Biological pest control is the control of one through the control and management of natural predators and parasites. For example: mosquitoes are often controlled by putting Bt Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. israelensis, a bacterium that infects and kills mosquito larvae, in local water sources. The treatment has no known negative consequences on the remaining ecology and is safe for humans to drink. The point of biological pest control, or any natural pest control, is to eliminate a pest with minimal harm to the ecological balance of the environment in its present form.
Poisoned bait is a common method for controlling rat populations, however is not as effective when there are other food sources around, such as garbage. Poisoned meats have been used for centuries for killing off wolves, birds that were seen to threaten crops, and against other creatures.
Traditionally, after a sugar cane harvest, the fields are all burned, to kill off any insects or eggs that might be in the fields. Clearly this is not a service we offer, but informative none the less.
Traps have been used for killing off mice found in houses, for killing wolves, and for capturing raccoons and stray cats and dogs for disposal by town officials. We make use of many different types of traps, both human and otherwise.
A project that involves a structure be covered or sealed airtight followed by the introduction of a penetrating, deadly gas at a killing concentration over a long period of time (24-72hrs.). Although expensive, space fumigation targets all life stages of pests.
A long term project involving fogging or misting type applicators. Liquid insecticide is dispersed in the atmosphere within a structure. Treatments do not require the evacuation or airtight sealing of a building, allowing most work within the building to continue but at the cost of the penetrating effects. Contact insecticides are generally used, minimizing the long lasting residual effects. On August 10, 1973, the Federal Register printed the definition of Space treatment as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): "the dispersal of insecticides into the air by foggers, misters, aerosol devices or vapor dispensers for control of flying insects and exposed crawling insects”
Forest services sometimes destroy all the trees in an area where some are infected with insects, if seen as necessary to prevent the insect species from spreading. Farms infested with certain insects, have been burned entirely, to prevent the pest from spreading elsewhere. We can use this same method, albeit on a much smaller scale. Little things like ensuring your hedges are trimmed and plants removed from the base of your house, can make a huge difference in controlling pests.
Several wildlife rehabilitation organizations encourage natural forms of rodent control through exclusion and predator support and can prevent secondary poisoning altogether. The United States Environmental Protection Agency agrees, noting in its Proposed Risk Mitigation Decision for Nine Rodenticides that "without habitat modification to make areas less attractive to commensal rodents, even eradication will not prevent new populations from recolonizing the habitat.” We specialize in the exclusion of rodents both humanly and otherwise.