Columbia MO Pest Control is the management of pests to reduce their damage to plants and other things humans value. It can involve prevention, suppression, or eradication.

Natural forces influence pest populations, causing them to rise and fall. These include climate, natural enemies, and availability of food and shelter.

Biological controls reduce pest populations by using predators, parasites, and pathogens. They are often combined with pheromones and juvenile hormones.

Rats

Rats are a serious nuisance pest that can be found everywhere there is food and water. They contaminate foods and can cause disease in humans and pets. They damage buildings by chewing on materials such as wood, drywall, and electrical wires. They are very agile climbers and will nest above ground in shrubs, trees, or dense vegetation like ivy. Rats can also devastate commercial agricultural crops, costing farmers massive losses.

Rat control requires a multi-faceted approach including sanitation, trapping, baiting and proofing. Educating the public is an important component of any successful rat control program. This includes advising the public to not feed wild birds and to bring all bird seed indoors at night. Proper trash disposal is crucial, and all compost and garbage should be tightly sealed and stored in rodent-proof containers. Keeping the property clean is also key to preventing rats from accessing your home and other buildings. This includes removing all clutter, and stacks of wood and other materials which may be used to create shelter for rats and other rodents.

The most effective method of rat control is to prevent them from entering in the first place. This can be done by rat proofing the property and reducing available food, water and shelter sources. This can be accomplished by storing all food in rodent-proof containers, picking up any fallen fruits or vegetables and moving pet food dishes inside at night.

Cockroaches

Cockroaches are among the most troublesome pests that infest homes. They can contaminate food, kitchen utensils, and appliances with their droppings and secretions, and they may also transmit diseases. They feed on a variety of plant and animal-based foods and non-living things, including wood, paper, twigs, dung, and other insects. In extreme infestations, cockroaches are even known to bite humans.

In general, cockroaches are attracted to dark, damp areas where they can hide, breed, and feed. Removing hiding spots indoors and outdoors can help to deter them. Sweep and mop surfaces often, especially floors and behind and under stoves, refrigerators, and sinks. Clean up crumbs and spills promptly, and store food in airtight containers. Empty garbage and trash cans frequently, and secure lids on outdoor containers. Reduce or eliminate sources of moisture such as puddles, water leaks, and foundation plantings. Remove outdoor pet dishes and reduce the amount of food left out at night.

Indoors, use a combination of traps, bait stations, and insecticide sprays to target cockroach populations. Residual sprays containing boric acid, pyrethroids, or acetamiprid will provide quick knockdown, while baits with abamectin, hydramethylnon, fipronil, indoxacarb, or acetamiprid offer long-lasting control. Use diatomaceous earth or silica aerogel in crawl spaces, attics, and wall voids to kill cockroaches that have made their way inside. Consider using caulking and weather-stripping to seal entry points into your home. These steps will allow other roach control methods to be more effective.

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are parasitic insects of the genus Cimex that feed on blood. They become active at night and pierce skin to bite, drawing blood. Their bites can result in rashes and psychological effects, and some people are allergic to them. In addition to their annoyance, they can transmit diseases to humans and pets.

Bed bug infestations occur in homes and apartments, but usually are not restricted to bedrooms. They may travel to other rooms and buildings by hitching a ride in luggage, purses, or clothes. Bed bugs are very difficult to control and require a comprehensive approach.

Cooperation by occupants is essential during treatment for bed bugs. This involves removing all belongings from infested rooms, separating treated from untreated items, and helping the pest control professional to treat all areas of a room and building. Excess clutter can provide many places for the pests to hide and can impede the inspection and treatment process. It is important to discard soiled and infested bedding and upholstered furniture or encase them in plastic if they cannot be cleaned.

Vacuum all floors and furniture, including the area around beds, at least once a week. Wash upholstered items, bedding, and curtains in hot water frequently. Seal cracks in baseboards, furniture, and electrical outlets with caulk to limit hiding places for the pests. Vacuuming and washing regularly helps keep the infestation under control and will minimize the need for pesticides.

Fleas

Fleas are tiny wingless parasitic creatures that live off blood, usually that of dogs or other animals. They find new hosts by sensing body heat and movement, or through the smell of a host’s breath. When a flea finds its target, it jumps onto the animal and attaches itself with mouthparts to suck blood for a few seconds. After that, it falls off and lays its eggs in the environment. The cycle begins again.

Flea prevention is best achieved by washing all pet bedding in hot soapy water and vacuuming frequently to disrupt the life cycles. Vacuuming with a bag or bagless canister (with hot, soapy water) removes 95% of flea eggs, larvae and cocoons. Carpets, throw rugs and furniture (including beneath sofa cushions where pets sleep) should all be treated with an insecticide that contains both an adulticide to kill the adults quickly and an insect growth regulator to prevent hatching of future generations. Treatment of outdoor areas, such as animal pens and doghouses, is also important. In addition, removal of leaf and brush piles outdoors can help reduce the flea’s ability to hide, as well as limiting raccoons, opossums, squirrels, and skunks from accessing crawl spaces in and around homes.

Heavy infestations may require the services of a pest control specialist who can apply a spray treatment to the indoor and outdoor areas of the home at intervals that interrupt the life cycles of the fleas. A number of additional steps are often required as part of this process, including screening or sealing crawl space openings and cutting tall grass to discourage wildlife from hiding in the area.

Wasps

Wasps, despite their painful stings, are beneficial insects that help to pollinate flowers and feed on nuisance bugs that can damage plants. However, they can also be a nuisance when their nests get near your home or children. Luckily, you can keep wasps away from your house by making sure your yard is free of food scraps and open trash cans. Also be sure to close any doors or windows that aren’t needed, and fix cracks, tears and leaks around the house.

You can also create a natural wasp repellent by using a combination of clove, geranium and lemon grass essential oils. Add a few drops of each oil to a spray bottle of water, and use the solution to spray areas where wasps are likely to build nests. It’s best to treat at dusk or dawn, when the wasps are less active. Always wear gloves and long sleeves and pants when attacking a wasp’s nest, and be sure to spray all parts of the nest.

If you’ve successfully removed a wasp nest, be sure to spray the area yearly. Wasps spread pheromones in the area when they feel threatened, and these pheromones can attract other wasps to the same spot. Re-treating the area will mask the pheromones and discourage new wasps from building a nest there. If you’re unable to remove a wasp nest from your property, contact a pest control professional for help.

Ants

Ants are insects that are related to bees and wasps. Unlike most other pests, they do not cause structural damage or transmit diseases. Many ants create colonies in the ground, in rotting wood, leaf litter or other protected areas. They also nest in the walls and roof eaves of buildings, and some species build satellite nests in grass. The most commonly encountered ant in homes is the carpenter ant, which nests in moist wood. Most ants entering buildings are foraging from outdoor colonies. A perimeter treatment of liquid insecticides (typically the pyrethroids bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, deltamethrin or lambda cyhalothrin) can inhibit ant entry. Perimeter sprays, however, do not control ants that enter homes from below ground nest openings in foundations.

Most ant problems can be controlled by eliminating the outdoor ants that are invading the house. Outdoor ant colonies may be controlled by applying a dust formulation of pheromones or an ant bait containing a sweet substance, such as sugar or a protein that will attract ants and kill them. Bait products, available from pest control firms and some hardware stores, have the advantage of providing longer residual control than do barrier sprays.

For occasional indoor infestations, a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar in a spray bottle can repel ants. Spray it at ant entry points, such as doors and windows, or wherever ants are seen in the house. Vacuuming up ant trails and wiping them with soapy water can also discourage ants.