SP486A

Urban Pests and Pest Management1

P. G. Koehler2

contamination and human exposure to pesticides. Approxi-

mately 30 to 40 percent of pesticide use is in urban areas.

Considering the high concentration of human population

and the sensitive environment, safety and risk of exposure
to pesticides is disproportionate in our fragile urban ecosys-
tem. Do not apply control measures until a pest population
is present and damage is beginning to occur. Judicious use
of pesticides and the implementation of integrated pest
management practices are of utmost importance.

Pest Management
Pest management is a decision-making process that
involves locating and monitoring pests, establishing
thresholds for action, and selecting pest control methods.
To do this, the habits and life cycles of many pests must
be understood and appropriate measures to solve pest
This fact sheet is excerpted from SP486: Pests in and around the problems must be implemented.
Southern Home, which is available from the UF/IFAS Extension
Bookstore. http://ifasbooks.ifas.ufl.edu/p-1222-pests-in-and-around- One important integrated pest management practice
the-southern-home.aspx commonly used in the urban environment is prevention
of pest problems. Managing pests through prevention is
Urban Pests usually less expensive than trying to control a pest popula-
The warm southern states provide an ideal environment tion that has already become established. Furthermore, pest
for a wide variety of pests. Some of these pests live and prevention reduces the chance for substantial economic
reproduce inside structures. However, many live outdoors loss or irreversible damage. Prevention avoids some of
and only occasionally invade the home or workplace. the disruption associated with control efforts that may be
Because almost everyone has problems with pests, most needed after pests become established.
urban areas are sprayed with pesticides. Most pesticide ap-
plications are unnecessary and can result in environmental Once a pest becomes established, the most common pest
management goal is to eliminate it. Elimination can only be

1. This document is SP486A, one of a series of the Department of Entomology and Nematology, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date October
2013. Reviewed February 2017. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2. P. G. Koehler, professor, Department of Entomology and Nematology, UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to
individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national
origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other UF/IFAS Extension publications, contact your county’s UF/IFAS Extension office.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A & M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County
Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension.
successful if the conditions that originally favored the pest For monitoring, pheromones and other attractants are used
can be modified or pest entry can be completely blocked. in sticky traps or rodent spring traps. Inside a building
where food is stored, you can use these attractant traps to
Locating and Monitoring Pests locate sources of infestation. The effectiveness of attractant
Decisions to use pesticides and other control methods traps is influenced by the number of traps used and where
should be based in part on pest detection and monitoring they are placed.
results. Visually inspecting an area where pests or their
damage is observed is the most common method of detec- Check traps regularly. For insects, check traps once or twice
tion. Inspection involves careful and thorough searching per week at a minimum, and remove all captured insects.
for signs of the pest and conditions that favor pest buildup. Clean or replace sticky surfaces whenever they become
Monitoring is a systematic method of observing pests or covered with debris.
pest signs over a period of time. Monitoring may help
Record the number of target insects removed from traps
you detect unwanted pests and determine where pests are
each time they are checked. Plot trap catches on a per-day
coming from and where they are living. Monitoring is also
basis. This will allow you to perceive changes in the insects’
helpful in evaluating control programs. Special devices and
activity and verify the success of control measures. Com-
tools are available to detect and monitor certain types of
pare this activity with activity in traps in other locations.
pests.
Light traps. Traps equipped with ultraviolet lights, or black
Visual inspection. The purpose of a visual inspection is to
lights, attract several species of flying insects. These traps
search for evidence of pests. During an inspection, look for:
usually have a container with a funnel-shaped entrance that
(1) conditions that favor pests; (2) signs of pest damage,
allows insects to enter easily but blocks their escape. Some
entry, or presence; and (3) the pest itself.
light traps have an electrically charged grid that kills insects
When doing an inspection, it is helpful to prepare sketches as they approach the light. Electrocutor traps are usually
of the structure, lawn, or garden. Observe any conditions not used for insect monitoring.
that may cause problems during pest control operations.
Flypaper. You can use flypaper for monitoring flying
Note areas that you were unable to inspect because they
insects within confined areas. Some manufacturers add a fly
were inaccessible. Show the locations of trees, shrubs, trash
pheromone to the sticky coating to make it more effective.
and garbage storage, water sources, and other features of
the surrounding area that may attract or harbor pests or Examine the captured insects to determine their identity.
promote pest buildup. Keep records of the numbers and species of pests that were
caught and use this information for selecting and evaluating
Detection and Monitoring Devices control methods.
Different types of simple devices can assist you in detecting
and monitoring many of the pests found in structures. Sticky traps. For monitoring cockroaches, place glue
These include pheromones and other attractants, light boards along travelways next to intersections of walls and
traps, flypaper, and sticky traps. floors. Place them in cabinets and next to major appliances
in the kitchen.
Pheromones and other attractants. Pheromones are
chemicals normally produced by certain insects and Establishing Thresholds for Action
other animals to affect the behavior of individuals of the Pest control decisions are influenced by health or safety
same species. Pheromones are used by insects for mating, dangers created by the pest, by legal restrictions on pest
aggregation, feeding, trail following, and recruitment. infestation, and by levels of pest tolerance. Occasionally
Synthetically made pheromones mimic the action of a pest control decision depends on the costs involved to
pheromones produced by some pest insects. These are control a pest weighed against the benefits received. On
useful for monitoring the adult forms of pest moths, certain the basis of any of these factors, a threshold for action can
beetles and weevils, and some species of flies and fruit flies. usually be established to determine what type of control is
Certain other materials are also used as trap attractants. needed and when control should begin.
For example, ammonium carbonate attracts many different
species of flies; foodlike odors attract certain insects. Health and safety threshold. Health or safety threats
commonly require fast, extensive, and sometimes costly

