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{{short description|Control of harmful species}}
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{{use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}

[[File:Crop Duster.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|An [[agricultural aircraft]] applies low-insecticide bait against [[western corn rootworm]].]]
'''Pest control''' is the regulation or management of a [[species]] defined as a [[pest (organism)|pest]]; such as any animal, plant or fungus that impacts adversely on human activities or environment.<ref>Elliott, N. C., Farrell, J. A., Gutierrez, A. P., van Lenteren, J. C., Walton, M. P., & Wratten, S. (1995). ''Integrated pest management''. Springer Science & Business Media.</ref> The human response depends on the importance of the damage done and will range from tolerance, through deterrence and management, to attempts to completely eradicate the pest. Pest control measures may be performed as part of an [[integrated pest management]] strategy.

In agriculture, pests are kept at bay by [[Mechanical pest control|mechanical]], [[tillage|cultural]], [[pesticide|chemical]] and [[biological pest control |biological]] means.<ref>Dent, D., & Binks, R. H. (2020). ''Insect pest management''. Cabi.</ref> Ploughing and cultivation of the soil before sowing mitigate the pest burden, and crop rotation helps to reduce the build-up of a certain pest species. Concern about environment means limiting the use of pesticides in favour of other methods. This can be achieved by monitoring the crop, only applying [[Pesticide|pesticides]] when necessary, and by growing [[Variety (botany)|varieties]] and [[Crop|crops]] which are resistant to pests. Where possible, biological means are used, encouraging the natural enemies of the pests and introducing suitable [[Predation|predators]] or [[Parasitism|parasites]].<ref>Flint, M. L., & Van den Bosch, R. (2012). ''Introduction to integrated pest management''. Springer Science & Business Media.</ref>

In homes and urban environments, the pests are the [[Rodent|rodents]], [[Bird|birds]], [[Insect|insects]] and other organisms that share the habitat with humans, and that feed on or spoil possessions. Control of these pests is attempted through exclusion or [[quarantine]], repulsion, physical removal or chemical means.<ref>Gerozisis, J., Hadlington, P. W., & Staunton, I. (2008). ''Urban pest management in Australia''. UNSW Press.</ref> Alternatively, various methods of biological control can be used including sterilisation programmes.

==History==
[[File: Bronze Saite era art of an Egyptian cat in the Gulbenkian Museum.jpg|thumb|left|Bronze cat, Ancient Egypt. (664–525 BC)]]

Pest control is at least as old as [[agriculture]], as there has always been a need to keep crops free from pests. As long ago as 3000 BC in Egypt, [[cats]] were used to control pests of grain stores such as rodents.<ref>Taylor, D., ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20150615032605/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Cc5BM_aPegkC&pg=PA9&dq=pest+cat+rats&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CD8Q6AEwBDgUahUKEwixhYr7qojGAhUQF9sKHbHbABE#v=onepage&q=pest%20cat%20rats&f=false The Complete Contented Cat: Your Ultimate Guide to Feline Fulfilment]'', David & Charles, 2011, p.9. Archived [https://books.google.com/books?id=Cc5BM_aPegkC&dq=pest+cat+rats&pg=PA9 from the Original]{{Dead link|date=August 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Beadle |first=Muriel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tnjgqpNKYksC&dq=pest+cat+rats&pg=PA96 |title=Cat |date=1979-10-29 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-0-671-25190-1 |language=en}}</ref> [[Ferret]]s were domesticated by 1500 BC in Europe for use as mousers. [[Mongoose]]s were introduced into homes to control rodents and snakes, probably by the [[ancient Egypt]]ians.<ref>Sherman, D.M., [https://books.google.com/books?id=J6oxHWOnRgoC&dq=pest+snakes+cats&pg=PA45 ''Tending Animals in the Global Village: A Guide to International Veterinary Medicine'', John Wiley & Sons, 2007, p. 45.]</ref>

The conventional approach was probably the first to be employed, since it is comparatively easy to destroy weeds by burning them or ploughing them under, and to kill larger competing herbivores. Techniques such as [[crop rotation]], [[companion planting]] (also known as intercropping or mixed cropping), and the [[selective breeding]] of pest-resistant [[cultivar]]s have a long history.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Chrispeels, Maarten J.|author2=Sadava, David E.|title=Plants, Genes, and Agriculture |url=https://archive.org/details/plantsgenesagric0000chri |url-access=registration|year=1994 |publisher=Jones and Bartlett Publishers |isbn=978-0-86720-871-9 |page=[https://archive.org/details/plantsgenesagric0000chri/page/452 452]}}</ref>

[[File:Red weaver ants (Oecophylla smaragdina) feeding on a dead African giant snail (Achatina fulica) - journal.pone.0060797.g001-F.png|thumb|[[Oecophylla smaragdina|Red weaver ants]], here feeding on a [[Lissachatina fulica|snail]], have been used to control pests in China, Southeast Asia, and Africa for many centuries.]]

