Backyard bugs : A guide to pest control in the home and garden

Abstract

Preface: The urban environment with its vast array of plants, buildings, animals and concentrations of people provides a haven for thousands of insects and related animal species. Fortunately, not all of these are pests, but the few that are can be troublesome at times. Controlling pests in and around the home is something most of us do at one time or another and safe, effective solutions are what we seek. Pest control methods have evolved rapidly over the past decade and the emphasis nowadays is on replacing chemical pesticides with non-chemical controls. New pest control technologies are developed each year, many of which can be readily adapted for use by urban dwellers. Chemicals still have a place in pest control. However, they should be regarded as the last line of defence, rather than the first line of attack. This emphasis is made throughout the book. A number of pest control books have been written over the years, but many of these originate overseas and are not applicable to New Zealand conditions. This book aims to fill the void and provide urban dwellers with an up-to-date reference source on pest control in the home and garden. In this respect, it differs from most pest control books, which focus only on garden pests. The modular format also differs from other texts of its type, and the inclusion of a cross-referencing system allows readers to quickly locate additional information on pests or control methods in other sections of the book. It is extensively illustrated with high quality line drawings and colour photographs.