What is a pest?

A pest is a plant, animal, or microorganism that has a negative effect on humans. This is a very subjective concept that varies with each individual’s point of view. In general, pests are unwanted or undesirable because they:

• reduce the availability, quality, or value of human resources such as food, feed, water, or space;
• injure humans, animals, crops, structures, and possessions;
• spread or cause disease;
• interfere with our activities by causing annoyance, discomfort, or inconvenience.

Many organisms may become pests, certain organisms are often pests, but none are inherently pests.