Chemical [[pesticide]]s were first used around 2500 BC, when the [[Sumer]]ians used [[sulphur]] compounds as [[insecticide]]s.<ref name=Cornell/> Modern pest control was stimulated by the spread across the United States of the [[Colorado potato beetle]]. After much discussion, [[Paris green|arsenical]] compounds were used to control the beetle and the predicted poisoning of the human population did not occur. This led the way to a widespread acceptance of insecticides across the continent.<ref name=Emden>{{cite book|author=van Emden, Helmut F. |title=Pest Control|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YERHFpj5BgUC |year=1991 |publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-42788-3 |pages=1–4}}</ref> With the [[industrialisation]] and [[mechanization]] of agriculture in the 18th and 19th centuries, and the introduction of the insecticides [[pyrethrum]] and [[derris]], chemical pest control became widespread. In the 20th century, the discovery of several synthetic [[insecticide]]s, such as [[DDT]], and [[herbicide]]s boosted this development.<ref name=Emden/>

The harmful side effect of pesticides on humans has now resulted in the development of newer approaches, such as the use of [[Biological pest control|biological control]] to eliminate the ability of pests to reproduce or to modify their behavior to make them less troublesome.{{cn|date=August 2024}} Biological control is first recorded around 300 AD in China, when colonies of weaver ants, ''[[Oecophylla smaragdina]]'', were intentionally placed in [[citrus]] plantations to control beetles and caterpillars.<ref name=Cornell>{{cite web |title=The History of Integrated Pest Management |url=https://courses.cit.cornell.edu/ipm444/lec-notes/extra/ipm-history.html |publisher=Cornell University |access-date=27 August 2017}} which cites {{cite journal |first=G.B. |last=Orlob |date=1973 |title=Ancient and medieval plant pathology |journal=Pflanzenschutz-Nachrichten |volume=26 |pages=65–294}}</ref> Also around 4000 BC in China, [[duck]]s were used in paddy fields to consume pests, as illustrated in ancient cave art. In 1762, an Indian [[mynah]] was brought to Mauritius to control locusts, and about the same time, citrus trees in Burma were connected by bamboos to allow ants to pass between them and help control caterpillars. In the 1880s, [[ladybird]]s were used in citrus plantations in California to control [[scale insect]]s, and other biological control experiments followed. The introduction of DDT, a cheap and effective compound, put an effective stop to biological control experiments. By the 1960s, problems of resistance to chemicals and damage to the environment began to emerge, and biological control had a renaissance. Chemical pest control is still the predominant type of pest control today, although a renewed interest in traditional and biological pest control developed towards the end of the 20th century and continues to this day.<ref>{{cite book|author1=van Emden, H.F.|author2=Service, M.W.|title=Pest and Vector Control |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E97h4EV97KEC&pg=PA147 |year=2004 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-01083-2 |page=147}}</ref>
<!--[[File:Birds-seagull-donotfeed-amoswolfe.jpg|thumb|upright|Sign in Ilfracombe, England designed to help control [[seagull]] presence]]-->

==In agriculture==
===Control methods===
====Biological pest control====
{{main|Biological pest control}}
[[File:Cotesia9061.8.15.07.c.jpg|thumb|[[Biological pest control]]: [[parasitoid wasp]] (''[[Cotesia congregata]])'' adult with pupal cocoons on its host, a tobacco hornworm ''[[Manduca sexta]]'' (green background)]]

