Pest Control Products
Pest control usually refers to the management of another species, usually bugs, that is considered to be a pest, usually because it is being destructive to food crops, a person's health, the ecology, etc.
Pest control has been around for as long as man has been growing and producing agricultural crops. In order to maximize food production, it is usually economically advantageous to protect ones crops from competing species of bugs and other animals who can devastate food crops.
The conventional approach to pest control was probably the first to be employed… as killing the larger competing herbivores, such as crows and other birds the were eating the newly planted seeds…was a rather permanent fix to getting rid of “pests”…as well as a good way of adding to the stew pot. Techniques such as crop rotation and companion planting developed over time to help prevent the total loss of crops by animals and insects. The selective breeding of pest-resistant plants also has a long history.
Many animals have only become “pests” because of the direct actions of humans. The destruction and loss of habitat along with the over use of pesticides that kill off the natural predators that would otherwise control many of these garden pests have made the problem worse. Modifying these actions can majorly reduce the pest problem. Some years ago in parts of the USA, raccoons caused problems by tearing opengarbage bags in search of food. Many households got garbage cans with locking lids, which inturn virtually stopped all but the most resourceful raccoons from visiting. Houseflies tend to gather wherever humans are and are pretty much a global phenomenon…in all but the coldest of places. Houseflies will gather especially where food or food waste is exposed. Seagulls have become a pest at many seaside resorts. Tourists will often feed the Seagulls with scraps of fish, or bread, and before long, the birds become dependent on this food source and they will be a bit aggressive towards humans when the Seagulls think the human or humans have food.
In the UK, following concern about animal welfare, humane pest control and deterrence is gaining ground through the use of animal’s natural habits rather than the destruction of the animal itself. For instance, the urban Red Fox uses the animal’s territorial behaviour against the animal, usually in conjunction with non-injurious chemical repellents, to keep foxes away from the human populace.
Chemical pest control goes back for at least 4,500 years, and probably even longer. The Sumerians used sulfur and other sulfur compounds as pest control products. The Rig-Veda, which is around 4,000 years old, mentions the use of various poisonous plants for use in pest control around one’s home and for use on one’s crops. Chinese and Egyptians of the ancient world are known to have used chemical pest control products. But it was only with the industrialization and mechanization of agriculture in the 18th and 19th centuries, that the the insecticides pyrethrum and derris made chemical pest control products the method of choice to get rid of unwanted bugs and other critters. In the 20th century, the discovery of synthetic insecticides, like DDT, and herbicides added to the development of pest control products. Chemical pest control is still the most usual type of pest control today. But the long-term and very harmful effects of these pest control products…especially DDT… on the environment led to a renewed interest in traditional and natural pest control towards the end of the 20th century.
