It used to be: If you see a coyote, shoot it. Better yet, a bear. Best of all, perhaps? A wolf. How we've gotten from there to here, where such predators are reintroduced,protected, and in some cases revered, is the story Frank Van Nuys tells in Varmints and Victims, a thorough and enlightening look at the evolution of predator management in the American West. As controversies over predator control rage on, Varmints and Victims puts the debate into historical context, tracing the West's relationship with charismatic predators like grizzlies, wolves, and cougars from unquestioned eradication to ambivalent recovery efforts. Van Nuys offers a nuanced and balanced perspective on an often-emotional topic, exploring the intricacies of how and why attitudes toward predators have changed over the years. Focusing primarily on wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, and grizzly bears, he charts the logic and methods of management practiced by ranchers, hunters, and federal officials Broad in scope and rich in detail, this work brings new, much-needed clarity to the complex interweaving of economics, politics, science, and culture in the formulation of ideas about predator species, and in policies directed at these creatures. In the process, we come to see how the story of predator control is in many ways the story of the American West itself, from early attempts to connect the frontier region to mainstream American life and economics to present ideas about the nature and singularity of the region.

In the race to feed the world's seven billion people, we are at a standstill. Over the past century, we have developed increasingly potent and sophisticated pesticides, yet in 2014, the average percentage of U.S. crops lost to agricultural pests was no less than in 1944. To use a metaphor the field of evolutionary biology borrowed from "Alice in Wonderland," farmers must run ever faster to stay in the same place--i.e., produce the same yields.
With "Chasing the Red Queen," Andy Dyer offers the first book to apply the Red Queen Hypothesis to agriculture. He illustrates that when selection pressure increases, species evolve in response, creating a never-ending, perpetually-escalating competition between predator (us) and prey (bugs and weeds). The result is farmers are caught in a vicious cycle of chemical dependence, stuck using increasingly dangerous and expensive toxics to beat back progressively resistant pests.
To break the cycle, we must learn the science behind it. Dyer examines one of the world's most pressing problems as a biological case study. He presents key concepts, from Darwin's principles of natural selection to genetic variation and adaptive phenotypes. Understanding the fundamentals of ecology and biology is the first step to "playing the Red Queen," and escaping her unwinnable race. The book's novel frame will help students, researchers, and policy-makers alike apply that knowledge to the critical task of achieving food security.

Plant pathogenic fungi cause devastating damage to crop production worldwide. The growing global population necessitates reduced crop losses to improve food security, and the control of fungal plant pathogens is vital to help maintain food production. Providing a concise and balanced review of fungicides used in crop protection, this book describes the science of fungicide use, selection and resistance within the context of farming situations. Major updates and additions reflecting the emergence of two new classes of fungicides (strobilurins and SDHI) and the increased incidence of fungicide resistance are included in this new edition, which also discusses legislative requirements to reduce fungicide applications, and current trends in fungicide use.

This book is thoroughly recommended for the professional and amateur winegrower. Experts on the subject write about diseases and pests of the vine. This book contains classic material dating back to the 1900s and before. The content has been carefully selected for its interest and relevance to a modern audience.

An examination of political conflicts over pesticide drift and the differing conceptions of justice held by industry, regulators, and activists. The widespread but virtually invisible problem of pesticide drift-the airborne movement of agricultural pesticides into residential areas-has fueled grassroots activism from Maine to Hawaii. Pesticide drift accidents have terrified and sickened many living in the country's most marginalized and vulnerable communities. In this book, Jill Lindsey Harrison considers political conflicts over pesticide drift in California, using them to illuminate the broader problem and its potential solutions. The fact that pesticide pollution and illnesses associated with it disproportionately affect the poor and the powerless raises questions of environmental justice (and political injustice). Despite California's impressive record of environmental protection, massive pesticide regulatory apparatus, and booming organic farming industry, pesticide-related accidents and illnesses continue unabated. To unpack this conundrum, Harrison examines the conceptions of justice that increasingly shape environmental politics and finds that California's agricultural industry, regulators, and pesticide drift activists hold different, and conflicting, notions of what justice looks like. Drawing on her own extensive ethnographic research as well as in-depth interviews with regulators, activists, scientists, and public health practitioners, Harrison examines the ways industry, regulatory agencies, and different kinds of activists address pesticide drift, connecting their efforts to communitarian and libertarian conceptions of justice. The approach taken by pesticide drift activists, she finds, not only critiques theories of justice undergirding mainstream sustainable-agriculture activism, but also offers an entirely new notion of what justice means. To solve seemingly intractable environmental problems such as pesticide drift, Harrison argues, we need a different kind of environmental justice. She proposes the precautionary principle as a framework for effectively and justly addressing environmental inequities in the everyday work of environmental regulatory institutions.

