Successful Pest Control Strategies

Every year, people around the world spend hundreds of millions of dollars on pest control. This includes cost of insect repellents, mosquito repellents, insecticides, bug sprays, termite sprays, mouse traps, rat glues, wires and fences to keep away bigger animals. Pests are not only annoying; they can cause serious harm to our health and properties. Every year, thousands of people are killed by diseases spread by mosquitoes, houseflies, mice and rats around the world. Birds like crows, sparrows and parrots damage crops from farms. Kitchens and garbage bins are raided by raccoons, foxes and monkeys, and are annoying to children and household livestock.

Ants, termites, rats, mice, foxes, opossums, rabbits, feral pigs and feral cats are some of the pests encountered in Australia. Many of the pests did not exist in the continent and were introduced either on purpose or came as stowaways on ships brought by European immigrants. Mice, rats, dingoes, rabbits, foxes, feral cats and cane toads are some of the animals that came this way. These non-native animals quickly adjusted to the Australian climate, and found niches for themselves. They are a continual threat to native flora and fauna, and also to human lives and properties. Despite many pest control measures by the government, these pests continue to grow in numbers. 

Traditional ways of pest control such as burning, hunting, poisoning, trapping and spraying poisonous insecticides have been unsuccessful in solving the problem. Past experiences have confirmed that the use of toxic insecticides is more harmful to humans, plants and the environment than to the insects. In the case of larger mammals, the out of date practices of trapping, hunting and poisoning are viewed as savage and cruel from today's humanitarian viewpoint. Native animals like possums are protected by the law, and cannot be trapped, killed or removed.

There is a need for an integrated pest management system that focuses on a long-term solution to the problem to prevent the destructions caused by pests to lives and properties. This entails confining the pests to their existing range, limiting their number by cutting off food and shelter, eliminating them by using non-toxic pesticides, and preventing the arrival of new pests. This calls for enhanced pest control methods and trained professionals. It also requires educating the populace about pests, as many people have very little knowledge of or have misconceptions about them. For example, many people do not know birds can pilfer tons of crops every year.

Considering how hard it is to eliminate pests, pest control should not be a one-time project every time pests are seen, as this is usually the case. It should be a lasting approach that involves risk assessment, early discovery, monitoring of affected areas, targeting of selected pests, and preventing future invasion. This is a job that requires trained professionals. When infestation is seen in a neighborhood, such as a significant number of rats, it should be a communal effort rather than an individual effort. Local or municipal governments should also provide assistance when overwhelming infestation puts people's lives and properties at serious risk.