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Fort Myers, Florida
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Sidney and Berne Davis Art Museum in downtown Fort Myers
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Seal
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"City of Palms"
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Location in Lee County, Florida
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Fort Myers
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Coordinates:
26°37′N 81°50′W / 26.617°N 81.833°W[1]Country
United StatesState
FloridaCountyLeeFoundedMarch 24, 1885IncorporatedAugust 12, 1885[2]Government
• TypeCouncil–Manager • MayorKevin B. Anderson • CouncilmembersTeresa Watkins Brown,
Fred Burson,
Darla Bonk,
Liston “Lin” Bochette, III,
Terolyn Watson, and
Johnny W. Streets, Jr. • City ManagerMarty K. LawingArea
49.03 sq mi (127.00 km2) • Land39.84 sq mi (103.19 km2) • Water9.19 sq mi (23.81 km2)Elevation
10 ft (3.0 m)Population
86,395
95,949 • Rank370th in country (as of 2021)[5] • Density2,168.4/sq mi (837.24/km2)Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)ZIP Codes
Area code239FIPS code12-24125[6]GNIS feature ID0282700[4]Websitewww
Fort Myers (or Ft. Myers) is a city in and the county seat[7] of Lee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 86,395; it was estimated to have grown to 95,949 in 2022, making it the 25th-most populous city in Florida.[5] Together with the larger and more residential city of Cape Coral, it anchors the Cape Coral–Fort Myers metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses Lee County and has a population of 834,573 as of 2023.
Fort Myers is a gateway to the Southwest Florida region and a major tourist destination within the state. The winter estates of Thomas Edison ("Seminole Lodge") and Henry Ford ("The Mangoes") are major attractions.[8] The city takes its name from a local former fort that was built during the Seminole Wars. The fort in turn took its name from Colonel Abraham Myers in 1850; Myers served in the United States Army, mostly the Quartermaster Department, in various posts from 1833 to 1861 and was the quartermaster general of the Confederate States Army from 1861 to 1864.[9][10][2]
Fort Myers has substantial African American and Latin American populations. Centennial Park downtown along the Caloosahatchee River, the IMAG History & Science Center, Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium, and other historical sites are among the attractions.
According to some historians, the Calusa capital was located near Fort Myers.[11] Following European contact, Spain had colonial influence in Florida, succeeded by Great Britain and lastly the United States.
During the Second Seminole War, the U.S. Army operated Fort Dulaney at Punta Rassa, at the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River (see the Battle of the Caloosahatchee). When a hurricane destroyed Fort Dulaney in October 1841, army operations were moved up the Caloosahatchee River to a site named Fort Harvie.[12][13] Fort Harvie was abandoned in 1842, as the Second Seminole War wound down. After the Paynes Creek incident in 1849, the Army returned to the Caloosahatchee River in 1850.
Major David E. Twiggs, then stationed at Fort Brooke (present day-Tampa), gave orders for two companies of artillery to "select a suitable place for the establishment of a post and immediately throw up such light works as may secure [their] stores, and remove from the Indians any temptation to which [their] isolated position may give rise."[14] The new Fort Myers was built on the burned ruins of Fort Harvie.[15]
The fort was named for Brevet Colonel Abraham Charles Myers, quartermaster for the Army's Department of Florida and future son-in-law of Major Twiggs.[16] It covered about 139 acres (56 ha), and soon had 57 buildings, including a two-story blockhouse that was pictured in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, and a 1,000-foot-long (300 m) wharf at which ships could dock. Irvin Solomon notes that Fort Myers was described "as 'one of the finest and largest' forts of the Seminole Wars". It was abandoned in 1858, at the end of the Third Seminole War.[17]
During the American Civil War, Confederate blockade runners and cattle ranchers were based in Fort Myers. These settlers prospered through trading with the Seminole and Union soldiers.[18]
