Homeowners can choose to control pests themselves using traps, chemicals or natural methods, or they can hire a licensed professional to provide the same or additional services. In addition, this category examines the safety issues facing the applicator, homeowner and pet.
Snakes have been either worshipped or reviled for centuries and usually do not bite unless cornered, handled or stepped-on. Despite the fact that snakes are predators of rodents, lizards and frogs, many persons consider snakes to be pests and do not want them in the garden or yard. For them, this article outlines a few simple yard maintenance ideas to limit the local snake population.
Rats are widely feared and considered pests for many different reasons. They damage homes, schools and workplaces, chew on wiring and cause electrical fires, urinate on human and animal food and serve as disease carriers.
Further, they are a community-wide pest that must be managed through community-wide efforts, yet the initial step after identification that rats and specifically which type of r…
Using metal cans with tight fitting, secured lids, set on a platform off the ground and away from garages or the house will go a long way toward rat-proofing household garbage. Meticulous sanitation in and around the yard, especially under fruit trees or concerning pets, will help close the deal on marauding rats.
As rats have poor vision, they rely mostly on their other four senses - taste, smell, touch and hearing. They move through darkness by using their long whiskers and guard hairs on their bodies to guide them.[br][br]
Long term rat eradication efforts must employ a variety of tactics from removing debris and food sources to "rat-proofing" the home to trapping or baiting with rodenticides.
House Mice seem to be an endlessly adaptable pest, living in a range of environs from the blazing tropics to the frozen Actic tundra. Although more than 300 separate varieties of House Mice are known, there are some common distinguishing characteristics that all House Mice share.
Ants are the most abundant of all social insects, with an estimated 1 Quadrillion (15 Zeroes) of them on earth at any one given time. They live in colonies with 3 distinct castes: workers, Queens and males, each with specific functions within the colony.
Cockroaches eat everything that humans do, some things that humans will not touch. They live in moist, warm and dark environments, so good sanitation is always the first method of cockroach control.
Look for two distinct characteristics when you look at the Carpenter Ant in profile. First, carpenter ants have a smooth, rounded back with no humps and secondly, carpenter ants have a tiny pyramid or pedicel at their waist. You may be wondering how to catch such a quick insect and get it hold still while you examine it. Flick the ant into a small plastic or glass container with a lid and place it in the freezer for a few minutes.
There is a good chance that your houseplants will encounter one or all of these 6 common pests so least-toxic pest control measures are included.
Management of the firewood itself is the best way to control pests either living in the wood when the tree was cut or those that have moved into the wood since it has been stored.
Every year, thousands of homes, schools and commercial structures are tent-fumigated to control dry wood termite infestations. Perparations must be taken prior by the homeowner, landlord and tenants to protect personal property, foodstuffs, pets and landscaping in addition to ensuring the effectiveness of this expensive periodic treatment.
Mulches may attract pests depending on the specific pest infestation, the specific type of mulch used and the specific location(s) where the mulch is applied.
There are a myriad of ways to control pests in the garden including companion planting, insect predators, natural repellants and poultry.
Perhaps the world’s most widely distributed insect and certainly one of the most annoying, house flies can be controlled by best practices of sanitation, thorough physical exclusion and by a diligent practice of least toxic, chemical and non-chemical measures.
The Environmental Protection Agency has issued a stop sale and removal order for certain pet pesticide products due to widespread counterfeiting.
The Pesticide Management Program encourages safe use of pesticides by the applicator, thereby protecting the consumer and promoting responsible environmental stewardship.
Scientists explore plant derived compounds which function as herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, nematicides and rodenticides.