Biological pest control is a method of controlling pests such as [[insect]]s and [[mite]]s by [[bioeffector|using other organisms]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Flint, Maria Louise |author2=Dreistadt, Steve H. |editor=Clark, Jack K. |title=Natural Enemies Handbook: The Illustrated Guide to Biological Pest Control |publisher=University of California Press |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-520-21801-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FBJvpMqcV9UC |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160515072525/https://books.google.com/books?id=FBJvpMqcV9UC&printsec=frontcover |archive-date=15 May 2016 }}</ref> It relies on [[predation]], [[parasitism]], [[Herbivore|herbivory]], [[Parasitoid|parasitody]] or other natural mechanisms, but typically also involves an active human management role. Classical biological control involves the introduction of natural enemies of the pest that are bred in the laboratory and released into the environment. An alternative approach is to augment the natural enemies that occur in a particular area by releasing more, either in small, repeated batches, or in a single large-scale release. Ideally, the released organism will breed and survive, and provide long-term control.<ref>{{cite web|title=Augmentation: The Periodic Release of Natural Enemies |url=http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/mbcn/fea104.html |publisher=University of Wisconsin |access-date=27 August 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160317104655/http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/mbcn/fea104.html |archive-date=17 March 2016 }}</ref> Biological control can be an important component of an [[integrated pest management]] programme.

For example: mosquitoes are often controlled by putting ''Bt [[Bacillus thuringiensis]]'' ssp. ''israelensis'', a bacterium that infects and kills mosquito larvae, in local water sources.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05556.html|title=''Bacillus thuringienis'' Factsheet|publisher=[[Colorado State University]]|access-date=2 June 2010}}</ref> <!--needs rewrite from that article-->

====Cultural control====
[[File:Following the plough 3 - geograph.org.uk - 1019422.jpg|thumb|Cultivation by [[ploughing]] exposes insect pests to predators such as [[black-headed gull]]s.]]
[[File: Choristoneura fumiferana.jpg|thumb|[[Choristoneura fumiferana|Spruce budworm]] (adult and pupa shown), a serious pest of forests, can be monitored using [[pheromone trap]]s.]]
{{main|Mechanical pest control|Insect trap|Crop rotation}}
[[Mechanical pest control]] is the use of hands-on techniques as well as simple equipment and devices, that provides a [[Termite barrier|protective barrier]] between [[plant]]s and [[insect]]s. This is referred to as [[tillage]] and is one of the oldest methods of weed control as well as being useful for pest control; wireworms, the larvae of the [[Agriotes sputator|common click beetle]], are very destructive pests of newly ploughed grassland, and repeated cultivation exposes them to the birds and other predators that feed on them.<ref name=AgroAtlas>{{cite web |url=http://www.agroatlas.ru/en/content/pests/Agriotes_sputator/ |title=''Agriotes sputator'' L. - Common Click Beetle (Wireworm)|work=Interactive Agricultural Ecological Atlas of Russia and Neighboring Countries |access-date=27 August 2017}}</ref>

[[Crop rotation]] can help to control pests by depriving them of their [[Host (biology)|host plants]]. It is a major tactic in the control of [[Diabrotica|corn rootworm]], and has reduced early season incidence of [[Colorado potato beetle]] by as much as 95%.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Wright, R. j |date=1984 |title=Evaluation of crop rotation for control of Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in commercial potato fields on Long Island |journal=Journal of Economic Entomology |volume=77 |issue=5 |pages=1254–1259 |url=http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1103&context=entomologyfacpub |doi=10.1093/jee/77.5.1254}}</ref>

====Trap cropping====
{{main|Trap crop}}
A [[trap crop]] is a crop of a plant that attracts pests, diverting them from nearby crops.<ref name=":02">{{Cite journal |last1=Shelton |first1=A. M. |last2=Badenes-Perez|first2=F. R. |date=6 December 2005 |title=Concepts and applications of trap cropping in pest management |journal=Annual Review of Entomology |volume=51 |issue=1 |pages=285–308 |doi=10.1146/annurev.ento.51.110104.150959|pmid=16332213 }}</ref> Pests aggregated on the trap crop can be more easily controlled using pesticides or other methods.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last1=Holden |first1=Matthew H. |last2=Ellner |first2=Stephen P. |last3=Lee |first3=Doo-Hyung |last4=Nyrop |first4=Jan P. |last5=Sanderson |first5=John P. |date=1 June 2012 |title=Designing an effective trap cropping strategy: the effects of attraction, retention and plant spatial distribution |journal=Journal of Applied Ecology |volume=49 |issue=3 |pages=715–722 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2664.2012.02137.x|doi-access=free |bibcode=2012JApEc..49..715H }}</ref> However, trap-cropping, on its own, has often failed to cost effectively reduce pest densities on large commercial scales, without the use of pesticides, possibly due to the pests' ability to disperse back into the main field.<ref name=":1" />