The United States Army set up a camp on Useppa Island, near the entrance to Charlotte Harbor, in December 1863. It was intended as a place from which to recruit Union sympathizers and Confederate deserters and conscription-evaders and to raid into the interior and interfere with Confederate efforts to round up cattle for supply to the Confederate Army.[19] After some probes along the Peace and Myakka rivers, which had mixed results, operations were moved to the mainland.[20] Troops from the 47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment and the 2nd Regiment of Florida Rangers, later reorganized as the 2nd Florida Cavalry Regiment, left Key West, Florida for Fort Myers early in January 1864. The Union soldiers reached Fort Myers quickly enough to capture three Confederate sympathizers before they could act on orders to burn the fort to keep it out of Union hands. Beyond the principal cause for occupying the fort of providing support for Union sympathizers and local residents disaffected with Confederate taxation and conscription, the fort provided access to the large cattle herds in southern Florida, support for the blockade of the southwest Florida coast being conducted by the U.S. Navy, and a haven for any escaped slaves in the area.[21]
In April 1864, after the troops from the 47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment had been transferred to Louisiana, Companies D and I of the 2nd United States Colored Infantry Regiment were transferred from Key West to Fort Myers, and remained at the fort until it was abandoned.[22] Company G of the regiment had also been sent to Fort Myers by early May.[23] Solomon argues that Brevet Brigadier General Daniel Phineas Woodbury, commandant of the District of Key West and the Tortugas, intended that action to be an irritant to the Confederacy. The presence of the black soldiers, who made up the majority of troops used in raids into Confederate territory, played on Confederate fears of armed blacks. It was reported that Woodbury took pleasure in placing a "prickly pear cactus under the Confederate saddle".[24]
By the spring of 1864, Fort Myers was protected by a 500-foot-long (150 m) breastwork, 7 feet (2.1 m) high and 15 feet (4.6 m) wide, extending in an arc around the land side of the fort. The Seminole War-era blockhouse had been repaired and another two-story blockhouse built. The fort was soon harboring more than 400 civilians and Confederate army deserters. Many of the white men enlisted in the 2nd Florida Union Cavalry. Although designated as cavalry, the members of the regiment stationed at Fort Myers were never mounted. Escaped slaves that came to the fort were recruited into the 2nd United States Colored Infantry Regiment.[25]
The Union achieved control of the full length of the Mississippi River after the fall of Vicksburg in July 1863. The Confederate Army then became dependent on Florida for most of its supply of beef. By the end of 1863 between 1,000 and 2,000 head of cattle were being shipped to the Confederate Army from Florida every week.[26]
As 1864 progressed, Union troops and sympathizers began driving cattle to Punta Rassa to supply Union ships on blockade duty and Union-held Key West, reducing the supply of cattle available to Confederate forces. The increased shipping from Punta Rassa led the Union Army to build a barracks and a wharf there.[27] By one Confederate estimate, the Union shipped 4,500 head of cattle from Punta Rassa.[28]
The Battle of Fort Myers was fought on February 20, 1865, in Lee County, Florida, during the last months of the American Civil War. This small engagement is known as the "southernmost land battle of the Civil War."[29] However, see Battle of Palmito Ranch.
The Fort Myers community was founded after the American Civil War by Captain Manuel A. Gonzalez on February 21, 1866.[30][31] Captain Gonzalez was familiar with the area as a result of his years of service delivering mail and supplies to the Union Army at the fort during the Seminole Indian Wars and Civil War.[30][31]
When the U.S. government abandoned the fort following the Civil War, Gonzalez sailed from Key West to found the community.[30][31][32] Three weeks later, Joseph Vivas and his wife, Christianna Stirrup Vivas, arrived with Gonzalez's wife, Evalina, and daughter Mary.[33]
Gonzalez settled his family near the abandoned Fort Myers, where he began the area's first trading post. He traded tobacco, beads, and gunpowder, and sold otter, bobcat, and gator hide to the neighboring Seminole.[18] A small community began to form around the trading post.