Urban Pests and Pest Management 2

pest control measures. Several pests have the potential for Integrated Pest Management
causing injuries to people (mosquitoes, biting bugs, fleas,
spiders, bees, and wasps, for example) or transmitting Methods
disease to people or animals (rats and mice, cockroaches, Pests can be prevented, through sanitation and habitat
fleas, flies, and mosquitoes). Some others, such as termites modification, or they can be controlled by trapping, pesti-
and wood-boring beetles, cause the type of damage that cide use, and in some instances, biological control. Pests in
makes structures unsafe or reduces their value. structures are usually more effectively controlled when a
combination of compatible control methods can be used.
Decisions to control pests are based on knowledge of the
potential harm they can cause. If serious injury or damage Sanitation and Habitat Modification
may result, the control threshold must be very low. For
Habitats are areas within the larger environment that are
instance, one rat chewing on electrical wiring can cause a
suitable for a pest’s survival. Habitats provide a pest with
serious fire.
some or all of its necessary living requirements. A habitat
can only accommodate a maximum number of pests due
Legal thresholds. Public safety codes often require control
to limitations of one or more of these requirements. This
of pests in public buildings, commercial housing, food
maximum number is known as the carrying capacity.
service facilities, and other public structures. Building and
Where large quantities of food are available and shelter and
safety standards address the control of structural pests as
other requirements are ample, the carrying capacity is high.
well as the repair of damage caused by them. These legal
Such a habitat can support an almost unlimited number
thresholds dictate when pest control methods must be
of individuals of a pest species. If the carrying capacity is
used, even though in some cases control methods cannot
limited, however, the population tends to remain fixed in
be economically justified or the pests may not be causing a
size. If you remove individuals from a habitat through pest
hazard to public health or safety.
control measures or if they die off due to natural causes,
For information on laws that regulate pest infestation in these individuals will be replaced by others, usually soon,
certain buildings and on foods, contact state and local unless the carrying capacity is reduced at the same time.
health departments and housing and community develop- Population size is maintained at the carrying capacity by
ment offices. The Bureau of Entomology has information increased reproduction among remaining individuals or by
on laws that apply to the control of structural pests. Federal new individuals migrating in.
marketing orders list allowable tolerances of specific
Habitat modification usually involves improving sanitation
pests or pest damage in fresh and stored food items. This
practices. Sanitation includes removing food, water, breed-
information can be obtained from the US Department of
ing sites, and shelter used by pests. Outdoors, you may need
Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service.
to trim or remove dense, pest-harboring vegetation near
Pest acceptance threshold. People have different degrees buildings, clean up trash, keep garbage in closed containers,
of acceptance of pests that they are willing to tolerate in provide for drainage of standing water, clean up animal
and around their homes. Pest acceptance thresholds may wastes and spilled animal feed, and eliminate items that
be high because of social or cultural factors or because of attract pests. Inside, sanitation includes storing foods and
concerns about the costs or hazards of pest control methods food wastes in tightly closed containers, cleaning up spills
used. A pest acceptance threshold can be extremely low and residues, removing trash and other materials that can
due to a person’s revulsion or fear of the pest. Acceptance be used for nests, and thorough vacuuming and dusting on
thresholds may sometimes be modified if you can provide a regular basis. The cleaning of surfaces may also improve
factual information about specific pests, the potential for the effectiveness of pesticides by removing grease, oils, dust,
pest damage, and methods of pest control. and other contaminants that interfere with their function.
To assist in good sanitation, make sure interior areas are
Economic threshold. In certain instances, the cost of well lighted to simplify cleaning and easy detection of pests
control measures may need to be justified. Economic and pest damage. Sweepings and other waste should be
thresholds may apply if there are no health and safety, legal, taken to a disposal area outside of the building.
or tolerance thresholds that need to be considered. An
economic threshold is a level of pest abundance at which Other sanitation practices include removing dirt mounds,
the potential loss caused by pest damage is expected to be wood pieces, and other cellulose debris from areas beneath
greater than the cost of controlling the pest. buildings to keep from promoting termite problems.

