Pest control is a branch of science that deals with control of harmful insects, animals or microorganisms that cause potential damage to property, crops or essential plant life. Control of pests involves the study of pests and pesticides used in killing them or driving them away from the spot.

Pest control is all about choosing the right method to tackle with a pest infection. Pest control covers a wide range of fields including domestic control of pests, lawn care pest management and agricultural control of pests. Pest management in all of these spheres involves several preventive as well as remedial measures. Preventive steps, for instance, can involve measures like choosing a pest-resistant crop or plant for farming; or planting herbs or trees that are capable of repelling pests naturally.

Pesticides are classified on the basis of
a) Pest species they target to attack.
b) Chemical composition.
c) Mode of action.

On the basis different types of pests, you have fungicides, algaecides, and bactericides meant for fungus, algae and bacteria respectively. These are all control of pests involving microorganisms. They are more complex and require more study before any practical application. For Arachnids like scorpions, spider, tics and mites you have miticide or acaricides.

For pests like birds you have something known as avicides. For weeds or unwanted plants that cause damage to useful plants, there are herbicides or weedicides.

On the basis of chemical composition, you have inorganic and organic pesticides. Organics pesticides can be classified into Organochlorines, Carbamates, Ureas, Pyrethroids, Chlorophenoxy compounds, Organophosphates etc. Each genre has its own properties and are used in unique combinations for different types of control of pests needs.

On the basis of mode of action, there are pesticides that cause stomach poisoning, systemic poisoning, or contact poisoning among pests. Then there is a forth category known as fumigants. They enter the pests� body through their respiratory tract.

However, control of pests is ignored by most of us, until we see the signs of potential pest damage in our homes, lawns or farms. Thus, choosing the right kind of pesticide has become the most important part of any control of pests procedure. Although, this sounds quite simple, this part is the most challenging aspect of any control of pests department. Even pest control experts working for huge pest management companies face troubles with the implementation of right kind of pest control techniques due to their inability to come out with a safe and suitable pesticide that can perform its job without causing any harm to air, water, plant life, soil, humans and pets in an area and its vicinity.

Pest control has often been seen as a desperate measure because of several cases that involves harmful side effects and health hazards caused by pesticides. People often say that organic pesticides are harmless, but even they can produce undesirable effects when used in the wrong combination or wrong place.