In the late 19th century, northerners began to travel to Florida in the winter. Some saw development opportunities. In 1881, the wealthy industrialist Hamilton Disston of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, came to the Caloosahatchee Valley. He planned to dredge and drain the Everglades for development. Diston connected Lake Okeechobee with the Caloosahatchee River; this allowed steamboats to run from the Gulf of Mexico to Lake Okeechobee and up the Kissimmee River.[18]
On August 12, 1885, the small town of Fort Myers—all 349 residents—was incorporated. At that time, it was the second-largest town on Florida's Gulf Coast south of Cedar Key.[2]
In 1885, inventor Thomas Alva Edison was cruising Florida's west coast and stopped to visit Fort Myers.[2] He soon bought 13 acres along the Caloosahatchee River in town. There he built his home "Seminole Lodge", as a winter retreat. It included a laboratory for his continuing work. After the lodge was completed in 1886, Edison and his wife, Mina, spent many winters in Fort Myers. Edison also enjoyed local recreational fishing, for which Fort Myers had gained a national reputation.[34]
Despite an initial offer by Edison to light the town, on New Year's Day in 1898 Fort Myers was first electrified by the Seminole Canning Company, a local company that canned and preserved fruit.[35][36]
In 1898, the Royal Palm Hotel was constructed. This luxury hotel attracted tourists and established Fort Myers nationally as a winter resort destination.[37]
On May 10, 1904, access to the Fort Myers area was greatly improved with the opening of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, connecting Punta Gorda to Fort Myers. This route provided Lee County both passenger and freight railroad service.[38] The arrival of the railroad, however, also led to greater segregation in Fort Myers. With the railroad came the need for more unskilled labor and the arrival of a more uneducated workforce, compared to many African Americans who had already resided in town, some of whom had been tradespersons, vendors, and landowners. These more middle-class black citizens, as well as the new African-American laborers, were increasingly pressured to move to the segregated area that would become known as Safety Hill. This area of town, as can be seen by contemporary photographs, had a lower quality of houses and street surfaces.[39] The area, now known as Dunbar, is still highly segregated from the rest of Fort Myers.[40]
In 1907, the Seminole tribes' Federal Agency headquarters was relocated to Fort Myers. It remained there until 1913.[41]
In 1908, the Arcade Theater was constructed in Downtown Fort Myers. Originally a vaudeville house, Edison viewed films here for the first time with friends Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone.[42] With the growth of the film industry, the Arcade Theatre was converted into a full movie house. A wall divided the stage in order to form two screening rooms. Changes in moviegoing habits since the late 20th century have led to the renovation of the theater for use again in live performance. It is now host to the Florida Repertory Theatre, a performing arts hall.
During World War I, Edison became concerned about America's reliance on foreign supplies of rubber. He partnered with tire producer Harvey Firestone (of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company) and Henry Ford (of the Ford Motor Company) to try to find a rubber tree or plant that could grow quickly in the United States. He sought one that would contain enough latex to support his research endeavor. In 1927, the three men contributed $25,000 each, and created the Edison Botanic Research Corporation in an attempt to find a solution to this problem.[2] In 1928, the Edison Botanic Research Corporation laboratory was constructed. It was in Fort Myers that Edison conducted the majority of his research and planted exotic plants and trees. He sent results and sample rubber residues to West Orange, New Jersey, for further work at his large Thomas A. Edison "Invention Factory" (now preserved in the Thomas Edison National Historical Park). Through Edison's efforts, the royal palms lining Riverside Avenue (now McGregor Boulevard) were imported and planted. They inspired Fort Myers' nickname as "City of Palms".[2]
After testing around 17,000 plant samples, Edison eventually discovered a source in the goldenrod plant (Solidago leavenworthii). The rubber project was transferred to the United States Department of Agriculture five years later.[2]
In 1916, automobile magnate Ford purchased the home next to Edison's from Robert Smith of New York. Ford named his estate "the Mangoes". Ford's craftsman-style "bungalow" was built in 1911 by Smith. Ford, Firestone, and Edison were leaders in American industry and part of an exclusive group titled "the Millionaires' Club". The three men have been memorialized in statues in downtown Fort Myers' Centennial Park.
In 1924, with the beginning of construction of the Edison Bridge, named for Edison, the city's population steadily grew. The bridge was opened on February 11, 1931, the 84th birthday of its namesake. Edison dedicated the bridge, and was the first to drive across it.
In the decade following the bridge's construction, the city had a real estate boom. Several new residential subdivisions were built beyond downtown, including Dean Park, Edison Park, and Seminole Park.[34] Edison Park, located across McGregor Boulevard from the Edison and Ford properties, includes a number of Fort Myers' most stately homes.[43] The population of Fort Myers City had been 575 citizens in 1890. By 1930, it had climbed to 9,082.[44]
In 1947, Mina Edison deeded Seminole Lodge to the city of Fort Myers, in memory of her late husband and for the enjoyment of the public. By 1988, the adjacent Henry Ford winter estate was purchased by the city and opened for public tours in 1990. The combined properties today are known as the Edison and Ford Winter Estates.
Fort Myers suffered catastrophic damage from Hurricane Ian on September 28, 2022.[45]
The approximate coordinates for the City of Fort Myers is located at
26°37′N 81°50′W / 26.617°N 81.833°W.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 40.4 square miles (105 km2), of which 31.8 square miles (82 km2) is land and 8.6 square miles (22 km2) (21.25%) is water.
