How does suburbanization influence pest problems?
Suburbanization is the outward expansion (or movement) of development away from the main portion of a city into previously uninhabited areas, including farmland and wooded forest. Suburbanization is, in general, the result of people wanting to escape the city confines by living several miles (or more) away. The construction of housing developments and shopping malls or “strip malls” continues to increase at a rapid pace due to the demand for rural-type living. New subdivisions are typically built in semi-wooded habitats where a diversity of insects and animals have resided for years. However, encroaching into uninhabited environments puts humans into direct competition with nature. In order to survive, insects and animals compete for food and space. As suburban sprawl encroaches into areas previously occupied by insects and wildlife, this leads to increased calls to pest control operators and lawn-care professionals by homeowners living in suburban environments. In general, the people
