Question

Define pest.

Answer 1

Hint: Pesticides are used to kill the pests as they cause damage to the environment. They are the harmful creatures which cause diseases to other living organisms.

Complete Answer:
- A pest is an organism with characteristics of damaging or harming its surrounding environment, Pest is a living organism mainly insect which is very harmful to the plants and it harms agriculture through feeding on crops or parasitizing livestock.
- Pests spread diseases to the crops which cause the loss in production of the crop. Pest control methods must be used to control them from damaging the crops. They also include animals which carry diseases, parasites and microorganisms. Mosquitoes, fleas, bugs, black ants, beetles are some examples of pests.
- An animal also can be a pest when it causes damage to a wild ecosystem or carries germs. The term pest is employed to refer specifically to harmful animals but it also relates to all or any other harmful organisms, including fungi and viruses. It is possible for an animal to be a pest in one setting but beneficial or domesticated in another.

Additional Information: Harmful creatures for our crop plants are small insects which attack the plants in three ways:
(i) Chewing insect: Insect pests of this category cut the basis , stem and leaf with the assistance of their chewing mouthparts. They chew and swallow these pieces of plant parts. Examples, Grasshoppers, Caterpillars, Locusts, etc.
ii) Sucking insects: These insects puncture the plant parts and suck the cell sap with the assistance of their needle like hollow beaks. Examples, Leafhoppers, Aphids, Bugs, etc.
(iii) Internal feeders: These insects bore into stem and crop yield. Examples- Weevils, Borers etc.

Note: IPM; Integrated Pest Management, it is a system for minimizing the risk to the people and environment in different areas of agriculture, homes, workplaces etc to control the spread of specific animals (pest). It involves the combination of mechanical, physical, chemical, biological measures to control them and damage caused by them. IPM is eco friendly and for long term prevention from pests.