A report about Physical and Mechanical Control

1. Physical and
Mechanical Control

2. Physical Control
Definition: Modification of physical factors in the
environment to minimize or prevent pest problems is
called physical control
Impact of physical control
Insect require definite ranges of physical
conditions and any departure from such ranges are
lethal to the survival and other life activities of insects

3. Physical Methods in
Pest Management

4. Temperature manipulation
Insect activity and metabolic rate are
influenced by environmental temperature.
Optimum range of temperature is vital for
normal insect activity.

5. High lethal
temperature
Sun drying of grains- rice weevil
Hot water treatment of rice seeds at
52-54C for 15 min- White tip nematode
Flaming (Flame thrower)- locusts and
moringa hairy catterpillar

6. Low lethal
Temeperature
Cold Storage of Potatoes- Potato
tuber moth

7. Sun drying of grains

8. Hot water treatment of seeds

9. Flaming (Flame thrower)

10. Cold storage

11. Moisture
Manipulation
In well-dried grains (moisture content
<10%), the survival of stored grain
pests becomes impossible e.g. rice
weevil, pulse beetle. Alternate
wetting and drying in rice fields
reduces the brown plant hopper
damage.

12. Light
Manipulation
Behavioral orientation is influenced by light.
Provision of light causes:
1. Mating frequency reduction –Red Hairy
Caterpillar
2. Reduced fertility -Indian meal moth
3. Diapause distruption –All diapausing insects

13. Light trapping: it serves many
purposes like monitoring initial
infestation, seasonal incidence,
pest-weather relationship, pest
intensity, pest survey, trapping and
killing.

14. Light Traps

15. Light Traps

16. Electromagnetic
Energy
Use of radio frequency (RF)
(wavelength range 102–1010 µ)
affects thoracic ganglion and causes
synaptic blocking, alteration of
amino compounds and dissolution
of nerve cells e.g. rice weevils.

17. Use of infrared radiation (wavelength
range 0.78-102 µ) - rice weevil
Use of visible (0.38-0.78µ) and UV
radiation (2x10-2-0.38µ). Yellow colour
attracts aphids and black colour
attracts angumois grain moth.
Ionizing radiation- X-rays (10-5-10-2µ),
gamma rays (10-8-10-4 µ) kill, sterilize
insects at lethal dose.

18. Radio frequency instrument

19. Infrared radiation instrument

20. UV radiation instrument

21. Ionizing radiation instrument

22. Sound energy
Acoustic device (Bird
scarer/acetylene exploders)
produces sudden loud sound which
frighten birds.
Fire crackers also used to make
loud sound to scatter away squirrel,
foxes, rats, mice, deer, etc.
Disadvantage: Habituation to the
sound

23. Bird scarer

24. Acetylene exploder

25. Firecracker

26. Mechanical Control

27. “
Definition: Use of mechanical force or
manual labour either for destruction or
exclusion of pests

28. Mechanical Methods in Pest Management
Life stages of pests are killed by mechanical
force or manual labor.

29. Mechanical
Destruction

30. Manual Labour
Hand picking- Red hair caterpillar, American
boll worm, egg masses of Spodoptera and RHC
Hooking- Rhinoceros beetle
Brushing- Woolen fabrics for cloth moth
Combing- Delousing of head louse
Crushing- Bed bugs and lice

31. Manual Labour
Swatting- Hit by severe blow against
mosquitoes
Sifting- Sieving for red flour beetle
Shaking plants- White grubs adults, case worm
of rice

32. Hand picking

33. Hooking

34. Brushing

35. Combing

36. Crushing

37. Swatting

38. Sifting

39. Shaking plants

40. Mechanical force
Entoleter- Centrifugal force is applied to kill
insect stages of stored grain pests
Hopped dozer- Kill nymphs of locusts by
herding into trenches and filling with soil
Tillage implements- Soil borne insects, pupae
of many insects

41. Entoleter

42. Hopped dozer

43. Mechanical
Exclusion

44. Mechanical barriers prevent access of pests to hosts.
Banding- Banding with grease or polythene sheets to
control mango mealy bugs
Wrapping- Covering the fruit with perforated polybags
to control pomegrante fruit borer and cloth bag to
control fruit pests of grapevine
Covering material- Red earth coating on red gram
grains to control pulse beetle

45. Netting- Mosquito control in house, vector control in
greenhouse
Trenching- Trapping marching larvae of RHC
Water barrier- Ant pans for ant control
Tim barrier- Metallic sheet fixed around tree trunks in
coconut for rat control

46. Trapping- Box trap, back break trap, wonder trap for
rats
Electric fencing- Electrocution checks rat and wild
animals
Insect proof packing- Stored pests

47. Banding

48. Wrapping

49. Netting

50. Trenching

51. Water barrier

52. Tim barrier

53. Trapping

54. Electric fencing

55. Insect proof packing

56. Merits and Demerits
of Pest Control

57. Merits
Home labour utilization
Low equipment cost
Ecologically safe
Good component of IPM
Demerits
Limited application
Require continuous use
Rarely highly effective
Labour intensive

58. THE END
Prepared by: Karl Louisse D. Obispo