Green Pest Control And Pest Prevention

Green Pest Control And Pest Prevention

Green pest control

Pest control can be a complicated issue. The variety of products available, plus natural dislike for insects and rodents, plus the natural fear of the pesticides that are used to get rid of them, plus the wealth of information and misinformation on the subject, all add up to confusion! Let's break through the fog and look at the subject of green pest control in the light of logic.

Green pest control and integrated pest management

Integrated pest management is the use of the least toxic means of controlling pests, while having the least possible damage, both structurally, and economically, and is a sensible alternative to the more common pest control practices used throughout history. Some versions of IPM however, start at the wrong place, or manipulate the practice in favor of one type of control. Still, one thing is true, no matter where you stand on the issue: Preventing pests, is better than trying to control or manage pests.

Pest prevention and green pest control

Pest prevention is the first and best option for pest control. If pest prevention options are used properly, and effectively, the use of other methods of control is minimal at worst. The need for the use of chemicals felt to be hazardous is greatly diminished. Pest prevention is green pest control by definition.

Natural pest control products and green pest control

Although there is no more natural form of pest control than pest prevention, there are some products available that will work, and that do not rely on synthesized toxins to exterminate pests. These are marketed as green pest control products. Most of these products are some type of botanical oil which will either kill, or repel the pest without introducing synthetic nerve agents. Do not be misled, pyrethrins, even if derived from natural sources, are still nerve toxins, and high concentrations can have physical consequences. Some botanical, or natural products use these, and some do not.

Related environmental concerns for synthetic and natural products

No matter how safe, and how effective green pest control products, or there synthetic cousins, there is still a downside if you are concerned with the size of your carbon footprint, especially when compared to preventing pests. These concerns are:

• The energy spent on the shipment of raw materials for the product to a factory.
• The energy to manufacture the product.
• The energy spent to ship raw materials for packaging.
• The energy to manufacture packaging.
• The energy to ship raw materials for labeling.
• The energy to manufacture and print labeling.
• The energy spent on storage at the factory.
• The energy spent on shipment to a warehouse.
• The energy for storage in a warehouse.
• The energy for shipping the finished product.
• The energy for displaying in a retail store.
• The packaging could end up in a landfill.

Sonic and ultra sonic pest control

It is the nature of the human being to seek better ways to do things, and a part of our quest to deal with pests always involves trying to build a better mousetrap, or find a better way to deal with insects. There are other products available for pest control which work on some form of sonic or ultrasonic principle, but the effectiveness of such products is still questionable, and the same environmental concerns are still present, and the long term effects on humans have not been studied as completely as we might like.

Pest prevention as green pest control

The superiority of pest prevention is that it requires nothing more than some common sense and basic skills. There are no devices to purchase, no health hazards, no packaging, and no energy spent above the level of what you may use to clean up your property and seal your home, and these are things that should be done anyway. The simple act of sealing your home against pests, will also prevent energy loss. With good pest prevention practices, you get pest prevention, a smaller carbon footprint, and energy savings, and it is hard to be more green than that!

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