====Pesticides====
{{main|Pesticide}}
[[File:Insecticide pine logs ips sexdentatus.jpg|thumb|Spraying [[pine]] logs with [[insecticide]] against ''[[Ips sexdentatus]]'', a pine engraver beetle]]
<!--aircraft spraying crops: image in lead section-->

[[Pesticide]]s are substances applied to crops to control pests, they include [[herbicide]]s to kill weeds, [[fungicide]]s to kill fungi and [[insecticide]]s to kill insects. [[Pesticide application|Application methods]] include sprays by hand, tractors, or aircraft or as [[seed dressing]]s. To be effective, the correct substance must be applied at the correct time and the method of application is important to ensure adequate coverage and retention on the crop. The killing of natural enemies of the target pest should be minimized. This is particularly important in countries where there are natural reservoirs of pests and their enemies in the countryside surrounding plantation crops, and these co-exist in a delicate balance. Often in less-developed countries, the crops are well adapted to the local situation and no pesticides are needed. Where progressive farmers are using fertilizers to grow improved crop varieties, these are often more susceptible to pest damage, but the indiscriminate application of pesticides may be detrimental in the longer term.<ref name=Hill>{{cite book |author=Hill, Dennis S.|title=Agricultural Insect Pests of the Tropics and Their Control |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ywc5AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA4 |year=1983 |publisher=CUP Archive |isbn=978-0-521-24638-5 |pages=4–5}}</ref>{{unreliable-inline|date=November 2023}}{{failed verification|date=November 2023}}
The efficacy of chemical pesticides tends to diminish over time. This is because any organism that manages to survive the initial application will pass on its genes to its offspring and a [[Pesticide resistance|resistant strain]] will be developed. In this way, some of the most serious pests have developed resistance and are no longer killed by pesticides that used to kill their ancestors. This necessitates higher concentrations of chemical, more frequent applications and a movement to more expensive formulations.<ref name=Georghiou>{{cite book|author=Georghiou, G.P.|title=Pest Resistance to Pesticides |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SavaBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA1 |year=2012 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=978-1-4684-4466-7 |pages=1–3}}</ref>

Pesticides are intended to kill pests, but many have detrimental effects on non-target species; of particular concern is the [[Pesticide toxicity to bees|damage]] done to [[honey-bee]]s, solitary bees and other [[pollinating insect]]s and in this regard, the time of day when the spray is applied can be important.<ref name=Carrington/> The widely used [[neonicotinoid]]s have been banned on flowering crops in some countries because of their effects on bees.<ref name=Carrington>{{cite news |title=Pesticides damage survival of bee colonies, landmark study shows |author=Carrington, Damian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/29/pesticides-damage-survival-of-bee-colonies-landmark-study-shows |newspaper=The Guardian |date=29 June 2017 |access-date=27 August 2017}}</ref> Some pesticides may cause [[cancer]] and other health problems in humans, as well as being harmful to wildlife.<ref name="National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences">{{cite web|title=Pesticides|url=https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/pesticides|work=National Institute of Health Sciences|publisher=National Institute of Environmental Health|access-date=5 April 2013}}</ref> There can be acute effects immediately after exposure or chronic effects after continuous low-level, or occasional exposure.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://psep.cce.cornell.edu/Tutorials/core-tutorial/module04/index.aspx |title=Toxicity of Pesticides |year=2012 |work=Pesticide Safety Education Program |access-date=27 August 2017 |archive-date=21 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210721082302/http://psep.cce.cornell.edu/Tutorials/core-tutorial/module04/index.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Maximum residue limit]]s for pesticides in foodstuffs and animal feed are set by many nations.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/pesticides/max_residue_levels_en |title=Maximum Residue Levels |work=Plants |publisher=European Commission |access-date=27 August 2017}}</ref>

