The Evolution of Pest Control Methods Through the Ages
Pests have been bothering humans for as long as they have existed. Pest control has been a necessity almost since the beginning, whether it’s flies and other insects or rodents and larger creatures.
While we don’t face the same threats as our forefathers (no saber-tooth tigers, for example), we have had to change our approach to pest control as society and science have evolved. Most pest control methods can be traced back to agricultural progress, but to give you an idea of how far we’ve come, we thought we’d go back in time and look at different pest control methods, why they were needed, and how 21st-century pest control has become far more humane.
— Ancient Greeks Pest Control
Pest control (though it may not have been called that) is mentioned several times in Ancient Greece. Homer, one of Ancient Greece’s most famous writers, mentions in his writings that wood ash was spread across the ground to deter insects. Furthermore, it is believed that they used fire to drive away locusts, while their understanding of how insects and disease developed informed procedures, as did the Romans after them.
— Ancient Victorians Pest Control
For a great period of time, pest control, along with sanitation and medicine, were left behind due to a correlation in learning among the masses — it’s why we call it the ‘Dark Ages’. Things only began to pick up again with the Scientific Revolution, with the Victorians really stepping things up in the 1800s. Plant breeding to create more pest-resistant strains was one strategy, while more households became aware of which chemicals and elements could repel pests. Pesticides became more developed toward the end of this period, with Paris green being used to rid Parisian sewers of rats (it then turned the water green, hence the name).
— Ancient Sumerians Pest Control
Sumeria was one of the world’s oldest human civilizations, and it was situated in Mesopotamia (roughly where Iraq is now), so it seems like a good place to start. The Sumerians have one of the earliest records of pest control, owing to their development of a society based on agriculture. The Sumerians used sulphur to repel insects and mites, unknowingly giving birth to the first pesticide. It’s hardly surprising that the first attempt to control pests came from a society that gave us so much.
— Ancient Chinese Pest Control
Different Ancient Chinese pest-control techniques included everything from using ants as prey against other insects that were destroying crops to planting certain crops in different seasons to avoid pests. These strategic methods may not have been used at the same time, but the Chinese certainly contributed to the Sumerians’ success in using chemicals to control and deter pests.
— Ancient Egyptians Pest Control
Without acknowledging it, the Ancient Egyptians set a major trend: cats as pets. Cats were used to help protect crops and ward off pests, which is why they appear so prominently in imagery and sculptures from this period. Cats can now be found on almost every continent, as the practice spread and never really stopped; farms still use cats to keep mice and rats at bay, but we mostly keep them around for company these days. However, one unintended consequence of this widely used pest control method has been a significant reduction in bird populations.
— 20th Century Pest Control Method
Organophosphates were the big new tool in the pest-control arsenal after WWII. It was discovered to work well as a pesticide after being used primarily as a nerve agent. However, the adverse effects on humans – memory loss, confusion, and dizziness – led to the ban of a large number of organophosphates by the twenty-first century. Throughout the latter half of the twentieth century, pest control began to evolve, incorporating strategy and risk management into pest management and providing more environmentally friendly, humane, and less invasive methods of pest control for both homes and businesses.
General Approaches to Pest Control
Insect pest management can be approached in a variety of ways. It is beneficial to consider all available options when developing an overall pest management strategy. Most insect control methods can be divided into five categories: cultural control, host resistance, physical control, mechanical control, biological control, and chemical control. Not all are suitable for or useful in the home garden.
Cultural Control – These methods entail modifying standard farming or gardening procedures in order to avoid pests or make the environment less conducive to them. There are various types of cultural controls; the methods listed below are just a few examples. Corn rootworm larvae can be starved out by growing a non-host crop after corn for one to two years, such as soybeans, alfalfa, oats, or other crops.
Physical Control – These are physical barriers that prevent insect pests from reaching their hosts. Window screens keep health and nuisance pests out of buildings and plant pests out of greenhouses, as do floating row covers for many horticultural crops and plant collars to keep cutworms out of plants like tomatoes.
Biological Control – Beneficial organisms are used to control pests. Many centuries ago, Chinese farmers noticed that ants were assisting in the control of insect pests in their citrus orchards by eating caterpillars, beetles, and leaf-feeding bugs. Farmers discovered that by collecting the papery nests of a specific type of ant from trees in the countryside and moving them into their orchards, they were able to control some pests more effectively.
Host Resistance – For decades, host resistance, also known as plant resistance, has been used effectively to reduce pest impact. Plants with physical and chemical adaptations can repel, tolerate, or even kill pests. Plant breeders attempt to use and even improve on these characteristics in order to develop resistant crops.
Mechanical Control – Mechanical pest control techniques remove or kill pests directly. They can be quick and effective, and many of them are well suited for small acute pest problems, making them popular among gardeners and homeowners. Importantly, mechanical controls have little effect on beneficial natural enemies of pests and other non-target organisms, making them ideal for use in conjunction with biological control in a comprehensive pest management strategy.
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We use only the most humane pest control practices at 1st Choice Pest Control, working hard to provide non-invasive solutions. We can also advise you on how to prevent pests in the first place, as well as what you should do – or not do – if you find a protected species of animal nesting in your home.
You can rely on our experienced and professional team wherever you are in Henry St, Kaukauna, Channel Dr, Stevens Point, Ryan Rd, De Pere, Nelson Rd, Waupaca, Fenton St, Ripon, Breezewood Ln, Oshkosh, Buehler Ave. Nekoosa, Brantwood Dr. Neenah. Contact us today to discuss your pest problem.
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