Pests have always been part of the major problems or concerns that affect the industries of agriculture and production. Along with it, when pests proliferate, diseases follow, so health agencies and organizations come in. 

Through the years, mankind has developed different and potent equipment and chemicals to control pests. History and current pest standing will then judge if those efforts have been effective, or if they have gone to the brink of futility. 

Bed bugs 

 Bed bugs are one among those pests that affect households. They may not affect plants, but did you know that bed bugs can prey on poultries and birds? 

Yes, scientists believe that ancient bed bugs used to prey solely on birds. Maybe, centuries or millenniums ago, bed bugs did not like blood of people. All they sucked was birds’ and poultries’ blood. 

But now, bed bugs thrive not just in bird nests but also in people’s ‘nests.’ It is believed that in developed countries, five out of ten apartments have bed bugs in it. In the developing countries, the figure can be worse. 

It can be because third world countries may not have enough budget to be allocated to the control of bed bugs. Or it can be that because governments in third countries do not spend much on education about the particular pest. 

Bed bugs are small insects. They are among the millions or billions of insect species. They have proliferated through the years and can be widely spread in all countries across the globe. 

Bed bugs are scientifically known as Cimex lectularius. They are wingless creatures. Imagine how it would be harder and more dangerous if bed bugs have wings. If that happened, then, bed bugs would surely be uncontrollable. 

Bed bugs are very resilient insects. It is because bed bugs, in their entire lifespan can survive by having only one meal or feeding time. 

It is like they are one time big time. Eat today, sleep tomorrow, see you next year. That is how they are. 

Pest research found that bed bugs’ life span is only about more than a year. But female bed bugs can lay eggs three times during that span. Each egg-laying session by the female bed bug can be equivalent to 300 eggs. 

The fact makes bed bugs one of the most rapidly spreading pests in the planet. 

Pexels Erik Karits

Pest control substances 

 In general, pest control substances or pesticides and insecticides used to control pests, including bed bugs can be categorized into three groups: 

o       Insect Growth Regulators. IGRs aim at affecting or hindering the development of larvae or eggs of bed bugs and pests. It can be noted that though, these insecticides to not effectively exterminate adult pests, they work to impair reproduction. 

Thus, no new generation of a particular pest is expected to arise from the same site. IGS also make up for the slowest pest control group because results will not be evident until a few time. 

But IGRs are certainly an effective way to control pests. It has the most unique strategy among all pest control insecticides and pesticides. 

o       Contact pesticides. This group of pest control substances kill pests instantly. The group can be considered the fastest way to kill insects. Within seconds, or minutes, or instantly, the target pests or insects will be exterminated. 

Contact insecticides can be the fastest, where results can be seen and evaluated instantly, but among the pest control substance groups, they are the least effective 

It is because contact insecticides have that repellant property that insects and pests can easily identify. 

Thus, insects and pests will repell from or avoid the surfaces that contain the pesticides’ residues. 

o       Insecticidal dusts. This is the group is in between. They are also fast, but not as fast at contact insecticides in controlling pests, but they are a sure bet, like the IGRs. 

Insecticidal dusts work by attacking the protective layer covering the pests’ skin. They destroy the pests’ skin so the chemicals can get into their systems and poison them. 

The group is the most harsh and sure way of controlling pests. 

Pest control is not an easy task but it is an activity you must do, anyways. Just be good and do your homework before starting the mission.

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