Biological control employs predators, parasites, and pathogens (also known as natural enemies) to suppress pest populations without or with reduced use of chemical pesticides. Because they do not have the environmental drawbacks of persistent pesticides, biological controls are a good long-term solution for growers.

Unlike chemical pesticides, which destroy the beneficial insects that keep pests in check, natural enemies are generally nonpersistent and leave the crop after the pest population is controlled. This makes the use of natural enemies more compatible with an integrated approach to pest management.

To be effective, biological control agents must be host-specific and must match the pest. Biological control practitioners must conduct extensive preliminary research to determine whether a particular natural enemy species will be successful, and what conditions are needed for success (e.g., suitable habitat, food availability and climate).

In classical biological control, the natural enemy is collected from its country of origin and subsequently released to suppress the pest in the target ecosystem. In this form of biological control, the aim is to establish a massive ratio in favour of the natural enemy – similar to the eradication effect of chemical pesticides. Successful classic biological control schemes are often long-term and may require six to ten generations to achieve the desired impact.

More recently, biocontrol agents have been mass-produced at insectaries and ‘augmented’ through inundative releases into target environments. Augmentative biological control is usually applied after a pest outbreak in order to quickly reduce the pest population below damaging levels. The effectiveness of this type of biological control is dependent upon the timing and magnitude of the inundation, as well as the ability of the natural enemy to reproduce rapidly and sustainably.

IPM

IPM is a decision-making process that uses pest biology and environmental data to manage pests in ways that minimize damage and risks to people, the environment, crops and plants. It is an alternative to the traditional use of chemicals and promotes the judicious use of preventive, biological, cultural and mechanical methods of control. The aims of IPM are to keep pest populations below intolerable levels, reduce the need for chemical controls, and increase the effectiveness of those controls when needed.

It is based on monitoring and scouting to identify pests accurately and determine their damaging potential, as well as setting action thresholds for economic or aesthetic injury. Ideally, these thresholds are kept as low as possible without sacrificing long-term crop yield potential or creating serious health or environmental hazards.

Before any control measure is implemented, an IPM plan looks at all of the available options, including monitoring and scouting, to find out what will work best for that particular situation. Considerations include the pest life cycle, potential damage, natural enemies, and the effects of weather on pest activity.

IPM strategies can be site-, crop- or pest-specific. Using a variety of strategies reduces the likelihood that pests will invade or build up populations, the number of pesticide applications needed, and the risk of resistance development to any single control method.

IPM also includes preventive measures, such as removing sources of water and food for pests or blocking access to buildings and plantings. This is known as “prevention through exclusion” and can be as simple as caulking cracks to prevent insect or rodent entry into homes, as complex as designing and building pest-resistant gardens, and as technologically advanced as a termite barrier system.