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Equipments

Integrated Pest Control

CONTEXT

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One of the most accepted definitions of infestation is a set of living beings that due their abundance and/or characteristics may cause health problems, discomfort, physical damage or economic losses. This definition is associated with the concept of the tolerance level, that is, the threshold at which a group of organisms can be considered to be an infestation. Generally, they are also vectors, acting as contaminants and/or direct or indirect transmitters of diseases. Their prevention focuses on the removal of the basic elements required for their survival, before they appear, that is, controlling food, water and shelter, and blocking access to installations where these elements may be available.

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Additionally, climate change favours the presence of some of these infestations, such as insects. Their rate of development, survival and reproduction increases in tandem with the rising temperatures, extending the disease transmission period.

Integrated pest management is characterised as an alternative to conventional pest control methods, which apply chemical agents (pesticides) at scheduled times. This means that the new concept combines all the measures possible with a view to choosing the control strategy that has the least chemical (toxic) effect on other living beings and their environments. Therefore, the prevention of the appearance of infestations is key to their control.

The importance of integrated pest control as an alternative to the conventional method is directly related to the protection of people’s health, internal environments and the natural environment. Prevention and the careful use of pesticides as a last resort, in short, protect the environment and interiors from the high persistence of these chemical agents and their bioaccumulation, in addition to reducing the risks of acute and chronic illnesses caused by chemical intoxication.

 

OBJECTIVE

  • Control and remove elements essential to the survival of pests.
  • Minimise the use of toxic chemical substances and pay attention to application methods that may generate a greater risk to people’s health, internal spaces and the environment.

PROPOSALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Control, on the municipal and individual levels, the factors and/or specific circum-stances that in internal and external spaces enable and/or favour the proliferation of pests, such as: climate conditions, humidity, puddles and stagnant water, dirt and abandoned organic material, rubbish, packaging, animals to parasitise, the absence of predators and the possibility of establishing shelters far away from human activity.
  • Use specialist, authorised and registered companies to implement the Pest Man-agement Plan (PMP), which employ specifically trained technical staff and use suitable materials. Service provision companies must be regulated in accordance with UNE-EN European standard 16636: 2015, while the technical responsibility of their staff must comply with Royal Decree 830/2010. The responsibilities of the contracted companies will be to:
    • Implement in the facility a Pest Management Plan (PMP) to control possible populations of harmful organisms, avoid the key factors that determine their presence and manage their maintenance in order to protect the health of people, internal spaces and the environment.
    • Implement the PMP in accordance with its respective phases, as established in the Municipal Pest Management Plan proposed by the National Association of Environmental Health Companies (Anecpla):
      • Perform a situation diagnosis, which involves collecting preliminary information and carrying out an inspection and a situation analysis.
      • Prepare an action programme, forming strategies to keep harmful organisms under control.
      • Carry out an ongoing assessment to verify the correct implementation of the PMP with the aim of adapting it to possible variations in the conditions.
    • Choose biorational insecticides, which specifically target pests and present low toxic levels for human beings.
    • As a last resort, use officially registered pesticides. Use techniques that involve the use of the least possible amount of pesticide and apply it as soon as possible in order to prevent the risk of intoxication for people.
  • Request the participation of other professionals who can contribute knowledge and experience in the environmental, socioeconomic, health and other fields and therefore apply a more global vision to a comprehensive and sustainable programme for the prevention and management of pests.

REFERENCE EXPERIENCES

LEGISLATION

STUDIES AND TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION

More information about addressing the Public Health Service: entornurbasalut@diba.cat

Date of last update:
dc., 12 de maig 2021 03:58:20 +0000