Urban Pests and Pest Management 3

Provide adequate ventilation to areas beneath buildings to Inspection
reduce moisture. Inspect items brought into a building for pest infestation.
For example, firewood may harbor carpenter ants, spiders,
Outdoor lights placed near entrances to buildings attract
cockroaches, wood-boring beetles, termites, or similar
many flying and crawling insects at night. If possible, locate
pests, as well as eggs of some pests. Furniture, rugs, and
light fixtures away from entrances. Otherwise, modify the
other items moved from an infested building can be
type of light being used. Sodium vapor lights are better
contaminated with cockroaches, carpet beetles, or fleas.
than mercury vapor lights or standard incandescent lights
Dogs and cats bring in fleas and ticks.
for outdoor use because they emit a spectrum of light that
is less attractive to insects; yellow “bug” bulbs work on the
same principle.
Trapping
Traps include sticky traps, pheromone traps, and light traps.
A program of sanitation and habitat modification requires Beside their benefits as monitoring devices, traps are used
cooperation. All people living or working in a building to kill pests or to catch pests so they can be removed from
must keep food, food waste, and trash in pestproof contain- an area. Many types of pests can be controlled through
ers and store other items in designated places where they trapping. Traps do not require the use of potentially hazard-
cannot attract pests. Inhabitants should promptly report ous chemicals, and the user can easily view the success
pest problems. Housekeeping and landscape maintenance of the trapping program. However, successful trapping
workers can help by keeping interior and exterior areas free programs require skill, time, and attention to develop
of trash, nesting sites, and other items that might be attrac- workable techniques. Even so, trapping may not always
tive to pests; they should provide containers for wastes and work well enough under some conditions to satisfactorily
specify locations for storage of other materials. Buildings control target pests. Trapping techniques that are successful
must be monitored on a regular basis to ensure that sanita- in one situation may not always work as well under differ-
tion conditions are maintained and to spot new problem ent conditions or at other locations.
areas as they occur. Tenants and persons responsible for
housekeeping and landscape maintenance must be notified Biological Control
of conditions that promote pest buildup so they can take Biological control is gaining more importance as a pest
corrective action. control method for certain insects in structures. Cockroach
populations have been successfully reduced in certain
Exclusion locations by introducing parasitic wasps. Biological control
Exclusion is a type of habitat modification useful for keep- techniques either augment other control practices or
ing fleas, ants, cockroaches, stored-product pests, termites, replace more disruptive or hazardous methods.
and other pests from entering buildings. The design and
construction of a building may either promote pests or Pesticides
exclude them. Pestproof design and construction should be The application of pesticides is the most common pest
an important consideration when planning new structures control method used in and around buildings, enclosed
and remodeling older ones. areas, and vehicles. Some pesticides provide chemical
barriers to prevent insects from getting in. Pesticides are
Check building exteriors for ways that insects or other pests also used to treat soil, wood, fabrics, and other items to
can enter. Obvious entrances for many types of pests are prevent pest damage.
doorways and windows. These must be fitted with tight-
fitting screens or doors. Properly installed weatherstripping Pesticides are available as baits, tracking powders, desic-
eliminates small cracks that provide access for some pests. cants (inert dusts or sorptive powders), liquids, dusts,
Also, check attic and foundation vents to ensure that they and gases. The type of pesticide used and the kind of
are tight and screened. Look for foundation or wall cracks, formulation selected is based on the life habits of the pest,
gaps in siding or joints, and areas where pipes, wires, its density, and its location.
or other objects pass through walls. Fill openings with
concrete or another suitable patching material. Inspect
chimneys and roof vent pipes for adequate screening.
Summary
This manual on pests in and around the home is a compila-
tion of information on biology, identification, and pest
management practices for urban pests. By learning about

Urban Pests and Pest Management 4

these specific pests it should be possible to reduce pesticide
use in the home. The reduced pesticide use should improve
the health and safety of our families and the environment.

Urban Pests and Pest Management 5