Fort Myers had a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) in the past, but in the 1991-2020 reference period has become a tropical monsoon climate (Am), bordering on a tropical savanna climate (Aw) .[46]
The temperature rarely rises to 100 °F (38 °C) or lowers to the freezing mark.[47] Rainfall averages just over 57 inches per year, strongly concentrated during the rainy season (June to September) with its frequent showers and thunderstorms; on average, these four months deliver 67 percent of annual rainfall. From October to May, average monthly rainfall is less than 3.5 inches. In years with drier than average conditions from winter into mid-spring, drought can develop, and brush fires can be a significant threat. Reflecting the June to September wet season, Fort Myers has 89 days annually in which a thunderstorm is close enough for thunder to be heard, the most in the nation.[48]
The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 64.7 °F (18.2 °C) in January to 83.4 °F (28.6 °C) in August, with the annual mean being 75.4 °F (24.1 °C).
Records range from 24 °F (−4 °C) on December 29, 1894 up to 103 °F (39 °C) on June 16–17, 1981.
| Climate data for Fort Myers, Florida (Page Field), 1991–2020 normals,[a] extremes 1892–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 88 (31) |
92 (33) |
94 (34) |
96 (36) |
99 (37) |
103 (39) |
101 (38) |
100 (38) |
98 (37) |
95 (35) |
95 (35) |
91 (33) |
103 (39) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 84.6 (29.2) |
85.7 (29.8) |
88.0 (31.1) |
91.3 (32.9) |
94.8 (34.9) |
96.0 (35.6) |
95.8 (35.4) |
95.5 (35.3) |
94.1 (34.5) |
91.7 (33.2) |
87.9 (31.1) |
85.1 (29.5) |
96.7 (35.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 75.0 (23.9) |
78.0 (25.6) |
81.1 (27.3) |
85.3 (29.6) |
89.5 (31.9) |
91.0 (32.8) |
91.6 (33.1) |
91.7 (33.2) |
90.0 (32.2) |
86.6 (30.3) |
81.3 (27.4) |
77.3 (25.2) |
84.9 (29.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 64.7 (18.2) |
67.3 (19.6) |
70.3 (21.3) |
74.8 (23.8) |
79.3 (26.3) |
82.3 (27.9) |
83.2 (28.4) |
83.4 (28.6) |
82.2 (27.9) |
78.0 (25.6) |
71.5 (21.9) |
67.3 (19.6) |
75.4 (24.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 54.3 (12.4) |
56.6 (13.7) |
59.6 (15.3) |
64.3 (17.9) |
69.1 (20.6) |
73.6 (23.1) |
74.7 (23.7) |
75.1 (23.9) |
74.3 (23.5) |
69.4 (20.8) |
61.8 (16.6) |
57.3 (14.1) |
65.8 (18.8) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 38.1 (3.4) |
41.5 (5.3) |
45.5 (7.5) |
53.5 (11.9) |
61.2 (16.2) |
69.5 (20.8) |
71.5 (21.9) |
72.3 (22.4) |
70.4 (21.3) |
57.8 (14.3) |
49.1 (9.5) |
43.0 (6.1) |
36.4 (2.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 27 (−3) |
27 (−3) |
33 (1) |
39 (4) |
50 (10) |
58 (14) |
66 (19) |
65 (18) |
63 (17) |
45 (7) |
34 (1) |
24 (−4) |
24 (−4) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.43 (62) |
1.78 (45) |
2.07 (53) |
2.44 (62) |
3.46 (88) |
9.66 (245) |
9.38 (238) |
10.43 (265) |
9.00 (229) |
3.08 (78) |
1.78 (45) |
1.90 (48) |
57.41 (1,458) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 5.8 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 8.1 | 16.7 | 18.5 | 18.4 | 15.8 | 7.7 | 4.3 | 5.4 | 115.8 |
| Source: NOAA[49][50] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 575 | — | |
| 1900 | 943 | 64.0% | |
| 1910 | 2,463 | 161.2% | |
| 1920 | 3,678 | 49.3% | |
| 1930 | 9,082 | 146.9% | |
| 1940 | 10,604 | 16.8% | |
| 1950 | 13,195 | 24.4% | |
| 1960 | 22,523 | 70.7% | |
| 1970 | 27,351 | 21.4% | |
| 1980 | 36,638 | 34.0% | |
| 1990 | 45,206 | 23.4% | |
| 2000 | 48,208 | 6.6% | |
| 2010 | 62,298 | 29.2% | |
| 2020 | 86,395 | 38.7% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 97,372 | [51] | 12.7% |
| source:[52] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[53] | Pop 2010[54] | Pop 2020[55] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 23,700 | 27,786 | 41,044 | 49.16% | 44.60% | 47.51% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 15,751 | 19,495 | 18,891 | 32.67% | 31.29% | 21.87% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 115 | 142 | 135 | 0.24% | 0.23% | 0.16% |
| Asian (NH) | 453 | 946 | 2,085 | 0.94% | 1.52% | 2.41% |
| Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian (NH) | 24 | 30 | 16 | 0.05% | 0.05% | 0.02% |
| Some other race (NH) | 128 | 459 | 666 | 0.05% | 0.27% | 0.77% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 1,053 | 1,002 | 3,157 | 2.18% | 1.61% | 3.65% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 6,984 | 12,438 | 20,401 | 14.49% | 19.97% | 23.61% |
| Total | 48,208 | 62,298 | 86,395 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Fort Myers is one of two cities that make up the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area of Lee County. The 2020 population for the metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in 2020 was 760,822, and it was the 73rd highest populated MSA in the US, as of 2020.