====Genetics====
{{seealso|Plant defense against herbivory}}
{{seealso|Plant disease resistance}}
Using crops with [[inheritable]] resistance to pests is referred to as host-plant resistance and reduces the need for pesticide use. These crops can harm or even kill pests, repel feeding, prevent colonization, or tolerate the presence of a pest without significantly impacting yield.<ref>{{cite web |title=Host Plant Resistance |url=https://vegento.russell.wisc.edu/ipm/host-plant-resistance/ |website=vegento.russell.wisc.edu |publisher=University of Wisconsin |access-date=13 November 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=Charles Michael |title=Plant resistance to arthropods: molecular and conventional approaches |date=2005 |publisher=Springer |location=Dordrecht, the Netherlands |isbn=978-1-4020-3702-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Pedigo |first1=Larry P. |last2=Rice |first2=Marlin E. |last3=Krell |first3=Rayda K. |title=Entomology and Pest Management: Seventh Edition |date=15 March 2021 |publisher=Waveland Press |isbn=978-1-4786-4713-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gBMoEAAAQBAJ |language=en}}</ref> Resistance can also occur through [[genetic engineering]] to have traits with resistance to insects, such as with [[Bt corn]], or papaya resistance to ringspot virus.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stearns |first1=Stacey |title=Genetic Engineering and Plant Protection {{!}} Science of GMOs |url=https://gmo.uconn.edu/topics/genetic-engineering-and-plant-protection/ |website=Genetic Engineering and Plant Protection |publisher=University of Connecticut |access-date=13 November 2023 |date=3 October 2017}}</ref> When farmers are purchasing seed, variety information often includes resistance to selected pests in addition to other traits.<ref>{{cite web |title=Disease Resistant Vegetable Varieties {{!}} Cornell Vegetables |url=https://www.vegetables.cornell.edu/pest-management/disease-factsheets/disease-resistant-vegetable-varieties/ |website=www.vegetables.cornell.edu |publisher=Cornell University |access-date=13 November 2023}}</ref>

====Hunting====
[[File:Passenger pigeon shoot.jpg|thumb|A contemporary wood engraving of varmint hunters shooting [[passenger pigeon]]s, a varmint species that was known to damage crops. [[Overhunting]] resulted in complete extinction of the species.]]
{{main|Varmint hunting}}
Pest control can also be achieved via [[culling]] the pest animals — generally small- to medium-sized [[wildlife|wild]] or [[feral]] mammals or birds that inhabit the [[ecological niche]]s near [[farm]]s, [[pasture]]s or other [[human settlement]]s — by employing human [[hunter]]s or [[trapping|trapper]]s to physically track down, kill and remove them from the area.  The culled animals, known as [[vermin]], may be targeted because they are deemed harmful to agricultural crops, livestock or facilities; serve as [[host (biology)|host]]s or [[vector (epidemiology)|vector]]s that [[transmission (medicine)|transmit]] [[pathogen]]s [[cross-species transmission|across species]] or [[zoonotic disease|to humans]]; or for [[population control]] as a mean of [[conservation biology|protecting]] other [[vulnerable species]] and [[ecosystem]]s.<ref>Tellman, Barbara. "Varmint control in Cochise County over the years." (2005)</ref>

Pest control via hunting, like all forms of harvest, has imposed an artificial [[Selective breeding|selective pressure]] on the organisms being targeted.  While varmint hunting is potentially selecting for desired [[ethology|behavioural]] and [[population ecology|demographic]] changes (e.g. animals avoiding human populated areas, crops and livestock), it can also result in unpredicted outcomes such as the targeted animal [[adaptation|adapting]] for [[r-selection|faster reproductive cycles]].<ref>Allendorf, Fred W.; Hard, Jeffrey J. "Human-induced evolution caused by unnatural selection through harvest of wild animals." ''Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences'' 106. Supplement 1 (2009): 9987-9994</ref>

===Forestry===
{{Further|Forestry}}

Forest pests present a significant problem because it is not easy to access the canopy and monitor pest populations. In addition, forestry pests such as bark beetles, kept under control by natural enemies in their native range, may be transported large distances in cut timber to places where they have no natural predators, enabling them to cause extensive economic damage.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Lieutier, François |author2=Day, Keith R. |author3=Battisti, Andrea |author4=Grégoire, Jean-Claude |author5=Evans, Hugh F. |title=Bark and Wood Boring Insects in Living Trees in Europe, a Synthesis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XpgMBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA39 |year=2007 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-1-4020-2241-8 |page=39}}</ref> [[Pheromone trap]]s have been used to monitor pest populations in the canopy. These release volatile chemicals that attract males. Pheromone traps can detect the arrival of pests or alert foresters to outbreaks. For example, the [[Choristoneura fumiferana|spruce budworm]], a destructive pest of [[spruce]] and [[balsam fir]], has been monitored using pheromone traps in Canadian forests for several decades.<ref name=Humme>{{cite book |author1=Humme, Hans E. |author2=Miller, Thomas A. |title=Techniques in Pheromone Research |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C1nSBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA432 |year=2012 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-1-4612-5220-7 |page=432}}</ref> In some regions, such as New Brunswick, areas of forest are sprayed with pesticide to control the budworm population and prevent the damage caused during outbreaks.<ref name=Macdonald1968>{{cite journal |last1=Macdonald |first1=D. R. |title=Management of Spruce Budworm Populations |journal=The Forestry Chronicle |volume=44 |issue=3 |year=1968 |pages=33–36 |doi=10.5558/tfc44033-3|doi-access=free }}</ref>