Why call an exterminator? Save thousands of dollars every year. Protect your family and property, and keep yourself safe from disease. This guide will teach you the art of responsible pest elimination. Have you stared at shelves of pesticides wondering which to buy, which are safe, which treatment will eliminate your pest, and how to apply it? If so, this book is for you. You only lack the trade secrets and the knowledge, such as safe application methods, how to prevent an attack in the first place, when killing is not necessary, and how all of this affects our environment. Before you buy your next can of bug spray, before you get bitten again, before you buy or sell a house, or before you go outdoors, read this book and learn how to: Kill all types of household and yard pests; Select the appropriate pesticides and use them safely; Kill responsibly; Kill without chemicals; Affordably protect your home or apartment from pests; Minimize environmental impact; Decide when to use residual or non-residual pesticides; Select the appropriate equipment; Prevent insect bites; Inspect a property before buying; Design a pest-proof house; Kill noxious weeds; Prevent your pets from getting ticks; Avoid deadly house explosions during flea treatments; Find vitamins that help prevent insect-borne diseases; Kill bedbugs or prevent infestations; Kill fire ants with only water; Kill head lice safely; Prevent deer and rabbits from eating your garden; Kill termites for only a few dollars instead of thousands. YOU are smarter than a bug The book's first half explains pesticides in layman's terms, advises which to purchase, and how to use them safely. The second half explains how to control insects, fungus and animals with or without pesticides. After reading, any layperson becomes an expert pest controller saving thousands of dollars and providing a pest free environment to live in.

This book is a complete guide to termite control. The author put everything he knows about termites and how to get rid of them into simple, understandable language so you can easily learn all there is to know about termite control. Inside the book, you will learn things like...

Termite Overview: The intriguing foundation to your termite control knowledge.

Termite Colonies: Learn about how these pests live and operate.

Termite Colony Organization: You have to know what kind of termite you're looking at and which ones you must kill.

How Termites Work: If you want to properly protect your house, you need to understand exactly how termites work.

Termite Lifecycles: Simple points to understanding termites and their lifecycles.

Types of Termites: Great tips that will help you solve your termite problem quickly and efficiently.

Detecting Termites: Learn the 5 signs that will accurately tell you if your home has been compromised or not.

Natural Termite Control Overview: See how to get rid of termites in a healthy and effective way.

Natural Control Keys: 3 simple ways to naturally control your termite problem.

Other Forms of Control: Learn what the other termite control methods are that will keep your home termite-proof.

Best Termite Baits: A great guide on how to kill termites with bait.

Tenting Your Home: A simple guide to the most powerful way to get termites out of your house.

Prevention: 19 important tips on keeping your home termite-free.

How to Choose an Exterminator: 9 simple tips to make sure you hire the best termite exterminator.

... and much more

If you have termite problems or want to learn more about termite control, but didn't know where to start, then I encourage you to learn from the author's experience and get started on the right footing. This book contains everything you need to know to help you keep your house safe from termites

The "Handbook of Pesticide Toxicology" is a comprehensive, two-volume reference guide to the properties, effects, and regulation of pesticides that provides the latest and most complete information to researchers investigating the environmental, agricultural, veterinary, and human-health impacts of pesticide use. Written by international experts from academia, government, and the private sector, the "Handbook of Pesticide Toxicology" is an in-depth examination of critical issues related to the need for, use of, and nature of chemicals used in modern pest management. This updated 3e carries on the book s tradition of serving as the definitive reference on pesticide toxicology and recognizes the seminal contribution of Wayland J. Hayes, Jr., co-Editor of the first edition.
Feature: Presents a comprehensive look at all aspects of pesticide toxicology in one reference work.
Benefit: Saves researchers time in quickly accessing the very latest definitive details on toxicity of specific pesticides as opposed to searching through thousands of journal articles.

Feature: Clear exposition of hazard identification and dose response relationships in each chapter featuring pesticide agents and actions
Benefit: Connects the experimental laboratory results to real-life applications in human health, animal health and the environment.

Feature: All major classes of pesticide considered.
Benefit: Provides relevance to a wider variety of researchers who are conducting comparative work in pesticides or their health impacts.

Feature: Different routes of exposure critically evaluated.
Benefit: Connects the loop between exposure and harmful affects to those who are researching the affects of pesticides on humans or wildlife.
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As the human impact upon the environment becomes more apparent and severe, the need to develop agricultural techniques that cause minimal damage to the environment has increased. This is particularly the case in the area of pest management, where integrated pest management (IPM) strategies have become a fundamental component of plant protection. Focusing on insect pests of tree fruits and combining behavioural research with crop protection applications, this book emphasizes the importance of environmentally sustainable approaches in an agroecosystem. Both experimental and applied topics are discussed, including the conceptual framework of IPM, functional and behavioural ecology of a pest, host detection mechanisms and monitoring tool development, as well as pest management case studies. Representing a comprehensive discussion of tree-fruit pest management, from the evolution, ecology and behaviour of insect pests to the implementation of applied biorational programmes, this will be essential reading for researchers as well as commercial growers and extension agents.

