Pest control is the management of a species that is defined as a pest usually as it is alleged to be harmful to a person’s health, the economy or the ecology. The practise of controlling pest is used since old times because there is always a need for keeping crops free from pests. For maximizing the food production, it is beneficial for protecting crops from the competing species of plants and from herbivores that are competing with humans. In the traditional approach, the weeds are destroyed by burning them or killing larger competing herbivores including crows and other birds eating seeds. The techniques like crop rotation, selective breeding of pest-resistant cultivars and companion planting are being applied since a long time.
The actions of human has rendered many pests as a problem and modifying these actions can lead to considerable reduction of the pest problem. For example, In the US, raccoons caused a problem by tearing open the refuse sacks. Many people introduced bins with locking lids that prevented the raccoons from visiting. Similarly, the house flies accumulate at places of human activity where food or food waste is exposed and it is regarded a global phenomenon. Also, seagulls turn into pests at various seaside resorts.
There are various types of pest control methods popular for the effective control of the pests such as Biological pest control, Elimination of breeding grounds, Poisoned bait, Field burning, Hunting, Traps, Poison spray, Space fumigation, Space treatment, Sterilization, Destruction of infected plants, Natural rodent control, Repellents and others. The application of these methods depends on the types of pests on which they are used. In the 20th century, the discovery of several synthetic insecticides like DDT and herbicides boosted the development of insecticides. Currently, the chemical pest control is the predominant type of pest control however its long-term effects led to a revived interest in conventional and biological pest control.