Final answer:
Pests are typically attracted to food, moisture, and places to harbor. The control of pests is often managed through the use of pesticides but risks associated with these chemicals have led to an increased interest in natural predation and landscape diversity as alternative control strategies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Pests are attracted to a variety of factors that are prevalent in environments where humans live and cultivate crops. Specifically, pests are attracted to food, moisture, and harborages. These factors provide the necessary resources for pests to survive and reproduce. Food sources not only attract pests but also compete directly with humans for consumption. Moisture is another critical factor for pests, as it is essential for their life processes. Many pests also require specific places or harborages where they can hide, breed, or take refuge.
Pesticides are substances used to mitigate this issue by controlling pests. However, pesticides pose risks to humans, animals, and the environment. Ecologists note that natural predators and parasites of pests play a major role in controlling their populations, which can be enhanced by landscape complexity. Studies have shown that increasing the diversity of predators can significantly boost crop yields by controlling pest populations more effectively.
The loss of biodiversity among pest enemies makes it challenging and costly to grow food. Additionally, some farming societies make use of specific plants for their pest repellent properties, contributing to integrated pest management strategies that are less reliant on chemical pesticides.