The population of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers-Naples, FL Combined Statistical Area in 2020 was 1,188,319, and it was the 47th highest populated combined statistical area (CSA) in the US, as of 2020.
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 86,395 people, 31,598 households, and 18,313 families residing in the city.[56]
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 62,298 people, 24,352 households, and 14,192 families residing in the city.[57]
Fort Myers has a council–manager government in which the city council consists of a mayor and six council members. The city council is responsible for establishing policy, passing local ordinances, voting appropriations, and developing an overall vision for the city. The mayor is elected by registered voters city-wide. The mayor of Fort Myers is Kevin B. Anderson. Council members are elected by registered voters in their ward and represent that particular ward for a four-year term. Council members must continue to reside in that particular ward.[58]
Policing of Fort Myers is performed by the Fort Myers Police Department.
See: Lee County School District for other public schools in the area.
Institutions of higher learning in the city include:
Florida Gulf Coast University is situated in unincorporated Lee County, outside Fort Myers' city limits.
Library Services include:
The City of Palms Classic is an annual high school basketball tournament held in Fort Myers since 1973. By 2015, 120 players that had participated in the tournament had been named McDonald's All-Americans and 94 had been drafted into the NBA.[65]
The Florida Eels is a Tier III junior hockey program in the USPHL with two teams; one in the Premier Division and one in the Elite Division. Both teams have performed well in their regular season and playoffs, advancing to Nationals on multiple occasions. The Fort Myers Skatium is their home rink.[66]
JetBlue Park is the spring training home of the Boston Red Sox.[67] During the summer, JetBlue Park is home of the Florida Complex League Red Sox, the Red Sox's rookie league team competing in the Florida Complex League.[68]
The Fort Myers metropolitan area is served by two nearby airports. Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) is located southeast of the city. The airport, which sits on 13,555 acres of land, is the 45th busiest airport in the United States (by annual passengers). In 2018 the airport served 9,373,178 passengers. Page Field is a small general aviation airport whose primary traffic consist of smaller aircraft.
Buses run by LeeTran provide local service in Fort Myers.[70]
Fort Myers has a sister city agreement with:
Gomel (Belarus)[104]
Santiago de los Caballeros (Dominican Republic)
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Pest control is the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest; such as any animal, plant or fungus that impacts adversely on human activities or environment.[1] The human response depends on the importance of the damage done and will range from tolerance, through deterrence and management, to attempts to completely eradicate the pest. Pest control measures may be performed as part of an integrated pest management strategy.
In agriculture, pests are kept at bay by mechanical, cultural, chemical and biological means.[2] Ploughing and cultivation of the soil before sowing mitigate the pest burden, and crop rotation helps to reduce the build-up of a certain pest species. Concern about environment means limiting the use of pesticides in favour of other methods. This can be achieved by monitoring the crop, only applying pesticides when necessary, and by growing varieties and crops which are resistant to pests. Where possible, biological means are used, encouraging the natural enemies of the pests and introducing suitable predators or parasites.[3]
In homes and urban environments, the pests are the rodents, birds, insects and other organisms that share the habitat with humans, and that feed on or spoil possessions. Control of these pests is attempted through exclusion or quarantine, repulsion, physical removal or chemical means.[4] Alternatively, various methods of biological control can be used including sterilisation programmes.
