Many materials housed in museums are susceptible to pest deterioration. Infestation can progress from grazing to perforation and destruction. Detection is an important first step.
Scouting and monitoring can help you determine whether a pest infestation warrants control. Preventive steps include improving sanitation, eliminating food and water sources and removing places where pests can hide. Contact Kansas City Pest Control now!
Insects are the largest group of animals in the arthropod phylum. Their chitinous exoskeletons, three-part body structure (head, thorax and abdomen) and a pair of antennae distinguish them from other arthropods. Many insects are microscopic, while others such as dragonflies, moths and ants have wings that allow them to fly. Insects are also the most diverse group of animals, with over a million described species.
In addition to being beautiful to behold, insects provide important functions in the natural world. For example, pollen from male parts of flowers is carried by insects to female parts to enable flower reproduction. Insects also help plants reproduce by spreading a substance called seed. Some insects feed on the foliage of crops, while others eat wood or fabrics. Other insects sting or bite people and other animals, and some spread diseases to humans, livestock and plants.
Pest control is the practice of managing unwanted insects. To effectively manage insects, gardeners should understand how insects differ from one another. Insects range in size from microscopic to wingless to wingless and can be brown, black or metallic green. Some insects camouflage themselves to blend in with their surroundings, while others rely on their hard, scaly bodies or specialized mouthparts to protect them from enemies.
While insects have been a source of food for some people, most are considered pests in home vegetable gardens. Examine your plants at least twice a week throughout the growing season to monitor insect damage and population levels. Look for insect excrement, holes in leaves and fruit, distorted growth and other signs of feeding.
The most common methods of insect pest control are the use of pesticides and organic controls. However, pesticides can have a negative impact on other organisms in the environment. In particular, systemic insecticides are absorbed by plant tissues and fungi and are transferred to other organisms. This can weaken a crop’s ability to fight disease, and it can even be toxic to humans and pets who come into contact with the chemicals. For example, the fungicide imidacloprid, used for controlling powdery mildew on vegetables, can negatively affect predatory mycophagous insects such as the twenty-spotted ladybug, Psyllobora vigintimaculata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) by altering the biochemistry and histology of their midgut epithelium.
Rodents
Rodents are mammals that have evolved incisors to chew food, excavate burrows and defend themselves. Rodents are a natural part of most terrestrial ecosystems, providing food for predators and scavengers such as birds, hawks, foxes and bobcats, and shelter for other animals, including reptiles and amphibians. Native rodents, such as squirrels, chipmunks, prairie dogs and rats, play important roles in grasslands and forests. These species also act as food sources for wildlife, humans and other mammals, and contribute to soil stabilization. However, non-native rodents such as the Norway rat and house mouse are pests that invade homes and cause damage to crops, infrastructure and personal property. Rodents also spread diseases such as plague, a potentially fatal illness that occurs from eating or inhaling infected fleas that carry the causative organism Yersinia pestis.
Mice and rats are notorious gnawers, spreading damage as they chew through walls, wires and other structures. They also destroy insulation, paper and garbage bags. Their droppings contain disease-causing bacteria and fungus. They can also create fire hazards by gnawing through electrical wires, and can trigger asthma and allergies by contaminating the environment with allergens such as dust mites.
Fortunately, a pest control expert can help you prevent and manage rodent problems in your home. Sealing openings, closing gaps around pipes and vents, and repairing cracks in walls and floors can all help keep mice and rats out of your home. You should also keep your drains and sewer systems free of clogs.
Rodents can also enter buildings by climbing up plumbing or sewer lines, and swimming through pipes in water sources such as toilets. To prevent rodents from entering your building, you should correct outdoor moisture problems, such as faulty drainage, by filling in depressions and slopeing grades; make sure gutters are clean and free of debris, and keep indoor humidity levels below 50%.
