Pest Control and Agriculture Farming in California

For most Los Angeles residents who go about their work each day, agriculture is just that, fruits and vegetables we buy at the local supermarket. California’s agricultural sector is HUGE. So much so that third of the country’s vegetables and two-thirds of the country’s fruits and nuts are grown right here in California. Furthermore, just last year, California’s agriculture has contributed more than $100+ billion (that is billion) to the USA economy.

Looking at the above figures, one may say ‘well farming is great, so much profits to be made’ and yet, only farmers know what it really takes to work the land and crops. Only a farmer knows the challenges and harsh conditions of farming. Think about it, when almost all citizens in Los Angeles are sleeping in on the weekend, let’s say 9am still snoring, a farmer is up usually working at 5am so that the land is attended to.

Surely, Maximum Pest Control Services is all about exterminating and managing pests (mice, rats, bees, wasps, bed bugs etc.) throughout Los Angeles California neighborhoods such as San Fernando, Woodland Hills, Encino, Tarzana, West Hills, Sherman Oaks, Mission Hills, North Hills, Granada Hills and others. But since we cater for all types of pests ensuring they are eliminated and removed, we decided to talk about the importance of pest control in agricultural settings.

While here, are you a farmer needing professional and licensed pest control company in California for pests eating away you crops? Call as we cater for large companies through our commercial pest control solutions with flexible options.

Before we begin, we do realize that most farmers (especially multigenerational farming) actually are aware of common pest control measures since destructive pests have plagued farmers since the dawn of time. But we can’t rest on our laurels and must be vigilant and active by having sound pest control measures in place for controlling pests. Because the battle and the strategy to win never ends dealing with invasive pests and dangers they pose.

California agricultural sector battles exotic pests each year costing over $3 billion (dollars) annually.

Let’s Begin with the Basics

Pests are usually small insects and bugs that rapidly grow in numbers and feed upon plants and crops and manipulate the topology of the landscape. They are harmful to the whole harvest and can poison the crop too. Pests multiply under specific conditions, like extreme temperatures, excess or lack of water and essential nutrients, and, sometimes, infected crops and weeds. They highly affect the crop yield, targeting the plants in the form of growth or light hindering pathogens, fungus, bacteria, plant viruses, arthropods, and weeds.

Pest Classification “Micro and Macro”

Micro pests are relatively small and difficult to see or observe but can be severely damaging to the farming environment. Since these types of pests are highly versatile, they cannot be easily controlled. Examples of such pests include cutworms, aphids, and armyworms. Usually, upon identification, micro pests can be eliminated by correct pesticide fumigation.

Macro pests are visible, though still have damaging effects. Macro pests travel in swarms and are not only harmful to crops but can also have adverse effects on other bio-species. Examples of macro pests include rodents, locusts, cockroaches and others. As they lay eggs or birth to re-populate, their growth numbers keeps on increasing and can become extremely difficult to manage. One of the best and proven way is to exterminate such pests is by using pesticides and fungal colonies. Also, introducing predator species are also used under strict measures that are closely monitored.

farmer holding laptop analyzing crop

Pest Control

Pest control is a procedure related to administering chemically engineered specific pesticides in crops and agricultural fields. During seeding, sowing and harvest, farmers and agricultural engineers face many issues, mostly in the form of pest and crop disease outbreaks, which may destroy the crops and if pest control and management not done correctly, can render months of hard work useless.

There are many procedures involved in the process of pest control, like weeding, fertilization, pruning, crop rotation, soil loosening, irrigation, and completely removing previous crop residues after harvest. These are the most effective ways to avoid pest infestation and crop infection. The most prominent being thrips, powdery mildew, downy mildew, blight, and leaf rust. This also helps the soil retain and maintain its nutrients so as to provide the perfect balance to sowed plants throughout the season.

  • Thrips are slender insects with fringed wings.
  • Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that affects a wide range of plants.
  • Downy mildew refers to any of several types of oomycete microbes (water molds) that are obligate parasites of plants.
  • Blight refers to a specific symptom affecting plants in response to infection by a pathogenic organism.
  • Common rust (Phragmidium spp.) is a fungal disease that attacks roses, hollyhocks, snapdragons, daylilies, beans, tomatoes and lawns.

The first step in planting a crop is selecting wide, airy spots so as to avoid clusters and a humid, dewy atmosphere. Another important factor in calculating how far that piece of land is from a large water body, as that being too close to water can cause the soil to moisten and soften, thus ruining the crop by causing them to decay.

Preparing the land before sowing the crop by introducing natural pesticides and or insecticides into the soil can also sufficiently reduce pest and disease outbreaks. Because as a farmer knows, determining the composition of the soil for the next crop is critical for successful yields.

If the crop has been affected by a pests outbreak, the most important decision to make is to analyze the type and then take measures accordingly. Chemically engineered pest control treatments are very harsh and can be severely damaging to soils’ integrity and can ruin nutrient balance if not treated carefully. Do keep in mind that there are many procedures for pest control whether we are talking about commercial or residential pest control.

Pest Control Service for Farmers

As we’ve highlighted throughout our website, it’s important to seek professional and qualified advice whenever you are facing problems with pests and insects. Are you a farmer in California seeking pest control service for farmers? Seeing insects or pests around your farm? Just need pest control questions answered by professional technicians? Maximum Pest Control Services experts can help.

Although we are currently serving our valued clients nearby Los Angeles California locations such as Pest Control Granada Hills San Fernando, Encino, Tarzana, Reseda, Bell Canyon, Sherman Oaks, Mission Hills, Chatsworth, Sylmar, Calabasas, Northridge, Topanga, North Hills, Studio City and other locations.

Plagued by Pests or Insects?

We’ve created even more useful information on our latest blog post regarding techniques for controlling pests in farms. And yet, whether you are dealing with common house pests such as mouse, rats, ants or bed bugs and need extermination services, or whether your Los Angeles business is facing an infestation, you can rely on our expert team to handle the problem rapidly and cost-effectively.

Whether you have a small or large farm, commercial building or a warehouse, or whether you want preventative measures to secure your land, crops, or building. Maximum Pest Control Services team is ready to help through our flexible commercial pest control solutions. You’ll also enjoy our competitively priced flexible monthly, quarterly or yearly rates for exterminating and managing insects and pests issues.

Trust experience, arrange an inspection by pressing the link below so that we can highlight why we take pride in our work.

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