Pest control is at least as old as agriculture, as there has always been a need to keep crops free from pests. As long ago as 3000 BC in Egypt, cats were used to control pests of grain stores such as rodents.[5][6] Ferrets were domesticated by 1500 BC in Europe for use as mousers. Mongooses were introduced into homes to control rodents and snakes, probably by the ancient Egyptians.[7]
The conventional approach was probably the first to be employed, since it is comparatively easy to destroy weeds by burning them or ploughing them under, and to kill larger competing herbivores. Techniques such as crop rotation, companion planting (also known as intercropping or mixed cropping), and the selective breeding of pest-resistant cultivars have a long history.[8]
Chemical pesticides were first used around 2500 BC, when the Sumerians used sulphur compounds as insecticides.[9] Modern pest control was stimulated by the spread across the United States of the Colorado potato beetle. After much discussion, arsenical compounds were used to control the beetle and the predicted poisoning of the human population did not occur. This led the way to a widespread acceptance of insecticides across the continent.[10] With the industrialisation and mechanization of agriculture in the 18th and 19th centuries, and the introduction of the insecticides pyrethrum and derris, chemical pest control became widespread. In the 20th century, the discovery of several synthetic insecticides, such as DDT, and herbicides boosted this development.[10]
The harmful side effect of pesticides on humans has now resulted in the development of newer approaches, such as the use of biological control to eliminate the ability of pests to reproduce or to modify their behavior to make them less troublesome.[citation needed] Biological control is first recorded around 300 AD in China, when colonies of weaver ants, Oecophylla smaragdina, were intentionally placed in citrus plantations to control beetles and caterpillars.[9] Also around 4000 BC in China, ducks were used in paddy fields to consume pests, as illustrated in ancient cave art. In 1762, an Indian mynah was brought to Mauritius to control locusts, and about the same time, citrus trees in Burma were connected by bamboos to allow ants to pass between them and help control caterpillars. In the 1880s, ladybirds were used in citrus plantations in California to control scale insects, and other biological control experiments followed. The introduction of DDT, a cheap and effective compound, put an effective stop to biological control experiments. By the 1960s, problems of resistance to chemicals and damage to the environment began to emerge, and biological control had a renaissance. Chemical pest control is still the predominant type of pest control today, although a renewed interest in traditional and biological pest control developed towards the end of the 20th century and continues to this day.[11]
Biological pest control is a method of controlling pests such as insects and mites by using other organisms.[12] It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, parasitody or other natural mechanisms, but typically also involves an active human management role. Classical biological control involves the introduction of natural enemies of the pest that are bred in the laboratory and released into the environment. An alternative approach is to augment the natural enemies that occur in a particular area by releasing more, either in small, repeated batches, or in a single large-scale release. Ideally, the released organism will breed and survive, and provide long-term control.[13] Biological control can be an important component of an integrated pest management programme.
For example: mosquitoes are often controlled by putting Bt Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. israelensis, a bacterium that infects and kills mosquito larvae, in local water sources.[14]
Mechanical pest control is the use of hands-on techniques as well as simple equipment and devices, that provides a protective barrier between plants and insects. This is referred to as tillage and is one of the oldest methods of weed control as well as being useful for pest control; wireworms, the larvae of the common click beetle, are very destructive pests of newly ploughed grassland, and repeated cultivation exposes them to the birds and other predators that feed on them.[15]
Crop rotation can help to control pests by depriving them of their host plants. It is a major tactic in the control of corn rootworm, and has reduced early season incidence of Colorado potato beetle by as much as 95%.[16]
A trap crop is a crop of a plant that attracts pests, diverting them from nearby crops.[17] Pests aggregated on the trap crop can be more easily controlled using pesticides or other methods.[18] However, trap-cropping, on its own, has often failed to cost effectively reduce pest densities on large commercial scales, without the use of pesticides, possibly due to the pests' ability to disperse back into the main field.[18]
Pesticides are substances applied to crops to control pests, they include herbicides to kill weeds, fungicides to kill fungi and insecticides to kill insects. Application methods include sprays by hand, tractors, or aircraft or as seed dressings. To be effective, the correct substance must be applied at the correct time and the method of application is important to ensure adequate coverage and retention on the crop. The killing of natural enemies of the target pest should be minimized. This is particularly important in countries where there are natural reservoirs of pests and their enemies in the countryside surrounding plantation crops, and these co-exist in a delicate balance. Often in less-developed countries, the crops are well adapted to the local situation and no pesticides are needed. Where progressive farmers are using fertilizers to grow improved crop varieties, these are often more susceptible to pest damage, but the indiscriminate application of pesticides may be detrimental in the longer term.[19][unreliable source?][failed verification] The efficacy of chemical pesticides tends to diminish over time. This is because any organism that manages to survive the initial application will pass on its genes to its offspring and a resistant strain will be developed. In this way, some of the most serious pests have developed resistance and are no longer killed by pesticides that used to kill their ancestors. This necessitates higher concentrations of chemical, more frequent applications and a movement to more expensive formulations.[20]
