The Importance Of Pest Control And Managment

Pest Control and Managment Pests including insects, rodents, nuisance birds, and certain mammals, are common in zoos because of the ready availability of shelter, food, and water. Control of pests is a critical aspect of preventative medicine at zoological parks. Pests are reservoirs of disease that can easily degrade the quality of the park and cause economic loss from damage to stored foods to physical facilities. Development of a comprehensive program to address a pest control problem, including safe and appropriate pesticide application protocols, generally involves determining the scope and magnitude of the problem, identifying appropriate expertise, defining who will do the work, devising a safe and effective plan, implementing the program,

The most successful control programs at zoos use integrated pest management (IPM) as a pest management strategy, where natural processes, such as natural pest mortality factors, pest-predator relationships, and genetic resistance, can be manipulated to maximize their effectiveness. Commonly, chemical controls are used only when natural processes of control fail and in a way, that minimizes economic, health, and environmental risks. The goal of IPM is to reduce pests to a tolerable level through methods that are least disruptive to the

The input of management, curator staff, safety department, exhibit personnel, keepers, and the sanitation department is essential for a successful pest management program. A successful IPM program at a zoo includes several steps to control, reduce, or eliminate pests. These many include inspection, exclusion, and habitat management, sanitation, trapping, baiting, repellents, and other methods. As apreventative measure, routineinspection of anima facilitiesmay identify a pest problem before it developes into an infestation. Physical barriers (fencing, netting, and roofing) provide a first line of defense against pest infestation. Habitat management is intended to reduce the attractiveness of an animal enclosure to the pest. Sanitation and proper storage and removal of solid waste (bedding, feed, enrichment items, dirt, and debris) are important steps in pest management. Appropriate food storage bins that are well sealed will reduce potential pest problems. Cleaning and disinfecting food and water containers should occur routinely. Public areas should be cleaned regularly, and the public should be discouraged from feeding animals. The Animal Welfare Act contains specific sanitation regulations for certain animals in captivity (primate enclosures must be sanitized at