The Basics of Green Pest Control

Green pest control does not mean ineffective pest control; rather, it is all about integrated pest management, or IPM. A pest control company that embraces IPM believes prevention, client awareness and education, and building inspections are all as important as controlling pests.
What Green Pest Control Is
Integrated pest management begins with learning how and why a pest entered a home or building. Professionals in this field are knowledgeable about the life cycle of pests and their preferred nesting locations. Thus, they are able to use innovative pest prevention techniques that are the least hazardous to plant life, property, pets and people.
IPM uses common sense practices in coordination with environmentally sensitive chemicals. For example, instead of using harmful chemicals to prevent the return of a pest, pest control specialists may install preventative materials such as new window and door screens, fresh caulking, new door sweeps, and so on. The professionals may also set up traps to learn about additional areas a pest may live or install solar powered repellants as an alternative to using harmful chemicals.
The Benefits of Green Pest Control
Pest control products that are green are made of organic and natural ingredients. Additionally, these products are engineered to be biodegradable and equally as effective as their non-green counterparts.
Green pest management practices help promote the health and structure of plants, as they provide a biologically based alternative to chemical sprays. The control tactics used in IPM are benign and therefore reduce the environmental risk often associated with traditional pest management, such as ground water contamination. IPM also helps reduce the risk of an infestation and is a cost effective solution.
How It Works
Rather than spray a multi-purpose pesticide all over an infested property, IPM experts use a process that sets an Inhaled Pesticide Fumes action threshold, monitors the pests in order to identify them, prevents their return and uses control methods.
When an action threshold is set, the professional learns how large an infestation is, how much of a danger the pests pose, and determines the type of immediate action needed.
When an IPM professional monitors pests, he is making sure he is identifying the pest correctly. Proper identification of a pest helps ensure the right types of pesticides are used, but pesticides are avoided if they are not needed.
Prevention of pest invasions is one of the key components to green pest control. IPM includes identifying and correcting problems that make a home or building welcoming to pests. Prevention is cost effective and does not risk the health of individuals or the earth.
If pest prevention methods are ineffective by themselves, control methods are required. When professionals implement a control method, they first evaluate it for risk and effectiveness. Methods that pose the least risk, such as traps or the use of pheromones to disrupt mating, are used first. If the thresholds in place indicate these methods are not effective, the control process then moves to the use of pesticides in targeted areas.
What …

Green Pest Control Methods for Your Home

There are green options are everywhere you turn these days. Taking care of the environment is a part of most people’s everyday lives. From recycling our water bottles and newspapers to reducing waste whenever possible and reusing much of what once was thoughtlessly dumped in landfills. Today there are even many green pest control alternatives.
We no longer have to resort to using harsh or dangerous chemicals to keep our homes free of pests. There are effective alternatives for eradicating pests and prevent recurrent infestations. Here are a few of the choices the environmentally conscious consumer has for pest control management.
Prevention
Preventing pest infestation from occurring in the first place is always the greenest method of pest control. There are a number of methods that can be used to prevent pests from gaining access to your home. If you don’t personally have the time or skill to practice these methods, consider hiring a qualified handyman to help you.
– Caulking. Making sure your windows are caulked will keep flies and spiders out as well as ants, roaches and many other insects.
– Screens. A tightly meshed window screen will let air circulate but will also keep bed bugs out. Screens can also be used in attics to keep rodents from getting inside to nest and reproduce.
– Cleanliness. Basic housekeeping jobs can be surprisingly effective pest control techniques. Vacuuming Common Vegetable Garden Pests will pick up many common pests. Keeping the floors swept will eliminate food sources, too.
Treatment
Despite the best preventative measure, sometimes treatment is necessary to get rid of a pest problem. However, you can stay green while treating for pests. Your exterminator should give you options and information to make the best choice for you home. Here are a few of the options that may be made available to you.
– Mechanical measures. Traps and barriers are two methods of mechanical pest control measures. You can trap an animal and relocate it and you can set up barrier to keep it from reentering the home.
– Cultural control. This means altering the environment to deter pest or convince them to relocate on their own. Moving Pet Safe Bug Spray For Yard a woodpile away from the house so termites choose a different feeding ground is one example of cultural control.
– Targeted treatments. You may have to use some type of treatment to completely eradicate a dangerous or damaging pest. However, if you hire an environmentally sensitive company then they can target the treatment to as small an area as possible. They may also be able to use detergent sprays instead of toxic chemicals.
Ask what green options your pest control company uses to help keep you and your home safe and healthy.
Hopper Environmental Services employs the Green First programs. Hopper relies more on non-chemical steps in managing pests. Find out more information on Green First and Hopper Environmental Services today!…