Pest

A pest is any organism that humans consider destructive or unwanted. Whether or not an organism is considered a pest can vary with time, geographical location, and individual attitude. For example, some people like pigeons, while others regard them as pests. Some pests are merely an inconvenience. In the United States, mosquitoes are thought of as pests because they are an annoyance, not because they are dangerous. The most dangerous pests are those that carry disease or destroy crops. One direct way of controlling pests is by poisoning them with toxic chemicals (pesticides). A more environmentally sensitive approach is to find natural predators that can be used against them (biological controls).

See also Bacillus thuringiensis ; Integrated pest management; Population biology

pest / pest/ • n. a destructive insect or other animal that attacks crops, food, livestock, etc. ∎ inf. an annoying person or thing; a nuisance. ∎  (the pest) archaic bubonic plague.

pest Any of various organisms, such as fungi, insects, rodents, and plants, that harm crops or livestock or otherwise interfere with the wellbeing of human beings. Weeds are plant pests that grow where they are not wanted – often on cultivated land, where they compete with crop plants for space, light, nutrients, etc. Pests are controlled by the use of pesticides and biological control methods.

pest †pestilence, plague XVI; noxious person or thing XVII. — F. peste or L. pestis plague, contagious disease.
So pestiferous plague-bringing, pernicious. XVI. — L. pestifer, -ferus. pestilence XIV. — (O)F. — L. pestilentia, f. pestilēns, -ent-, -entus (whence pestilent XV). pestilential XIV. — medL. Hence pesticide XX.

pest An animal that competes with humans by consuming or damaging food, fibre, or other materials intended for human consumption or use. Many such species are harmless or ecologically beneficial (e.g. raptors, otters, and seals); others (e.g. most insect pests) are harmless until their populations increase rapidly in response to a virtually unlimited (to them) resource (e.g. a farm crop).