Since the publication of "Silent Spring" in 1962, interest in alternative pest-management strategies has increased dramatically. As a way to reduce the use of pesticides and keep plants healthy, integrated pest management (IPM) has evolved to emphasize prevention, early diagnosis (or "scouting"), and long-term control strategies -- not quick fixes. Many nurseries, land-use agencies, and public gardens now require the use of IPM as an intelligent, real-world system to raise plants in an environmentally responsible manner.
Despite a plethora of technical IPM training manuals, no book until now has distilled its core philosophy for the home gardener, so that he or she can learn to manage plant health as the professionals do, based on scientific principles. In "IPM for Gardeners," a team of experts explains how any gardener can use IPM techniques for success at home. Authoritative, well-illustrated, and packed with case studies, this volume promises to change the way we see our gardens.

This is a multi-authored book concerning the perceived threat and recorded increase of emerging pests and vector-borne diseases affecting man and animals in Europe. Historically, Europe suffered from numerous pests and vector-borne diseases, including yellow fever, malaria, plague and typhus. Introduction of hygienic measures, drugs and vector control caused the disappearance of many of these diseases from Europe. In the (sub)tropics, however, many of these diseases still thrive, causing serious health problems for humans and animals.Increased trade, leading to animal and human movement and climate change cause reason to assume that several of these diseases might become reestablished or allow 'new' diseases and pests to be introduced in Europe. The recent outbreaks of bluetongue virus in North-western Europe highlights this concern, requiring an effective surveillance systems for the early detection of pests and vector-borne diseases. In 24 chapters this book provides examples of the most likely pests and diseases affecting man and animals in Europe, with emphasis on ecological factors favouring these diseases and methods for prevention and intervention.The authors are recognized experts in specific fields. All chapters are peer reviewed.

From reviews of the first edition: "Angus Wright has shown in a brilliant study [how] the imposition of high-yield agriculture helped to break apart the intimate relationship between cultures and ecosystems that had coevolved over long periods of time."--David W. Orr, from Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment, and the Human Prospect"The Death of Ramon Gonzalez is a blockbuster. In a dramatic, readable story, Wright has provided a new way of looking at the tragic human and environmental consequences of chemical-dependent agriculture."--Wes Jackson, The Land Institute

The Death of Ramon Gonzalez has become a benchmark book since its publication in 1990. It has been taught in undergraduate and graduate courses in every social science discipline, sustainable and alternative agriculture, environmental studies, ecology, ethnic studies, public health, and Mexican, Latin American, and environmental history. The book has also been used at the University of California-Santa Cruz as a model of interdisciplinary work and at the University of Iowa as a model of fine journalism, and has inspired numerous other books, theses, films, and investigative journalism pieces.

This revised edition of The Death of Ramon Gonzalez updates the science and politics of pesticides and agricultural development. In a new afterword, Angus Wright reconsiders the book's central ideas within the context of globalization, trade liberalization, and NAFTA, showing that in many ways what he called "the modern agricultural dilemma" should now be thought of as a "twenty-first century dilemma" that involves far more than agriculture.

Ecological engineering is the process of manipulating farm habitats for the purposes of maintaining or increasing food production, restoring wetlands and other ecosystems, and conserving resources such as water and fertile soil. This book focuses on the pest management aspect of ecological engineering: how to make farmland more attractive for beneficial insects and less favorable for pests. This book brings together contributors from around the world who are leaders in habitat manipulation for the purpose of agriculture.Chapters explore the frontiers of ecological engineering: the authors describe methods including molecular approaches, high-tech marking, and remote sensing. They also review the theoretical aspects of ecological engineering and discuss how ecological engineering may interact with genetic engineering.

As ravagers of crops and carriers of diseases affecting plants, humans and animals, insects present a challenge to a growing human population. In Pest and Vector Control, H.F. van Emden and Mike Service describe the available options for meeting this challenge, discussing their relative advantages, disadvantages and future potential. Methods such as chemical and biological control, host tolerance and resistance are discussed, intergrating--often for the first time--information and experience from the agricultural and medical/veterinary fields. Chemical control is seen as a major component of insect control, both now and in the future, but this is balanced with an extensive account of associated problems, especially the development of pesticide-tolerant populations. The authors are leading authorities in their respective fields and two of the best known entomologists of their generation.