Pesticides are intended to kill pests, but many have detrimental effects on non-target species; of particular concern is the damage done to honey-bees, solitary bees and other pollinating insects and in this regard, the time of day when the spray is applied can be important.[21] The widely used neonicotinoids have been banned on flowering crops in some countries because of their effects on bees.[21] Some pesticides may cause cancer and other health problems in humans, as well as being harmful to wildlife.[22] There can be acute effects immediately after exposure or chronic effects after continuous low-level, or occasional exposure.[23] Maximum residue limits for pesticides in foodstuffs and animal feed are set by many nations.[24]
Using crops with inheritable resistance to pests is referred to as host-plant resistance and reduces the need for pesticide use. These crops can harm or even kill pests, repel feeding, prevent colonization, or tolerate the presence of a pest without significantly impacting yield.[25][26][27] Resistance can also occur through genetic engineering to have traits with resistance to insects, such as with Bt corn, or papaya resistance to ringspot virus.[28] When farmers are purchasing seed, variety information often includes resistance to selected pests in addition to other traits.[29]
Pest control can also be achieved via culling the pest animals — generally small- to medium-sized wild or feral mammals or birds that inhabit the ecological niches near farms, pastures or other human settlements — by employing human hunters or trappers to physically track down, kill and remove them from the area. The culled animals, known as vermin, may be targeted because they are deemed harmful to agricultural crops, livestock or facilities; serve as hosts or vectors that transmit pathogens across species or to humans; or for population control as a mean of protecting other vulnerable species and ecosystems.[30]
Pest control via hunting, like all forms of harvest, has imposed an artificial selective pressure on the organisms being targeted. While varmint hunting is potentially selecting for desired behavioural and demographic changes (e.g. animals avoiding human populated areas, crops and livestock), it can also result in unpredicted outcomes such as the targeted animal adapting for faster reproductive cycles.[31]
Forest pests present a significant problem because it is not easy to access the canopy and monitor pest populations. In addition, forestry pests such as bark beetles, kept under control by natural enemies in their native range, may be transported large distances in cut timber to places where they have no natural predators, enabling them to cause extensive economic damage.[32] Pheromone traps have been used to monitor pest populations in the canopy. These release volatile chemicals that attract males. Pheromone traps can detect the arrival of pests or alert foresters to outbreaks. For example, the spruce budworm, a destructive pest of spruce and balsam fir, has been monitored using pheromone traps in Canadian forests for several decades.[33] In some regions, such as New Brunswick, areas of forest are sprayed with pesticide to control the budworm population and prevent the damage caused during outbreaks.[34]
Many unwelcome animals visit or make their home in residential buildings, industrial sites and urban areas. Some contaminate foodstuffs, damage structural timbers, chew through fabrics or infest stored dry goods. Some inflict great economic loss, others carry diseases or cause fire hazards, and some are just a nuisance. Control of these pests has been attempted by improving sanitation and garbage control, modifying the habitat, and using repellents, growth regulators, traps, baits and pesticides.[35]
Physical pest control involves trapping or killing pests such as insects and rodents. Historically, local people or paid rat-catchers caught and killed rodents using dogs and traps.[36] On a domestic scale, sticky flypapers are used to trap flies. In larger buildings, insects may be trapped using such means as pheromones, synthetic volatile chemicals or ultraviolet light to attract the insects; some have a sticky base or an electrically charged grid to kill them. Glueboards are sometimes used for monitoring cockroaches and to catch rodents. Rodents can be killed by suitably baited spring traps and can be caught in cage traps for relocation. Talcum powder or "tracking powder" can be used to establish routes used by rodents inside buildings and acoustic devices can be used for detecting beetles in structural timbers.[35]
Historically, firearms have been one of the primary methods used for pest control. "Garden Guns" are smooth bore shotguns specifically made to fire .22 caliber snake shot or 9mm Flobert, and are commonly used by gardeners and farmers for snakes, rodents, birds, and other pest. Garden Guns are short-range weapons that can do little harm past 15 to 20 yards, and they're relatively quiet when fired with snake shot, compared to standard ammunition. These guns are especially effective inside of barns and sheds, as the snake shot will not shoot holes in the roof or walls, or more importantly, injure livestock with a ricochet. They are also used for pest control at airports, warehouses, stockyards, etc.[37]
The most common shot cartridge is .22 Long Rifle loaded with #12 shot. At a distance of about 10 ft (3.0 m), which is about the maximum effective range, the pattern is about 8 in (20 cm) in diameter from a standard rifle. Special smoothbore shotguns, such as the Marlin Model 25MG can produce effective patterns out to 15 or 20 yards using .22 WMR shotshells, which hold 1/8 oz. of #12 shot contained in a plastic capsule.
