Pests & Pest Control

No matter the season, pests can cause problems for your household. Whether they are inside or outside, pests can be simply an annoyance, or pose a serious health concerns. The importance of controlling a pest varies with the situation. While you may be willing to tolerate some weeds in your lawn or some spiders in your basement, certain pests present serious threats. Before applying any pesticide, consider alternatives for managing home and garden pests. Through your choice and care of plants, general housekeeping and home maintenance practices, and care of pets, pests can frequently be controlled. Often the need for pesticides can be reduced or even eliminated using methods that are less expensive and produce longer lasting results.

Four Steps in Pest Management

1. Identify the pest problem
• This is the most important step. You need to know what pest you are trying to control and the proper methods to take to control the pest.
2. Decide how much pest control is necessary
• Do not try to over-do your pest control. Be reasonable when deciding what should be done.
3. Choose an effective option
• Be responsible and safe when choosing and applying your method of control.
4. Evaluate the results

• You must allow time for your control method to work. Compare the conditions before treatment with those after treatment.

The above steps and more tips on effective pest management can be found in the EPA's Citizen's Guide to Pest Control and Pesticide Safety (PDF file) and on their webpage on Pest Control.

 

Here are some home improvement tips for preventing pest problems:

• Maintain your lawn, keep it thick and healthy by regular mowing and using fertilizer will help guard against weeds
• Choose pest-resistant plants for your landscaping
• Regularly clean dishes and counter tops, remove garbage and open food containers
• Seal cracks in the walls, along baseboards, behind sinks and around windows
• Eliminate standing water
• Put screens over vents and pipes that open to the outside
• Seal spaces around corners and pipes

For more tips regarding the prevention of mosquitoes visit our page about the West Nile Virus

At times the use of pesticides seems unavoidable. If your situation requires the use of chemical treatments, safe handling is crucial to the safety of not only yourself, but also your loved ones. Pesticides differ in how poisonous they are to humans. Certain pesticides are very toxic to animals, some plants are very sensitive to certain chemicals.

The following are some guidelines from the EPA when using a pesticide:

• Read the label and follow the directions for use and disposal carefully
• Use only EPA-registered pesticides (look for "EPA Reg. #" on the label)
• Before applying a pesticide, remove children, toys, food and pets from the area
• Always store pesticides out of children's reach, in a locked cabinet or shed
• Never put pesticides in or around food containers
• Never place rodent or insect baits within the reach of children
• Teach children that "pesticides are poisons"-something they should not touch
• Never use outdoor chemicals inside the home

If you have any questions, you can contact the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC). The NPIC is a toll-free telephone service that provides pesticide information to anyone calling in the United States, Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands.

The NPIC can direct callers to resources when inquiring about:

• Pesticide incident investigation
• Emergency treatment for humans or animals
• Safety practices
• Clean-up and disposal
• Laboratory analyses

Phone: 1-800-858-7378(PEST)
Fax: 1-541-737-0761
Operating hours: 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific time, 7 days a week, not including holidays
Visit NPIC on-line at http://npic.orst.edu.

Bed Bugs

The occurences of bed bugs have begun to increase after a decline in the middle of the 20th century. Bed bugs are generally reddish-brown, small, flat, wingless insects approximately 1/4-inch long. They feed on the blood of animals, which can include people and pets.

Bed bugs are able to survive for up to 18 months without feeding. They hide in crevices on mattresses, furniture, along baseboards, and just about any other area that is protected. Bed bugs can attach themselves to luggage, clothing, and furniture and are spread when these items are moved. They will also quickly spread in buildings such as apartments and dormitories that have multiple units within close proximity.

Bed bugs are not known to transmit disease to humans, but their bites can cause discomfort to those who are bitten. Common reactions to the bites are inflammation and swelling around the bite area and itching.

Signs of a possible bed bug infestation are:

• Blood spots left on bed sheets that could indicate biting
• Shed bed bug exoskeletons and brownish-black specks indicating fecal matter
• A musty raspberry odor from secretions

Examples of ways to prevent bed bugs:

• Keep all beds slightly away from walls and keep bedding materials such as blankets from touching the floor
• Change and wash sheets and pillow cases frequently
• Check for signs of bedbugs along seams of mattresses
• Inspect all used furniture for bed bugs before bringing it home - do not pick up furniture left on the street

If you have a bed bug infestation:

• Vacuum infested areas and dispose of contents in a sealed container
• Remove bedding materials and mattress and box springs. Wash bedding materials and dry at medium or high heat.
• Throw out items that cannot be thoroughly cleaned, treated, or inspected.
• Contact a licensed pest management professional to identify and treat for bed bugs.