==In homes and cities==

Many unwelcome animals visit or make their home in residential buildings, industrial sites and urban areas. Some contaminate foodstuffs, damage structural timbers, chew through fabrics or infest stored dry goods. Some inflict great economic loss, others carry diseases or cause fire hazards, and some are just a nuisance. Control of these pests has been attempted by improving sanitation and garbage control, modifying the habitat, and using [[animal repellent|repellent]]s, growth regulators, traps, baits and pesticides.<ref name="O'connor">{{cite book |author=Pat O'Connor-Marer |title=Residential, Industrial, and Institutional Pest Control |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TsmqStw-iP0C&pg=PA2 |year=2006 |publisher=UCANR Publications |isbn=978-1-879906-70-9 |pages=2–17}}</ref>

===General methods===
====Physical pest control====
{{main|Physical pest control}}
[[File:Dog van Rekong Peo.jpg|thumb|Dog control van, [[Rekong Peo]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], India]]

[[Physical pest control]] involves trapping or killing pests such as insects and rodents. Historically, local people or paid [[rat-catcher]]s caught and killed rodents using dogs and traps.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.esdaw-eu.eu/the-stray-dogs-in-europe.html |title=ESDAW-EU |website=Animal Policy In The EU |publisher=European Union |access-date=30 August 2016}}</ref> On a domestic scale, sticky flypapers are used to trap flies. In larger buildings, insects may be trapped using such means as [[pheromone]]s, synthetic volatile chemicals or ultraviolet light to attract the insects; some have a sticky base or an electrically charged grid to kill them. Glueboards are sometimes used for monitoring cockroaches and to catch rodents. Rodents can be killed by suitably baited [[Mousetrap|spring traps]] and can be caught in cage traps for relocation. Talcum powder or "tracking powder" can be used to establish routes used by rodents inside buildings and acoustic devices can be used for detecting beetles in structural timbers.<ref name="O'connor"/>

Historically, firearms have been one of the primary methods used for pest control. "[[Garden guns|Garden Guns]]" are smooth bore shotguns specifically made to fire [[.22 caliber]] [[snake shot]] or 9mm Flobert, and are commonly used by gardeners and farmers for snakes, rodents, birds, and other pest. Garden Guns are short-range weapons that can do little harm past 15 to 20 yards, and they're relatively quiet when fired with snake shot, compared to standard ammunition. These guns are especially effective inside of barns and sheds, as the snake shot will not shoot holes in the roof or walls, or more importantly, injure [[livestock]] with a [[ricochet]]. They are also used for pest control at [[airport]]s, [[warehouse]]s, [[Meat packing industry|stockyards]], etc.<ref name="Eger">{{cite web|last1=Eger|first1=Christopher|title=Marlin 25MG Garden Gun|url=http://www.marlinforum.com/Marlin-25MG-Garden-Gun.html|website=Marlin Firearms Forum|publisher=Outdoor Hub LLC|access-date=17 September 2016|date=28 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160918005923/http://www.marlinforum.com/Marlin-25MG-Garden-Gun.html|archive-date=18 September 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The most common shot cartridge is .22 Long Rifle loaded with #12 shot. At a distance of about {{cvt|10|feet}}, which is about the maximum effective range, the pattern is about {{cvt|8|inch|cm}} in diameter from a standard rifle. Special smoothbore shotguns, such as the [[Marlin Model 25MG]] can produce effective patterns out to 15 or 20 yards using .22 WMR shotshells, which hold 1/8 oz. of #12 shot contained in a plastic capsule.

