Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
the nature of the infested habitat and pest
behaviour. For example, a retrospective
analysis of termite management showed
that structures with surrounding landscape
owned by the middle class and constructed
by developers have signifi cantly more
infestation than the rest (Dhang, 2011).
Such intrinsic information on infestation
pattern could be useful for designing
sustainable pest management strategies
and programmes. Foolproofi ng structures
by sound engineering methods is thus the
best method for preventing termite entry.
Recently, the Asian market has seen the
use of a number of physical barriers such
as stainless steel mesh, special grades of
cement and resin mixtures, and insecticide-
impregnated plastic sheets in termite
proofi ng of buildings. These products take
care of construction gaps, cracks and gaps
in and around service penetrations and,
when skilfully installed, prevent termite
entry through concealed points in a
building. The popularity of using them is
gaining momentum, thanks to the
realization of keeping chemical insecticides
out of some construction sites and 'building
green'. There is, however, little evidence
that such physical barriers would guarantee
termite proofi ng but it allows the possibility
of blocking possible entry points. Also the
cost of such installation could prove
prohibitive (Lloyd and Meiracker, 2011)
and may make construction unsustainable.
It has been shown that incorporating
relatively simple designs can substantially
reduce long-term pest control costs in
buildings and landscapes, while also
cutting the health and environmental
impacts of pesticide use (Geiger and Cox,
2012). The San Francisco Department of
the Environment has taken an ambitious
step towards green building by unveiling a
new resource for designing buildings that
are more resistant to common pests, such as
rats, termites, pigeons and cockroaches. The
free guidelines aim to reduce both pests and
the use of pesticides for the lifetime of a
building, thereby improving indoor air
quality, reducing toxics exposure and more
effectively managing pests (Rodriguez,
2013). It will, however, be a test for the
residents of such buildings to change their
regular habits to keep the building pest
proof.
Pest Control Tools
Inspection and monitoring are crucial in
making pest control operations sustainable.
Both help practitioners determine the right
strategy for a job. The knowledge from an
inspection is important in making the pest
control programme successful. Pest man-
agement professionals who understand the
behaviour of their target pest species are
more effi cient and effective at controlling
the pests than those who lack this knowledge
(Duggal, 2011). Knowing common travel
routes and typical breeding, hiding and
feeding places helps the professional
conduct a focused inspection. Instead of
wasting time looking where the pest
probably is not present, time is better spent
looking where the pest is most likely to be
(Duggal, 2011). This helps reduce the cost of
treatment and time spent on the job, each
important in making the work sustainable.
The use of pest monitoring or intercepting
devices has gained interest in recent times.
These devices help detect the presence of a
pest, determine location or active areas of
infestation and also indicate pest popu-
lation. Each of these pieces of information is
a critical determinant in deciding a suitable
pest control strategy. Several active and
passive monitors/interceptors are commer-
cially available but it is a challenge for the
practitioners to select the right one. Most of
these monitors and devices remain untested
and unproven. Many more are deceptively
advertised with explicit claims about the
product's ability. Others are featured in
carefully crafted magazine articles that
overshadow the limitations. Overall, mak-
ing a choice for the right tool is often
challenging for practitioners.
Pest control tools vary in effi cacy and
performance and making a wrong choice
could cost a practitioner vital information
in addition to revenue. It has been shown
that cockroach susceptibility to trapping
varies with trap type and cockroach size.
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