For more information on bedbugs visit http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/pcbedbugs.htm or http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef636.asp (good source for pictures).

Spiders

The sight of a spider can put fear into many people. While spiders can be scary looking, some can be beneficial as they feed on other pests. The wolf spider is an example. Some spiders, such as the brown recluse or black widow, can be potentially dangerous if they were to bite you. Spiders are typically not aggressive toward humans and will generally not bite unless defending itself. Effects from bites from a brown recluse or black widow are most often minor, however, more severe reactions could occur and require medical treatment.

Knowing what to look for when you see a spider can help determine whether it is a more or less dangerous species and the types of contol measures that may be taken. The brown recluse spider has a light brown body, with a darker brown, violin-shaped mark on its back. It typically inhabits dark, undisturbed areas in buildings, such as in boxes, in walls and attics, and even clothing. The black widow spider is black and commonly has a brightly colored (usually red or orange) hourglass shape on its body. They are usually found in dark, undisturbed spots such as in crawl spaces, garages, or wood piles.

IDPH's general page on spiders and their page on the brown recluse and black widow can provide you more information and provide control and prevention measures.

Flies

Flies are a common nuisance for everyone, but people may not realize that these insects can also spread disease. Flies will commonly feed on garbage or another unsanitary surface and then fly to, and land on human food items, thus contaminating it. There are numerous types of flies that are commonly encountered.

As with any type of pest control, inspection and identification of fly breeding sites is essential. Identifying and eliminating these areas is important to controlling the pests. Proper sanitation is another important step in attempting to control flies. Keeping areas clean that could potentially attract flies will also help to reduce numbers of these pests in your area. Methods of exclusion, such as window screens, are also important in control of flies. Fly traps and insecticides can also be used in conjunction with good sanitation and exclusion methods to control flies that have entered the building.

More information about flies and methods for controlling them can be found on IDPH's webpage on flies.

Fleas

Fleas are very small, but this pest is associated with one of the largest illness epidemics in history known as "The Black Plague." In the 14th century, fleas associated with rats spread a bacteria throughout Europe that killed millions of the European population. Epidemics have occurred in other areas of the world. Plague still occurs, but with antibiotics and early detection, its effects can be minimized. Cat and dog fleas do not carry human diseases, but they can carry tapeworms that infect dogs.

Controlling fleas can be done by treating your pets with flea treatments and also by frequent cleaning of rugs, carpeting, and furniture. Proper pesticide applications can also be used. More information on fleas can be found on IDPH's Flea webpage.

Cockroaches

Cockroaches are common in many environments and are very adaptable. In addition to being a visual nuisance, cockroaches can also carry diseases.

Common Cockroaches

German cockroach - The German cockroach is the most common species of cockroach found in homes and other institutions in the U.S. Adults are pale to medium-brown in color with two dark stripes on the pronotum and are approximately 1/2 to 5/8 inch long. These insects hide in cracks and crevices and are generally most active at night.

American cockroach -The American cockroach is sometimes refered to as the water bug. This species is large compared to other common cockroach species growing to 1 1/2 inches long or longer. The American cockroach is reddish-brown with a pale brown or yellow border on its pronotum. This species prefers dark moist areas.

Oriental cockroach - The oriental cockroach is also known as the waterbug or black beetle. This is another fairly large cockroach  growing to 1 to 1 1/4 inch long. They are dark brown or nearly black in color with a greasy sheen to the body. The oriental cockroach is commonly associated with decaying organic matter. They are also common in high moisture situations.

Brown-banded cockroach - The brown-banded cockroach is approximately 1/2 inch long. It is light brown with two lighter bands running across its body. It is frequently found in the same buildings as German cockroaches. They are found on ceilings, high on walls, and on light fixtures to name a few areas. The brown-banded cockroach is not normally seen during the day.

Smoky-brown cockroach - The smoky-brown cockroach is slightly more than 1 inch long and is a mahogany brown color.

*Information on cockroaches obtained from Truman's Scientific Guide to Pest Control Operations.

IDPH Tips for Safe Roach Control

Other fact sheets and information on insects and pest control

IDPH Entomology & Pest Management page

 

Other resources:

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Region 5
Pesticides Section (SP-14J)
77 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, Illinois 60604
(312) 353-2192

Illinois Department of Public Health
Division of Environmental Health
525 West Jefferson Street
Springfield, Illinois 62761
(217) 782-4674

Illinois Department of Agriculture

Bureau of Environmental Programs

P.O. Box 19281

Springfield, IL 62794-9281

(217) 785-2427

 

 

Updated 1/13/10