PEST INFESTATIONS LOOK

PEST CONTROL – THE STORY

Have you ever heard of the Black Death? This pandemic, among the deadliest in history, has killed between 75 and 200 million people in Europe.

And what do you know about phylloxera? At the end of the 19th century, this little insect crossed the Atlantic to settle in France. In the United States, where he comes from, phylloxera did not affect the vines since they were resistant. In France, however, it wiped out the wine industry.

MUCH DIFFERENT TODAY, RIGHT?

Parasites have been around much longer than we have. And let's be frank: they will probably outlive us for many years. Since humans have chosen to settle, build shelters and cultivate, they have been looking for solutions to eliminate these damned freeloaders!

Today we did our ranges in pest control, but the learning was not easy! Our expertise and our control methods are the results of thousands of years of trial and error.

To highlight this achievement, let's look back at the history of pest control, from pests to the present.

PEST CONTROL IN ANCIENT TIMES

The first reported case of pest control is very sad.

Before 2500 BC, our ancestors probably did not understand what it meant to stand up. So when they thought of a way to deal with the pests, they came up with the following solution, which didn't fix anything. Early farmers had found a rather lucrative solution: they planted a ridiculously high amount of produce, and once the pests had their share, they were left with enough to eat.

Okay. Can we probably give them points for reflection?

THE BEGINNINGS OF PEST CONTROL

From there, things got a little better. Finally, in 2500 BC, a man decided enough was enough and would tackle the ruthless parasites ruining the fruit of his labor.

The first to take the step was the Sumerians. They used sulfur compounds to kill insects that ate their crops.

THE EMERGENCE OF PHENOLOGY

It was around 1500 BC that civilizations began to understand that pest control was a science.

Some Chinese civilizations have learned the principles of phenology, studying variations in periodic phenomena about the seasons. For example, they rotated crops to observe the impact of one-time ecological events, such as dry seasons and the spread of pests.

It was quite a change, knowing that until then, humans let themselves be dominated by these nasty creatures.

THE TURNING POINT

The more people understood how infestations worked, the more experiments they made. So the Chinese have studied phenology further, using plant insecticides as grain fungicides.

But they weren't the only ones perfecting pest control! Almost all ancient societies set out to develop increasingly complex practices. For example, around 1200 B.C., the Romans killed mice, rats, and veritable green insects, while the Egyptians and Chinese repelled or killed the pests that destroyed their crops with herbs and oils.

It was essential to improve pest control techniques; building communities depended on it. Indeed, it was truly a matter of life and death at the time. A single bad harvest could spell the end of an entire village!

THE FIRST MAJOR ADVANCES IN PEST CONTROL

Pest control has not ceased to improve. On the contrary, the techniques developed so far have been refined, and more effective solutions have emerged.

Let's go back to the 1750s. Then, scientists started experimenting with various natural ingredients (derris and pyrethrum) to make plant insecticides!

SLIDINGS

Unfortunately, the sudden intensification of research and development has seriously affected public health and the environment.

Science will have gone too far, too fast. In 1829, arsenic and other harmful chemicals were used to kill parasites. But, of course, no one knew how dangerous they could be until authorities finally came to recognize the dangers of the practice a decade later.

By 1929, nearly 30 million pounds of arsenate had been spilled in fields and orchards across the United States. Harvests contained so much that they ended up poisoning consumers! So you understood correctly: what was supposed to eliminate the parasites that killed us?

THE EMERGENCE OF AN INDUSTRY

After devastating incidents like these, people realized the importance of entrusting tucson pest control to professionals. But, unfortunately, if there's one thing the use of arsenic has taught us, it's that amateurism plus pesticides equal disaster.

So, given the high demand for specialists in pest removal concerning human and environmental health, the pest control industry got off to a flying start.

Several laws were adopted to regulate the practice and make it safer.

For example, in 1927, Canada began to regulate the importation and sale of pesticides through the Act to regulate the sale and inspection of useful poisons used in agriculture. In 1939, this law was replaced by the Agricultural Pests Act and various regulations.

Either way, the goal is to regulate the pest control industry and ensure its players do their jobs with the environment and people in mind.

PEST CONTROL TODAY

The pest control industry would be nothing without advancements for thousands of years.

Fortunately, the episode of arsenic is far behind. Today, the watchword is "integrated pest management": we follow pest control practices without invasive and potentially harmful chemicals.

Pest control has become "green," so to speak, a natural evolution of experience gained over years of experimentation. Exterminators pride themselves on their non-chemical control methods, such as hot or cold air treatment.

THE BRIGHT FUTURE OF PEST CONTROL

And you know what? The industry continues to evolve!

Scientists in the field continue their experiments. They learn, develop new technologies and make biological advances. Who knows what pest control will look like in 100 years?

Perhaps one day, our successors will look at what we have done and laugh at our "modern" pest management techniques, as we are appalled at the arsenic-based solutions of our predecessors.

But no matter how the industry changes, some things will never change. First, Terminix Canada has provided innovative, cutting-edge pest control services for over 90 years! Next, we swear by integrated, fast and organic pest management techniques.