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Pest control has developed quite significantly over the years and is moving more towards safe methods and products with natural ingredients, learning from its mistakes of the past where toxic chemicals featured prominently.
The emphasis has thus shifted more towards safety, with organic pest control and methods involving the use of 100% natural products at the forefront. New pest control products are always popping up on the shelves of supermarkets and online stores, who seem to have caught on to the rising popularity of do it yourself pest control.
Services specialising in pest control are still busy, even though they may have lost some business to the DIY market. 2011 saw the rise of one of the worst bed bug epidemics in recorded history, particularly in the United States. Although often rather costly, most homeowners aren't capable of handling pests once a serious infestation has occurred and in these circumstances they call a professional service to assist.
One pest of particular concern and which often requires professional attention is the Termite, which in great numbers has catastrophic potential. When these little wood eaters are left undisturbed in a home, they are quite capable of reducing it to rubble,
Generally speaking, small to moderate infestations are usually capable of being handled by simple DIY techniques. While these methods often take up a lot of time and may require considerable effort, they do get the job done if done properly and are much cheaper than hiring exterminators, who often charge up to $500 per room.
The most appropriate pest control method in a particular situation, and any pest control products used in the implementation of that method, will depend on the type of pest in question. Typically however, a pest control campaign involve at least one of two things, namely, the application of some type of poison and/or the deployment of a trap designed to attract the pest and subsequently kill it either by starvation or poisoning.
There is however, another technique which in today's world of environmental awareness and aversion to toxic chemicals is fast becoming popular. What this method involves is introducing into the pests' living space, other living creatures, referred to as 'beneficial creatures', that in the natural order of things feed on the pests. This method is attractive because it provides a solution to pest problems that is self-sufficient and which does not require application of insecticides. Many are also attracted to the idea of approaching problems naturally and without manmade substances.
In a gardening context, predators which prey on garden pests are called ‘beneficial insects' and they are a tremendous help in keeping pest populations in check. Lady bugs are very successful predators of mites and aphids, a common garden pest. Some birds are also great for dealing with the larger pests like slugs.
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