We have hybrid cars. We have electric lawnmowers. We have solar power, Energy-star certified appliances, and countless other means of sustainably going about our lives. Why not extend environmental responsibility to your indoor and outdoor pest control?
Historically, pesticides have been initially accepted enthusiastically. In the heyday of DDT, a cheerful poster featuring a girl with cartoon crops and animals proclaimed “DDT is good for me-e-e!” Pesticides seemed to be a miracle at first – a way to destroy pests and increase crop yields without sacrificing the health of people or animals. The same ad even featured a blurb underneath that heralded DDT as “a benefactor of all humanity.”
Soon, though, DDT killed more than just pests. Healthy animals died shortly after drinking water contaminated by DDT crop-duster planes, and Rachel Carson famously advocated for bald eagles whose eggs were weakened by the chemical. (The compromised shells broke frequently, destroying developing birds and lessening the already dwindling eagle population.) DDT and other pesticides are proven to be carcinogenic, with many cases of cancer linked to the rampant use of DDT in the mid-1900s.
Even with DDT banned, conventional pesticides have caused numerous problems, including polluted runoff and evolved resistance in the very pests they are designed to kill.
Insects reproduce rapidly, and only the fittest insects survive the chemical assault. As a result, strains whose members are resistant to a given pesticide develop quickly, requiring a change in the chemicals used to control them.
In many industries, including the cotton industry, decimation of one type of in
sect can lead to meteoric increases in another, thus upsetting the natural balance of species and causing further pest problems.
Now, new innovations have helped people realize that it’s possible to control pests while having no impact or very little impact on the environment. This is known as green pest control.
One plan used often in green pest control is integrated pest management. This method focuses primarily on prevention and uses treatment as needed, thus reducing potential for genetic resistance and environmental harm.
Possible prevention methods include sealing pest access to the home before using a low-impact pesticide if needed. When pesticides are deemed necessary, green pest control professionals apply them judiciously.
You can work with Brevard County pest control by helping to protect your home from pests. Even seemingly small things – keeping woodpiles away from the house to deter termites and other wood-borers, keeping windows screened, and eliminating sources of stagnant water in your lawn – can help minimize your chances of a possible infestation.
If pests invade despite your precautions, know that there is now a way to control pest problems while keeping your family and the environment safe. Choose pest control services that use green pest control, and you’ll be assured that you’ve chosen what’s best for the world – present and future.