====Poisoned bait====
[[File:Rodent Bait Station, Chennai, India.jpg|thumb|left|Rodent bait station, [[Chennai]], India]]

Poisoned [[Bait (luring substance)|bait]] is a common method for controlling rats, mice, birds, slugs, snails, ants, cockroaches, and other pests. The basic granules, or other formulation, contains a food attractant for the target species and a suitable poison. For ants, a slow-acting toxin is needed so that the workers have time to carry the substance back to the colony, and for flies, a quick-acting substance to prevent further egg-laying and nuisance.<ref name="O'conner40"/> Baits for slugs and snails often contain the molluscide [[metaldehyde]], dangerous to children and household pets.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7427.html |title=Snails and slugs |author1=Flint, M.L. |author2=Wilen, C.A. |work=Pests in Gardens and Landscapes  |publisher=UC IPM |access-date=28 August 2017}}</ref>

An article in [[Scientific American]] in 1885 described effective elimination of a [[cockroach]] infestation using fresh [[cucumber]] peels.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J4U9AQAAIAAJ|title=Scientific American|date=1885-09-26|publisher=Munn & Company|pages=195|language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Rodent bait box with bait.jpg|thumb|right|Bait being placed in a rodent bait box.]]

[[Warfarin]] has traditionally been used to kill rodents, but many populations have developed resistance to this [[anticoagulant]], and [[difenacoum]] may be substituted. These are cumulative poisons, requiring bait stations to be topped up regularly.<ref name="O'conner40">{{cite book|author=Pat O'connor-marer |title=Residential, Industrial, and Institutional Pest Control|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TsmqStw-iP0C&pg=PA40 |year=2006 |publisher=UCANR Publications |isbn=978-1-879906-70-9}}</ref> Poisoned meat has been used for centuries to kill animals such as wolves<ref name=Anderson/> and birds of prey.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gamekeeper found guilty of poisoning 10 buzzards and a sparrowhawk |author=Barkham, Patrick |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/02/gamekeeper-guilty-poisoning-birds-of-prey-norfolk |newspaper=The Guardian |date=2 October 2014 |access-date=29 August 2017}}</ref> Poisoned carcasses however kill a wide range of carrion feeders, not only the targeted species.<ref name=Anderson>{{cite web |url=https://www.thelocal.es/20150609/farmer-sentenced-2-years-for-poisoning-animals |title=Farmer poisoned 24 animals in bid to kill wolf |author=Anderson, Emma |date=9 June 2015 |work=The Local |access-date=29 August 2017}}</ref> Raptors in Israel were nearly wiped out following a period of intense poisoning of rats and other crop pests.<ref>{{cite book|author=Newton, Ian|title=Population Ecology of Raptors|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3f7UBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA262 |year=2010 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-1-4081-3854-0 |page=262}}</ref>

====Fumigation====
{{main|Fumigation}}
[[File:Tent fumigation.jpg|thumb|Tent [[fumigation]] of a house in the United States ]]

[[Fumigation]] is the treatment of a structure to kill pests such as wood-boring beetles by sealing it or surrounding it with an airtight cover such as a tent, and fogging with liquid insecticide for an extended period, typically of 24–72 hours. This is costly and inconvenient as the structure cannot be used during the treatment, but it targets all life stages of pests.<ref name=FBaur133>{{cite book |author=Fred Baur |title=Insect Management for Food Storage and Processing |publisher=[[American Association of Cereal Chemists]] |isbn=978-0-913250-38-9|date=1984-12-01 }}</ref>

An alternative, space treatment, is fogging or misting to disperse a liquid insecticide in the atmosphere within a building without evacuation or airtight sealing, allowing most work within the building to continue, at the cost of reduced penetration. Contact insecticides are generally used to minimize long-lasting residual effects.<ref name=FBaur133 />

====Sterilization====
{{See also|Sterile insect technique|Chemosterilant}}
Populations of pest insects can sometimes be dramatically reduced by the release of sterile individuals. This involves the mass rearing of a pest, sterilising it by means of X-rays or some other means, and releasing it into a wild population. It is particularly useful where a female only mates once and where the insect does not disperse widely.<ref>{{cite book|author=Thacker, J.R.M.|title=An Introduction to Arthropod Pest Control|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jN7lCC_BaG4C&pg=PA193 |year=2002|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-56787-9 |page=193}}</ref> This technique has been successfully used against the [[Cochliomyia hominivorax|New World screw-worm fly]], some species of [[tsetse fly]], tropical [[Drosophilidae|fruit flies]], the [[pink bollworm]] and the [[codling moth]], among others.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Dyck, V.A.|author2=Hendrichs, J.|author3=Robinson, A.S.|title=Sterile Insect Technique: Principles and Practice in Area-Wide Integrated Pest Management|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-vOLhFewchoC&pg=PA4 |year=2006 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=978-1-4020-4051-1 |page=4}}</ref>