If you see signs of rodents in your building, a professional should be called immediately. A well-trained pest control technician can use traps, baits and other low hazard methods to quickly and effectively eliminate the problem. The city may provide a telephone hotline that connects callers to staff members who know about different integrated pest management methods, allowing questions to be answered in a single place rather than in multiple departments.
Wasps
Wasps are often seen as pests and a nuisance to homeowners but in fact they have many benefits. They are voracious predators and control the numbers of other insect pests in our gardens, fields and crops, including potential horticultural pests such as greenfly and caterpillars. They are also important pollinators, transferring pollen as they visit flowers to feed on nectar.
Wasp nests are commonly found in or on structures such as eaves, roof spaces, trees, shrubs and under the bark of dead trees. They can also use a variety of materials to build their nests, from wood to mud and even paper. Their nests can be difficult to locate and if left untreated can become quite large. They can also cause damage if they are allowed to build in the wall of your home, where moisture and mold may develop from the excessive humidity.
While it is not always possible to eradicate a wasps’ nest, it is usually possible to control their activity with sprays such as Vespex, available from garden centres and hardware stores. These products are designed to kill wasps as they enter or leave a nest and contain the active ingredient fipronil. When using any such product be sure to follow the manufacturer’s safety instructions carefully.
It is not uncommon for wasps to be a problem in a home or garden because they are looking for food or protection from the elements. Uncovered trash cans, exposed sugary drinks, protein-rich foods and hummingbird feeders all provide a convenient meal for these insects.
As well as capturing prey for their larvae, social wasps are also effective pollinators. In addition, because their foraging behaviour leads them to a wide range of habitats, they have the potential to disperse pollen between different plants.
The foraging and prey capture habits of solitary wasps are less well known. Many solitary wasps are parasitoids, laying their eggs on or in the bodies of other insects, where they eventually kill them. Solitary wasps also parasitize almost all of the common pest insects in horticulture and are used as biological pest controls in small farms and urban gardens [52].
It is therefore very important to carry out careful ecological assessment of any proposal to release social or solitary wasps into natural environments. Invasive populations of these species have the potential to disrupt the natural ecosystem and out compete or even eliminate native invertebrates, such as birds, for food.
Spiders
Spiders can be scary and frighten many people. In addition to being unsettling, they can also cause itchy bites. Some spiders, such as the brown recluse and black widow, can be venomous and cause serious medical problems. While it may not be as big of a concern as wood-destroying termites or biting bed bugs, spiders still can cause problems in homes. Pest control services are often needed to keep spiders at bay.
While spiders can be problematic, they are important to the ecosystems they inhabit. Common house spiders feed on a variety of pests, including roaches, flies and beetles that can infest structures. This keeps their populations under control and reduces the risk of other pest infestations.
However, it is not a good idea to try to eliminate them by spraying insecticides. Most sprays were developed to kill insects, not arachnids, and are ineffective at killing them. Most importantly, spiders do not react to these chemicals as quickly as insects and are able to quickly repopulate areas where they have been eliminated.
Pest control services should focus on eliminating conducive conditions that attract spiders and other pests. This includes limiting food, shelter and moisture around buildings. Spiders are attracted to the moist and dark environments of indoors and around structural perimeters. It is a good idea to clean out crawl spaces, basements and attics to limit these areas. It is also a good idea to use caulk to seal cracks in walls and doors.
Regular cleaning and maintenance of the home can help to keep pests, including spiders, away from the structure. This includes sweeping regularly, dusting, and vacuuming the rooms to remove clutter. It is also a good idea to regularly trim hedges and shrubbery, as well as to clear away leaf litter.
It is also a good idea to regularly change exterior lighting to sodium vapor bulbs, which will reduce the amount of insect light attracted to the building. This will also reduce the number of prey that may lure spiders into the structure. Finally, it is a good idea to minimize the amount of water that comes in contact with the foundation of the structure by ensuring that gutter systems are working properly and that roof valleys are draining properly.