A pest control business provides services that protect people and property from insects, rodents, and other critters. It can be an excellent career choice for someone who enjoys working outdoors.

Local and state laws determine pest control professionals’ licensing, certification, and insurance requirements. Most pest control businesses earn their income through ongoing subscription fees. Contact Bakersfield Pest Control now!

Insects are the most common animals on the planet. They scuttle, flit and buzz, with 10 quintillion of them (that’s a 10 followed by 18 noughts) living on Earth at any time – about a billion for every person. Insects are members of the phylum arthropoda, which also includes crustaceans and arachnids (millipedes and centipedes).

Insectivores, predators and pollinators, insects play important roles in ecosystems and provide food for humans and other creatures. However, some insect species can cause problems for people by transmitting disease or damaging crops.

Many insect pests are controlled by predators and parasitoids. These insects develop on or in a host, attacking and killing it or taking its place. In addition, plant diseases and weeds often are kept in check by beneficial insects that feed on them or their larvae.

The use of chemical pesticides can damage insects by contaminating their habitats, food sources and breeding sites. Insecticides can also build up in the environment and have long-term impacts. Insect populations have also been affected by climate change, deforestation and urbanization.

Some insect pests attack only a few species of plants, while others are considered generalists and feed on a variety of flowers, leaves, stems and roots. The vast majority of insects are beneficial, such as ground beetles that reduce crop weeds and help improve soil conditions; dung beetles that break down and bury animal waste and reduce methane emissions on dairy farms; and spider mites that help to keep populations of harmful insects in check.

Public health professionals should ensure that effective cultural, mechanical, and chemical controls are in place to protect people from insects. They should also work along supply chains to ensure that insect safety and welfare standards are met. These include ensuring that feeding and watering are sufficient, that stocking density is appropriate, and that there is adequate ventilation, lighting and cleanliness in rearing facilities. They should also ensure that proper euthanasia methods are used to avoid injury or distress.

Rodents

Rodents are some of the most feared pests. They project an image of filth and uncleanliness and a sighting of one or more rats at a home, business or other structure often leads to serious concerns for the health and safety of family members, employees, customers, residents, or tenants. Rodents also damage property, contaminate food, and create health hazards by spreading diseases.

Rodents cause damage by chewing on wire, destroying furniture and storage material, ruining insulation and creating fire hazards. They soil food with urine and feces, and gnaw through soft objects to sharpen their front teeth.

The most significant threat of rodents is that they carry disease-causing pathogens and transmit them to people. Rodents can directly transmit diseases via feces, saliva or blood, or they can indirectly spread them through ticks, mites, fleas and mosquitos that feed on rodents and then bite humans.

Diseases transmitted by rodents include Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, Chapare Hemorrhagic Fever, Argentine Hemorrhagic Fever and Venezuelan Hemorrhagic Fever. The risk of illness is greatest for individuals with compromised immune systems, but everyone should take precautions to prevent contact with rodents and their droppings.

Rats have a reputation for being dirty animals, but they actually practice good grooming and spend hours licking themselves clean to keep their fur free of lice and fleas. Rodents can also be intelligent and can run mazes in their sleep, possibly to help them learn travel routes. In January 2015, an international “Rat Team” set sail from the Falkland Islands for South Georgia to eradicate a plague of rats that had killed 90% of the island’s seabirds.

To reduce the occurrence of rats, clean up clutter and garbage in and around buildings. Store garbage in hard plastic rat-resistant containers with tight-fitting lids and bring it to the curb as close to pick-up time as possible. Keep vegetation and shrubs trimmed away from building walls and foundations, and control weeds. Check for signs of rodents, including greasy rub marks on walls and doors, gnaw marks, runways in grass or earthen areas and holes under or through sidewalks or building foundations.

Weeds

Weeds are plants that interfere with the goals of crops, livestock and human activities. The word derives from the Middle English word weede, meaning “unwanted” or “intrusive.” In agricultural terms, a weed is a plant that is growing in an area where it is not wanted and competing for space, sunlight and water with crop plants. If left unchecked, weeds can choke out desired vegetation and cause crop failure and loss of income and food supplies.

Farmers and gardeners use a variety of weed control strategies, including preventive approaches, cultural (hand weeding), mechanical (mowing and cultivation) and chemical (herbicides) controls. In some cases, combining several of these methods is necessary for effective pest control.

Some serious weeds are invasive species that have spread from a few nearby garden gardens into surrounding farmland and natural ecosystems, such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa), clover (Trifolium spp.) and Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus annuus). Others have developed adaptive traits such as high tolerance to stress conditions, low or excessive levels of certain nutrient elements in the soil, or the effects of repeated grazing or tillage. Those characteristics make them especially difficult to eradicate once they become established in an area.

It is important for growers to understand that many weeds have attributes that can be desirable in a certain context. For example, in a home vegetable garden, the presence of some weeds can help maintain a healthy microclimate, encouraging beneficial insects that will assist in control of pest populations.

Some weeds may also provide an alternative floral resource for pollinators during times when desired crops are not flowering. This is particularly important in organic production systems where insect pollination of crop plants is critical for good fruit and vegetable yields. Additionally, the presence of weeds near fields can help sustain parasitoids that provide biological control of unwanted crop pests. Research continues to explore how specific weed-crop and weed-soil-microbe interactions impact pest and disease suppression, pest emergence and pollinator abundance. These factors will be important in guiding the development of more effective tactics for sustainable integrated pest management (IPM) systems.

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs require a warm host to survive, and that is why they are often found in hotels, motels, apartments and homes. They feed at night and hide during the day in crevices and depressions, including mattresses, box springs, bed frames, nightstands, furniture, baseboards, carpet edging, door and window frames, picture frames, smoke detectors, electrical switches and outlets, and cracks and crevices.

Bed bug bites may be mistaken for mosquito bites and can cause itchy skin reactions in some people. Some people may develop red rashes around the bites, and infected bites can become more serious. A pest control professional can help identify the bugs and recommend treatments that should be used in conjunction with exclusion of the wild hosts, such as bats or birds (contact Illinois Department of Natural Resources for guidelines on bird and bat exclusion).

Thorough inspections are important in determining the extent of an infestation. Professionals typically inspect sleeping areas, but also resting places such as couches, chairs and closets. During the inspection, attention should be paid to all possible hiding places, particularly as bed bugs and their young (nymphs and eggs) can fit into very tiny cracks and crevices.

In addition to a thorough inspection, the use of insecticides is important in controlling a bed bug infestation. Liquid and dust formulations can be applied directly to the voids harboring bed bugs. For the majority of bed bug infestations, hiring an experienced pest management professional is preferable to trying to manage the problem on your own with store-bought aerosol “bug bombs” or other space sprays. These products are often ineffective against well-hidden insects and can pose a fire or explosion hazard if improperly used.

Clutter and personal belongings should be minimized during a bed bug treatment, as they provide additional hiding places for the bugs. Discarding severely infested furniture and re-encasing it with plastic might be necessary in some instances. In offices, schools and libraries, small numbers spotted on furnishings and fixtures should prompt action, but usually do not warrant closure of rooms or the evacuation of staff and patrons.