subject: How Effective Is Traditional Pest Control Method Nowadays [print this page] In many cases, there are steps pesticide users can take before they have a pest problem to prevent the need for pesticides. When a pest problem such as an insect infestation is identified, pesticide users often have a choice among different solutions to their pest problems. These pest control strategies present different levels of risk to human health and the environment.
Pesticides also are used in other settings such as our homes and schools to control pests as common as cockroaches, termites, and mice.
When houses and yards are kept clean, there is no food for pests and nowhere for them to live and breed, and this in turn means that there are few pests. This is the old way approach to control pest through sanitation.
Pests can be controlled by practising good hygiene in the following ways:
Clean up after meals. Put food scraps in the bin, and wash and dry plates, cups, glasses, cutlery and cooking pots after use.
Put all rubbish into the bin
Wrap all food scraps tightly in paper before putting them in the bin
Keep all the benches, cupboards and floors clean and free of food scraps
Regularly clean behind stoves, refrigerators and other household appliances
Keep food in containers with tight-fitting lids
Use the toilet properly. Make sure that all urine and faeces goes into the pedestal pan and that the toilet is flushed after use. Toilet paper is the only kind of paper that should be flushed down the toilet.
Make sure the toilet is clean and the cistern works correctly
Make sure that all septic tanks and leach drains are well sealed
Make sure that the community rubbish tip is operated correctly with the rubbish being buried regularly
Use flyscreens to stop pests entering the house and seal holes around pipes
There is little point to having a pesticide program to control domestic pests if the relevant hygiene factors are not addressed as well. The pests will soon return if good hygiene is not maintained.
Biological control methods
Biological control methods can also be used to control pests. These methods include using natural enemies of the pest and biologically interfering with their ability to breed. Pesticides are not used.
Two examples of biological control methods are:
the use of Australian native fish to feed on mosquito larvae in water bodies
the use of the dung beetle to break down and bury cow faeces so that it is no longer available as a breeding place for flies
Originally designed for agriculture, IPM is also being used as a model for reducing the risk associated with pesticide use in other settings such as homes and schools. The IPM systemconsists of four steps:
setting action thresholds;
monitoring and identifying pests;
preventing pests; and
controlling pests when necessary.
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