Pests can damage your property and create health risks by contaminating your food and daily use items. They also can gnaw through electrical wires which can cause fires and worsen asthma and other chronic medical conditions.

You’ll want to have a business plan and the appropriate licensing and insurances in place. This will help you avoid expensive setbacks as your business grows. Contact Pest Control Kansas City now!

Insects are the most diverse group of arthropod invertebrates and contain more than a million described species. They have a hard chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body with head, thorax and abdomen, three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes and a pair of antennae. Some are microscopic, while others such as the hercules beetle or African goliath beetle have wings that can span 27 cm (10.6 inches).

In addition to being a nuisance in the garden, some insects carry diseases that affect people, animals and plants. However, the vast majority of insects are beneficial, pollinating flowers and assisting with plant reproduction. They also provide food for other animals, act as scavengers and control pest insect populations. They are important objects of study for their role in many aspects of plant biology, including genetics and hormone and sense organ function.

There are two major kinds of insect damage to growing crops. One is direct injury caused by the feeding of an insect, whether it eats leaves or burrows in stems or fruit. Hundreds of pest species of this type occur, both in the larval stage and as adults, among orthopterans, homopterans, heteropterans, lepidopterans and coleopterans.

The other kind of damage is indirect, in which the insect transmits a viral or bacterial disease into the crop. There are a number of such pathogens, affecting such crops as sugar beets and potatoes. Several of them, such as potato blight and late blight in tomatoes, can be controlled by crop sanitation and planting resistant varieties.

There are few vegetables that grow without some insect damage, so gardeners must often manage the problem with sprays or row covers. To be effective, sprays should cover all parts of the plant under attack. The underside of the leaf is a particularly good place to look for damage, with yellowing, stippling or wilting. In addition, a directed stream of water early in the day can help to wash away damaging residues. A general-purpose insecticide, such as neem oil or horticultural soap, may be used. Organic insecticides include the use of extracts from plant oils, natural substances such as pyrethrins or rotenone.

Rodents

Rodents are a serious pest control problem that can threaten the health and safety of people and property. Their gnawing can destroy structures, lead to fires and cause costly damage to electrical wiring, gas lines and other infrastructure. And their droppings contaminate food and create unpleasant odors. They also carry diseases such as rat plague and can play host to parasitic insects that transmit other disease-causing pathogens. Thousands of people are bitten by rodents each year, and many more develop asthma when exposed to rodent dander and fur.

Rodents can enter buildings through drains and sewer systems, sewer manholes and other open access points. They can also enter through openings around doors, windows and vents, as well as through cracks and crevices. Since rodents are prodigious breeders, one rodent can quickly become an infestation. Sealing off entry points can help prevent them from entering.

Rodents eat seeds, fruits, grains, meat and garbage. They also eat roots and bark, which can lead to plant dieback. Their urine and feces can contaminate water sources, and their gnawing can break pipes, cause fires and degrade foundations.

A key to successful rodent management is a thorough understanding of pest species ecology and ethology. This facilitates the development of ecologically based rodent management (EBRM) that avoids the heavy use of chemicals and secondary exposure risks. One aspect of this is a mapping of a pest’s “landscape of fear,” or the spatial variation in foraging costs associated with the risk of predation.

Rodents are opportunistic and tend to forage near their shelters, so reducing shelter availability can improve baiting and trapping efficiency. Regularly emptying garbage cans and storing food in rodent-proof containers can also reduce attraction. The use of traps and baits can be enhanced by sanitation and exclusion strategies, all of which should be part of a comprehensive Integrated Pest Management program. This includes implementing door sweeps, closing gaps around utility lines and installing one-way valves in toilets to prevent rodents from entering through sewer systems. Program information can be distributed through community meetings, educational sessions, brochures, flyers and inclusion in city mailings such as utility bills.

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are wingless, blood-sucking insects that prefer warm, secluded places like mattresses and beds. Their flat bodies let them slip into narrow spaces, and their nocturnal habits help them go unnoticed by people asleep at night. They can breed quickly, and each female can lay hundreds of eggs in her lifetime. Bed bugs are often associated with hotels and other lodging establishments, but they can live in homes and apartments as well.

Once a bed bug problem develops, it can be extremely difficult to eliminate without the help of pest control professionals. Using proper IPM, preventive measures, and approved pesticides, it is possible to eliminate most infestations.

Vacuuming bed bug prone areas daily is a crucial first step in reducing a bed bug problem. Use a vacuum that has a HEPA filter to avoid spreading the insects and their waste materials throughout your home. HEPA filters are especially useful for households with family members who have allergies or asthma.

Laundering infested sheets and clothing regularly helps eliminate bed bugs, as well. Items that can’t be washed or dried may be steamed, heated in a special chamber or placed in the freezer (see resources). Steamers, which are available at hardware stores and big box stores, are effective for most items.

When a bed bug infestation is identified, it is important to contact a pest management professional as soon as possible to develop a treatment plan. A pest management professional will inspect your living spaces for evidence of bed bugs, and will provide you with a list of preparations to complete before treatment begins.

These steps can include separating treated from untreated rooms, removing and double-bagging clothes and shoes that can’t be washed or treated, and applying a dusting of a special powder called diatomaceous earth (DE) around the outside of your home. Be sure to only use DE labeled for insects, and wear a mask when applying it.

Properly trained and handled, bed bug detecting dogs are also sometimes used to help find and isolate a bed bug infestation in structures or units that would be hard for humans to examine thoroughly. EPA-approved pesticides can then be applied to the cracks and crevices where the bugs are harboring.

Termites

Termites are wood-eating insects that infest homes and other structures throughout the United States. A single colony of subterranean termites can cause $5 billion in damage each year. Because of this damage, many homeowners’ insurance policies exclude termite damage. Termites are drawn to wood in contact with the soil and often enter houses through cracks and gaps in foundation walls or through vents. There are several types of termites in California, but those of most interest to homeowners are the species within the genera Reticulitermes, Heterotermes, and Coptotermes.

Depending on the type of termite, immature forms fill one of three roles: workers, soldiers, or reproductives. Workers and soldiers are responsible for search and collection of food, constructing mud tubes, and caring for the colony’s young. Reproductives are the mated pairs that initiate new colonies by flying in a nuptial flight. After mating, a queen produces thousands of eggs each day while a king regulates the reproduction process.

Because these insects feed by consuming cellulose, which is found in plant matter, the members of a termite colony are mutually dependent. To ensure a constant supply of food, the termites share their gut contents through a special transfer mechanism called trophallaxis. This system also allows for the distribution of chemicals involved in caste regulation and the sharing of cellulose-digesting protozoans.

In addition to feeding, termites protect themselves by constructing a network of galleries in the ground. These galleries serve as a shelter from sunlight and predators, and provide foraging routes to wood that may be above ground. Because of this, soil treatment is essential for effective termite control.

While some products can be purchased over the counter, effective termite control requires a professional inspection and an integrated approach combining habitat modification, exclusion, wood removal, and chemical treatments. In general, liquid applications of pesticides in the form of drenches or injections are most commonly used for subterranean termite control.

When choosing a pest control company to perform a termite treatment, carefully review contract terms and prices as there is great variation between companies. Ask for verification of licensure with the State Pest Control Board (SPCS). Inquire about whether the company offers a warranty and what conditions could void it.