In the field of pest control we often here the phrases extermination and eradication. People talk of pest extermination and pest eradication." These two central phrases in pest control actually have slightly different meanings, which are valuable to know about. Extermination comes from the Latin, "exterminare," and means to drive out, expel. It is a compound word derived from "ex" "terminus." Ex means out of, and "terminus" in Latin means boundary or end. In Roman history, the word is related to the deity Terminus who presided over boundaries. The word has even more ancient derivations, and derived from the Sanskrit word "tar," which meant boundary or edge. It is related to the ancient Greek word "terma," meaning a "goal," and "termon," meaning a border, "trans," across or over, and "intro, "enter into. [spi]We can conlucde, therefore that at least in the classical sense, pest extermination refers to the process of expelling house pests from the home. |Pest extermination, in the classical sense, therefore means to drive the pests out of the house. }One example of pest extermination is the story of the Pied Pieper of Hamlin. Using his magic pipe, the piper lured rat pests out of the town and over a cliff. [spoin]Eradicate, on the other hand, has a different etymological history. It is a compound word derived from "e" "radix" Radix means root, and together they mean to root out. |Eradicate, comes from the Latin "eradicare," meaning to root out. Specifically the word breaks down into "ex" "radix" with "radix," meaning root. } Based on this quick etymological history we see that both words implies exposing and bringing to light pests who have taken root in the hidden places of the home. If exterminate, means to drive pests out of the borders of the home, then eradicating them means to bring their breeding spots, the places where the infestation has, so to speak, taken root to light. In this sense, eradication would only be the first step of pest control, as once the pests have been uprooted, they must still be exterminated. We can appreciate the subtle difference in approach between these two forms of pest control on a case by case basis. If mice invade a home, they can be exterminated by killing the visible mice and boarding up entranceways. On the other hand, certain types of mice poison create a thirst in mice, and actually drive them out of their hidden nests in search of water. Boric acid makes roaches sterile. A boric acid spray, which reaches down into roach breeding crevices, will stop roach breeding in the home. Although it doesn't drive the roaches into the public eye, it uproots them from their breeding holes by stopping the breeding. Aty first glance, animal trapping can be likened to a form of extermination in that live wild animals are forcibly removed from the boundaries of the home. The process is also like eradication in the sense that hidden animal breeding nests, in attics, garages, etc. Are broken up and brought to light during the extermination process. Ant control is most similar to eradication. In that most ant poisons are meant to be taken back to the colony, where all the colony members eat it and die. However it is similar to eradication, in that homeowners are encouraged to clean up counters, trashcans, and any area of food exposure, which are causing the ants to enter the home. Terminate control is most like extermination in that the areas surrounding the house are treated to present termites from entering the house. It is similar to eradication in that areas of active termite infestation in the home are treated to wipe out termite nests. Bed bug control might seem, at first glance most like eradication. The pest control technician must walk around and inspect every little crevice where the bugs hide and breed, and spray inside to root them out. And yet, in modern pest parlance we talk about bed bug extermination. This term refers to the actual killing process, more than the initial process of ferreting out the hiding places. Flea control is similar in that the house and all areas where active breeding fleas are located is treated with pesticide. While fleas do not require pets to enter the home, treatment of pets for flea infestation is a bit like extermination and eradication. It is like extermination in that it blocks fleas from ingression via pets, it is like eradication in that the fleas actually live and breed on pets, and have taken root there. Snakes come indoors seeking mice. When the pest control technician sets down sticky paper to trap the snake this is both extermination and eradication, the technician is rooting out the hidden snake. Subsequently when he takes it off the property he is exterminating the snake. We are forced to conclude that successful pest extermination involves a combination of eradication and extermination. Only if pests are rooted out, and exposed is it possible to completely exterminate them. One might wonder why pest specialists are called exterminators and almost never eradicators. This might be because in the classical sense, rooting out an infestation, exposing it to light is only the first step in the process. Exterminating the pests, getting them out of the home is the final solution. Think of a pest infestation as some ubiquitous process that takes root in the home, taking advantage of some weakness in the house or home structure. Then the infestation grows until it becomes visible, like a tree emerging from the ground. Extermination refers to getting rid of the visible process; eradication refers to getting rid of hidden roots of the infestation and its attachment to the home. In modern American parlance, the two words are used almost interchangeably. Extermination is defined online as "killing in mass." Eradicate is defined, online as "get rid of, tear up by the roots, kill in large numbers. The modern definition of exterminate may derive from the Holocaust in German. Germany wanted to exterminate the Jews, which was taken to mean kill them in large numbers. In fact, during the earliest actions against the Jews, in 1933, Germans attacked Jewish stores and homes, and as they beat the Jews they said, "You have been in German long enough." Originally the goal was to drive the Jews out of Germany It was only after the Palestinian leaders told Hitler they didn't want the Jews coming to Israel, that the Germans adapted the final solution and began to equate extermination with mass killing in the death camps. This extreme political process many have been responsible for changing the meaning of the word exterminate. Regardless of all this history, in pest control, at least, everyone knows what the two words imply. If someone has ants crawling all over her kitchen and calls an "exterminator," she knows that she will be paying him to get rid of the ants, no more ants. If someone has rodents and calls a pest control specialist and asks him to eradicate the mice pin her home, she knows she will be paying him to get rid of the mice, - no more mice. Whether the specialist brings their hidden breeding places to light, kills them or drives them out doesn't matter as long as she, the homeowner won't have to look at them again.
Article Source: http://www.articlecontentprovider.com/articlesubmit
In the pest control profession, the two wrods eradicate and exterminate are often used interchangeably. However, histroically and etymologically the two words have different shades of meaning and it is important to undertand them, in order to use the words properly.
a # 1 Pest Control Bedbugs Roaches Termites Mice Animal Exterminator is a general Baltimore pest control company
Please Rate this Article
5 out of 5 4 out of 5 3 out of 5 2 out of 5 1 out of 5
