Control Pyramid

Mechanical Controls

The goal of mechanical management is to use “devices, machines, and other physical methods to control pests or alter their environment." Mechanical controls can be used for prevention and intervention.

Intervention Mechanical Control Examples

Prevention Mechanical Control Examples

• Hand-picking​
• Trapping (to reduce the population)​
• Fire​
• Cultivating/hand-weeding​
• Tillage (destroying existing weeds)

• Tillage (burying weed seed)​
• Window screens​
• Sealing cracks​
• Fences/barriers​
• Trapping (to attract organisms before they mate)

Chemical Control

The goal of chemical management is simple – to use pesticides to suppress pests. Chemical control is a large part of pest intervention and is the reason that you are taking this course! Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of chemical control (MO.7)

Disadvantages

Advantages (if used correctly)

• We like that they kill pests, but this also means that they are toxic! We can safely use them, but it is important to remember that they are toxic– either to us, the environment, or other nontarget creatures or plants.
• Some disadvantages include phytotoxicity, secondary pest occurrence, pesticide resistance, and human and environmental damage​ (covered in Canvas below)

• Very effective (in some cases the ONLY effective method of control)​
• Speed of control​
• Cost of control is often lower than other control options​

Biological Controls

Biological control can be used for prevention and intervention. The goal of biological management, biological control, or “biocontrol” is:

Intervention

Prevention

Augmentation Biocontrol is considered an intervention control.

• Augmentation involves the release of biocontrols to suppress a pest.
• This may include introducing a natural enemy of the pest in small or large amounts.

Conservation Biocontrol is considered a preventative control.

• It means not killing the natural enemies – sometimes called a biological control organism – of the pests that already exist there.

Cultural Control

The goal of cultural management is to “alter the environment, the condition of the host plant or site, or the behavior of the pest to prevent or suppress an infestation.”​ Below are some methods of cultural control:

• Soil testing/fertility management​
• Plant/crop selection​
• Crop rotation​
• Watering​
• Mulch​
• “Conservation” biocontrol (this will be discussed later in Biological Controls)​
• Host resistance and genetic control​