Poisoned bait is a common method for controlling rats, mice, birds, slugs, snails, ants, cockroaches, and other pests. The basic granules, or other formulation, contains a food attractant for the target species and a suitable poison. For ants, a slow-acting toxin is needed so that the workers have time to carry the substance back to the colony, and for flies, a quick-acting substance to prevent further egg-laying and nuisance.[38] Baits for slugs and snails often contain the molluscide metaldehyde, dangerous to children and household pets.[39]
An article in Scientific American in 1885 described effective elimination of a cockroach infestation using fresh cucumber peels.[40]
Warfarin has traditionally been used to kill rodents, but many populations have developed resistance to this anticoagulant, and difenacoum may be substituted. These are cumulative poisons, requiring bait stations to be topped up regularly.[38] Poisoned meat has been used for centuries to kill animals such as wolves[41] and birds of prey.[42] Poisoned carcasses however kill a wide range of carrion feeders, not only the targeted species.[41] Raptors in Israel were nearly wiped out following a period of intense poisoning of rats and other crop pests.[43]
Fumigation is the treatment of a structure to kill pests such as wood-boring beetles by sealing it or surrounding it with an airtight cover such as a tent, and fogging with liquid insecticide for an extended period, typically of 24–72 hours. This is costly and inconvenient as the structure cannot be used during the treatment, but it targets all life stages of pests.[44]
An alternative, space treatment, is fogging or misting to disperse a liquid insecticide in the atmosphere within a building without evacuation or airtight sealing, allowing most work within the building to continue, at the cost of reduced penetration. Contact insecticides are generally used to minimize long-lasting residual effects.[44]
Populations of pest insects can sometimes be dramatically reduced by the release of sterile individuals. This involves the mass rearing of a pest, sterilising it by means of X-rays or some other means, and releasing it into a wild population. It is particularly useful where a female only mates once and where the insect does not disperse widely.[45] This technique has been successfully used against the New World screw-worm fly, some species of tsetse fly, tropical fruit flies, the pink bollworm and the codling moth, among others.[46]
To chemically sterilize pests using chemosterilants, laboratory studies conducted using U-5897 (3-chloro-1,2-propanediol) attempted in the early 1970s for rat control, although these proved unsuccessful.[47] In 2013, New York City tested sterilization traps,[48] demonstrating a 43% reduction in rat populations.[48] The product ContraPest was approved for the sterilization of rodents by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in August 2016 as a chemosterilant.[49]
Boron, a known pesticide can be impregnated into the paper fibers of cellulose insulation at certain levels to achieve a mechanical kill factor for self-grooming insects such as ants, cockroaches, termites, and more. The addition of insulation into the attic and walls of a structure can provide control of common pests in addition to known insulation benefits such a robust thermal envelope and acoustic noise-canceling properties. The EPA regulates this type of general-use pesticide within the United States allowing it to only be sold and installed by licensed pest management professionals as part of an integrated pest management program.[50] Simply adding Boron or an EPA-registered pesticide to an insulation does not qualify it as a pesticide. The dosage and method must be carefully controlled and monitored.
Birds are a significant hazard to aircraft, but it is difficult to keep them away from airfields. Several methods have been explored. Stunning birds by feeding them a bait containing stupefying substances has been tried,[51] and it may be possible to reduce their numbers on airfields by reducing the number of earthworms and other invertebrates by soil treatment.[51] Leaving the grass long on airfields rather than mowing it is also a deterrent to birds.[52] Sonic nets are being trialled; these produce sounds that birds find distracting and seem effective at keeping birds away from affected areas.[53]
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Bug Off Pest uses targeted treatments, low-toxicity products, and integrated pest management strategies to reduce environmental impact.
Yes. Bug Off Pest is fully state-licensed and insured, and all technicians meet Florida regulatory requirements.
Yes. When applied by trained professionals, eco-friendly pest control is highly effective and provides long-lasting results.