Pests: A Guide to the World’s Most Maligned, Yet Misunderstood Creatures

This single volume describes the animals that are most injurious and costly to humans, examining the important roles of these pests throughout history and the implications of the never-ending wars we wage against the natural world.

From mosquitoes to nematodes to mice, there are a multitude of organisms and animals that pose major health risks, cause economic burdens, and even threaten famine conditions for human civilization. Addressing these problems is often extremely costly and only partially effective.

Pests: A Guide to the World’s Most Maligned, Yet Misunderstood Creatures presents an overview of the animals that have the greatest impact on our lives, from the creatures that eat our crops through the ones that invade our homes and those that transmit diseases. Each entry provides a brief history of our interactions with the specific pest, methods of management or eradication for the pest being discussed, and an extensive Further Reading list that includes resources on both the biology of the pest and methods of control. The author explains the complexity of the worldwide pest problem and demonstrates how some of these issues are a result of human over-population and shortsightedness, inviting readers to consider our place in nature and how other animals have adapted to and benefited from the growing human population.

Ross Piper, PhD, is an independent scholar. He holds a first-class degree in zoology from the University of Wales, Bangor, UK, and a PhD in entomology from the University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.