In pest management, what term refers to climate, wind, heat, and rain impacting pest populations?

The term that refers to climate, wind, heat, and rain impacting pest populations is "natural controls." This concept encompasses the various environmental factors that can influence the dynamics of pest populations without human intervention.

Natural controls often involve the interplay between pests and their environment, including weather patterns that can affect the survival, reproduction, and dispersal of pest species. For instance, changes in temperature and humidity may create conditions that either enhance or diminish pest populations, while precipitation can affect their habitat and availability of food resources. This relationship highlights how natural elements serve as regulatory mechanisms in pest management.

While mechanical control involves physical methods to eliminate pests, biological control focuses on the use of living organisms to manage pest populations, such as predators or parasites. Cultural control refers to practices that manage the environment to prevent pest outbreaks, but it does not strictly encompass the broader influences of climate and weather. These distinctions clarify why "natural controls" is the appropriate term in this context.