What is Pest Control?

Pest control refers to the regulation or management of another species defined as a pest, usually because it is believed to be detrimental to a person's health, the ecology or the economy.

Pest control is at least as old as agriculture. In order to maximize food production, it can be economically advantageous to protect crops from competing species of plants, as well as from herbivores competing with humans.

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Many pests have only become a problem because of the direct actions of humans. Modifying these actions can often substantially reduce the pest problem. In the USA, raccoons caused a nuisance by tearing open refuse sacks. Many householders introduced bins with locking lids, which deterred the raccoons from visiting. House flies tend to accumulate wherever there is human activity and is virtually a global phenomenon, especially where food or food waste is exposed. Similarly, seagulls have become a pest at many seaside resorts. Tourists would often feed the birds with scraps of fish and chips, and before long, the birds would become dependent on this food source and act aggressively towards humans.

Chemical pest control dates back 4,500 years, when the Sumerians used sulfur compounds as insecticides. The Rig Veda, which is about 4,000 years old, also mentions the use of poisonous plants for pest control. And the ancient Chinese and Egyptians are also known to have used chemical pest control. But it was only with the industrialization and mechanization of agriculture in the 18th and 19th century, and the introduction of the insecticides pyrethrum and derris that chemical pest control became the method of choice. In the 20th century, the discovery of several synthetic insecticides, such as DDT, and herbicides boosted this development. Chemical pest control is still the predominant type of pest control today, although its long-term effects led to a renewed interest in traditional and biological pest control towards the end of the 20th century.

The National Pest Management Association offers the following tips for selecting a qualified pest professional:

• Ask friends and neighbors to recommend pest control companies they have used successfully and how satisfied they were with the service.
• Be wary of the operator who comes to your home uninvited and offers to give your house a free inspection for pests. He or she may try to scare you into authorizing immediate and costly treatments.
• If a sizable amount of money is involved, get bids from several pest control firms.
• Don’t rush a decision. Since you are paying for professional knowledge, look for someone whose judgment you can trust.
• Before signing a contract, be sure to fully understand the nature of the pest to be exterminated, the extent of the infestation, and the work necessary to solve the problem.
• Find out if the pest control company has liability insurance to cover any damages to your house
• Choose a pest professional that is a part of a local or state pest management association, such as the National Pest Management Association. These pest professionals have taken the next step in education and training.
• If a guarantee is given, know what it covers, how long it lasts, what you must do to keep it in force, and what kind of continuing control, prevention and management are necessary.
• Buy value, not price. Beware of bargains that sound too good to be true.
• A federal law requires commercial applicators of “restricted use” pest control products to be certified. The certification program is left up to the state. Homeowners can call the certifying state agencies for information. (In Nebraska and Colorado, call the Environmental Protection Agency).

See our list of common household pests.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Pest_control".