To chemically sterilize pests using chemosterilants, laboratory studies conducted using [[U-5897]] (3-chloro-1,2-propanediol) attempted in the early 1970s for rat control, although these proved unsuccessful.<ref name=sterile>{{cite journal |author1=Bowerman, Alan M. |author2=Brooks, Joe E. |year=1971 |title=Evaluation of U-5897 as a male chemosterilant for rat control |journal=[[Journal of Wildlife Management]] |volume=35 |issue=4 |pages=618–624 |jstor=3799765 |doi=10.2307/3799765}}</ref> In 2013, New York City tested sterilization traps,<ref name=Swartz2014>{{cite news|author1=Tracy Swartz|title=CTA to put rats on birth control|url=http://www.redeyechicago.com/news/cta/redeye-cta-to-put-rats-on-birth-control-20141222,0,451858.story|access-date=10 January 2015|agency=Chicago Tribune|date=22 December 2014}}</ref> demonstrating a 43% reduction in rat populations.<ref name=Swartz2014 /> The product [[ContraPest]] was approved for the sterilization of rodents by the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|U.S. Environmental Protection Agency]] in August 2016 as a chemosterilant.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pctonline.com/article/senestech-contrapest-rodent-product-epa-approval/ |publisher=Pest Control Technology, GIA Media |title=ContraPest Rodent Control Product Wins EPA Approval |date=12 August 2016  |access-date=11 November 2016}}</ref>

====Insulation====
[[Boron]], a known pesticide can be impregnated into the paper fibers of cellulose insulation at certain levels to achieve a mechanical kill factor for self-grooming insects such as ants, cockroaches, termites, and more. The addition of insulation into the attic and walls of a structure can provide control of common pests in addition to known insulation benefits such a robust thermal envelope and acoustic noise-canceling properties. The [[EPA]] regulates this type of general-use pesticide within the United States allowing it to only be sold and installed by licensed pest management professionals as part of an integrated pest management program.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pctonline.com/article/add-on-services-finding-money-in-the-attic/|publisher=Pest Control Technology, GIA Media |title=Finding Money in the Attic |date=25 May 2017  |access-date=7 June 2017}}</ref> Simply adding Boron or an EPA-registered pesticide to an insulation does not qualify it as a pesticide. The dosage and method must be carefully controlled and monitored.

==On airfields==
{{Further|Bird strike}}
[[File:JT8D Engine after Bird Strike.jpg|thumb|[[Jet engine]] fan blades damaged by [[bird strike]]]]

Birds are a significant hazard to aircraft, but it is difficult to keep them away from airfields. Several methods have been explored. Stunning birds by feeding them a bait containing stupefying substances has been tried,<ref name=Murton/> and it may be possible to reduce their numbers on airfields by reducing the number of earthworms and other invertebrates by soil treatment.<ref name=Murton>{{cite book |author1=Murton, R.K. |author2=Wright, E.N. |title=The Problems of Birds as Pests: Proceedings of a Symposium Held at the Royal Geographical Society, London, on 28 and 29 September 1967|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kx_gBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA100 |year=2013 |publisher=Elsevier |isbn=978-1-4832-6836-1 |pages=100, 184}}</ref> Leaving the grass long on airfields rather than mowing it is also a deterrent to birds.<ref>{{cite book |author=Reed Business Information |title=New Scientist |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DLTpT4U7rJcC&pg=PA44 |date=29 May 1986 |publisher=Reed Business Information |pages=44–47 | issn=0262-4079}}</ref> Sonic nets are being trialled; these produce sounds that birds find distracting and seem effective at keeping birds away from affected areas.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/featurednews/title_510056_en.html |title=Sonic net could save birds and aircraft, study suggests |author1=Swaddle, John P. |author2=Moseley, Dana L. |author3=Hinders, Mark K. |author4=Peyton Smith, E. |date=6 May 2016 |publisher=University of Exeter |access-date=28 August 2017}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Bee removal]]
* [[Electronic pest control]]
* [[Garden guns]]
* [[Nuisance wildlife management]]
* [[Rabbits in Australia]]
* [[Wildlife contraceptive]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.epa.gov/safepestcontrol Pest Control and Pesticide Safety for Consumers]
{{Insecticides}}
{{Rodenticides}}
{{Hunting topics}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pest Control}}
[[Category:Pest control| ]]
[[Category:Forestry pests]]