Destruction of the pest by mechanical means such as burning, trapping, protective screens and barriers or use of temperature and humidity is often useful.
1. HANDPICKING: When the infestation is low, the pest is conspicuous and labor is cheap, the pest stages can be destroyed by mechanical means. Eggs of grasshoppers can be destroyed by hand. Alfalfa aphids can be killed by using chain drags on plants less than 10 inches long. Locust nymphs which are congregating can be beaten by sticks and brooms. European corn borer in the stalk can be killed by running the corn stalks through the stalk shredder. Handpicking of sugarcane borer eggs, cabbage butterfly eggs, sawfly larvae on mustard, Papilio larvae from citrus plants and stages of Epilachna beetle is very effective, especially in small areas.
2. BURNING: Controlled burning is sometimes recommended to control certain pests. Weedy fallows harboring European corn borers are burnt to destroy overwintering pest stages. To eradicate the pink bollworm dried cotton stalks are piled and dried. Trash and garbage, weeds etc. are collected and burnt to destroy pest stages. Flamethrowers are used to burn locust hoppers and adults that are congregating and marching.
3. TRAPPING: Trapping is popular method to lure insects to bait, light etc. to kill them. Traps usually fail to give adequate crop protection but prove useful to know population build up and are convenient to collect insect samples. Many trap designs have been developed room time to time to suit different insect species. Hopper-dozers were formerly used to collect grasshoppers. In these the insects after hitting the back of the machine fall to the bottom and then through a narrow opening collect into a box.
Yellow-pan traps containing water and few drops of oil were proved useful in killing hopper adults on paddy, sugarcane and wheat crops.
Sticky traps are boards of yellow color smeared with sticky substance, which trap and kill the flying insects that are attracted to and try to rest on it.
Pitfall traps are pan-like containers bearing insecticide and embedded below the ground level. Crawling and fast-running insects often fall into them and die.
Light traps attract night-flying insects, which fall into a container having insecticide, water or oil, or hit an electric grid. Light source emitting UV light is most attractive to insects.
Pheromoe traps are particularly effective against the lepidopterous pests. Females release specific pheromone to which males are attracted from considerable distance.
4. BARRIERS: In certain instances, barriers may prevent insects from infesting the crop. Cloth screens over seedbeds protect the younger plants from insects, like flea beetles, hoppers, armyworms etc. Metal collars around young plants protect them from cutworms. Trench barriers are used to stop chinch bugs, armyworms, locusts etc. Metal or concrete barriers are used against termites. Barrier spraying of residual insecticides has become more popular against termites, locusts and several other insects. Sticky bands applied around mango tree-trunks during December-January prevent the upward movement of mango mealy bugs, which upon hatching begin to crawl up the trunk to reach the leaves.
5. TEMPERATURE CONTROL: Temperature extremes are fatal to insects. This method is used against stored grain pests. Low temperatures that are enough to dormancy can prevent damage. Low temperatures are utilized for the control of insects in flourmills and warehouses. Exposure to subzero temperature for 24 hours is lethal to most of the insects.
6. DRYING: Insects infesting stored grains require certain amount of moisture to develop. Neither the rice weevils nor the granary weevils can survive moisture contents as low as 8.0%. Drying the grains either in the sun or by heat blowers reduces infestation of majority of stored grain insects.
7. RADIATION: Gamma radiation kills all stages of the pests in storage conditions. This is a common method employed to kill insect stages during export or imports of huge quantities of grains, fruits and vegetables.
8. ULTRASONIC VIBRATIONS: Moths are often sensitive to bats’ ultrasonic signals and quickly escape from the area. Imitation of the bat’s echolocation system helps in scaring away the lepidopterous insect pests from the area.