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Physical Controls in Structures
- Thermal Controls (heat and cold treatment)
- Electrocution (zappers)
- Microwave suspect materials
Using energy factors in the environment such as heat, cold, light, sound, x-rays, infrared rays, etc., to kill pests or attract them to a killing mechanism
Direct Control
- Hand picking, killing individually
- Some Traps
- Vacuums
- Hoeing
- Shooting
Removing pests by hand or using mechanical devices to trap, kill, or keep out individuals
In Structures, Direct Control Using Traps
Often Relies on Effective Trap Placement
- Place close to walls, behind objects in dark corners, wherever pest activity seen.
- Place them so that pests following normal travel (usually close to a wall) will pass directly over the trigger.
- Leave traps untriggered until the bait has been taken at least once prevents rats or mice becoming trap-shy.
- Baits compete with other food sources.
Problems with Mechanical Control
- Generally more practical in small areas than large ones.
- Labor intensive
- Cumbersome (e.g. must remember where traps are located & service them)
- Inefficient (removes only a small portion of pest population)
- Often viewed as inhumane
- Traps are more useful as a monitoring procedure.
Pest Invasions and Legislative Prevention
The main sections of this chapter
- Invasion and introduction mechanisms
- Regulatory premise
- Pest risk assessment
- Exclusion & early detection
- Containment, control, eradication
Invasion Mechanisms -- Intentional
- New crop plants
- New ornamental plants
- New animal food sources
- Erosion control
- Biological control
- Misguided or lack of knowledge
- Discarding unwanted organisms
- Malicious intent
Basic Concepts of Regulatory Control
- Main premise – All of the previous
mechanisms are a result of human
behavior. Laws modify that.
- It is almost all preventative
- Regulatory Control Defined: All forms of
legislation and regulation that may
prevent the establishment or slow the
spread of a pest population.
Regulated Pests
- “Regulated Pest” – One official control
and thus specifically identified, in laws or
in regulations, whose establishment,
propagation, or movement is facilitated by
human actions which are therefore
prohibited or outlawed.
- Two Kinds of Regulated Pests
- Quarantine Pest – Not present in the regulated area
- Regulated Non-Quarantine Pest – One whose presence/occurrence is regulated.
Major Laws
- Emphasize the regulations & laws sections on pp. 230 – 232. Be especially familiar with federal laws (pp. 231 – 232)
- State Regulations are often modeled after generic versions by the National Plant Board
- Example of a state quarantine: Sudden Oak Death in Kentucky
Regulatory Tactics – 4 Categories
1. Prevention of Entry
2. Eradication – 2 steps
- Domestic Quarantine
- Eradication
3. Retardation – Often used when
eradication fails
4. Mitigation of Losses
Quarantine continued
- Quarantine Costs: Inspection, compliance, eradication
- Quarantine Value
- Buy time for eradication/control development
- Keep initial pest populations small
- Restricts biotypes of initial populations
- Responses to intercepted pests – Costs borne by owner
- Goods returned
- Goods destroyed
- Goods may be held in isolation for confirmation
- Goods may be treated (usually fumigation)
Quarantine Examples
- Citrus Canker in Florida – Spatio-temporal
map shows the quarantine is a losing
battle
- Golden Nematode in NY – Quarantined
successfully since before WWII
- Mediterranean Fruit Fly – On-going battle
