Pest Prevention through Exclusion
By Dr. Abdul Rauf
18th July 2019
We know that the pests live outside around our homes. They enter inside the homes and buildings in search of safe harborages. They enter through a variety of passages like doors, windows, openings of electric wires, gaps near water pipes, water outlets, and sewage pipes, exhaust fans, gaps below air conditioners, holes and many other entry points. In and around human habitant areas we generate different types of waste. The food related waste that goes out is the main attractant to various pests like birds, houseflies, mosquitoes, rodents, snakes and others. The pests enter the structures for safety, hideout, for warmth and start living inside. To prevent the entry of these pests is very important step because they bring a large number of disease causing bacteria and germs with them. When inside structures they get life essentials making it easy for them to multiply and increase their population.
For exclusion some structural deficiencies are repaired on the exterior of the building structures to prevent the pest to entry. Pest management is only effective if there entry poinst are sealed. We follow the exclusion and it is a part of our IPM services. Our approach is proactive not reactive. Our IPM service stops the pests before they become a problem in the living area. It is an urgent need to include the concept of exclusion in the construction of various buildings. The principle of exclusion must be a pre requisite in the building structures of airports, municipal buildings, schools, hospitals and other houses when these are constructed. These structures should have inbuilt exclusion for preventing the pests entry. It will help to solve the pest problems easily.
