Pests descend even on the cleanest of premises and can cause stress and disgust among occupants and their clients with their presence. While, the most effective way to control pests would be by engaging a professional pest control company; however, there are some challenges even in engaging professionals. A facility owner and manager cannot afford not to know what these challenges are and how they could lead to treatment failure.
A successful integrated pest management is possible only through a proper synergy between pest control and FM service providers. Listed below are seven common pitfalls that result in infestation.
Securing Entry Points
Pests descend because there are points of entry – Rats being supple, even a large one can squeeze itself from under a door; cockroaches can find their way in through supplies and find cracks and crevices to set up their new home; files and mosquitoes fly in through frequently opened doors and so on.
In places where doors are frequently opened, the facility should be protected with air curtains. If physical measures are not recommended by the pest control company to facility management and or facility management fails to implement such measures, even the very best of pest control treatments are likely to fail. It is not uncommon on the part of the FM to refrain from taking measures despite the pest control vendor highlighting points of pest entry and the required remedy.
Denying food to pests
Garbage bins within premises must be emptied out before the end of business every evening. If they must be left indoors overnight they need to be in well-sealed and sturdy containers so that pests cannot find their way in or eat their way in. There should be no food spillage left behind.
Kitchens tend to build up grease and cockroaches thrive on such surfaces, making most pest control products to fail. Dust is another friend of pests because most pest control products particularly cockroach gels and rodent baits are not effective in industrial dusty conditions.
The pest control company should highlight their findings on hygiene and sanitation regularly to FM. If FM fails to improve the conditions or does not implement the recommendations of the vendor, pest control measures could turn ineffective.
Proper inspection
Besides identifying entry points, it is also important to correctly identify the pests. If flying alates of subterranean termites are mistakenly identified to be flying ants or vice versa, the treatment measures can be totally ineffective and may cause unnecessary expenditure for the facility manager.
All cockroaches, for example, are not the same. The long brownish and large American Cockroach breed in sewers. If they are mistaken for German Cockroaches and only cracks and crevices within the facility are treated there could be a treatment failure.
All rats are not the same either. The long slender black roof rat generally enters and also hides in higher places in the facility as the name roof rat implies. Whereas the fat brown sewer rats find their way into the premises from the sewers. Location of placing traps or bait stations is critical for optimum results. With termites visual inspection alone is not sufficient because their entry and presence go unnoticed until the damage has been done. However, with modern technology, it is possible to use detection tools like Termatrac to detect the presence of termites where it is impossible for the human eye to detect. Does your pest control company do thorough inspections with the latest inspection devices and correctly identify the pest?
Adopting IPM Programme
There is a common misconception that pest control programme is all about frequently spraying pesticides and doing it thoroughly with the most powerful product available. Whereas an integrated pest management programme (IPM) utilises an integrated approach which also includes pesticides.
Physical measures like denying entry, shelter and food to pests is a vital part of the programme as well as using pesticide free products like electric fly killers, traps, vacuuming and steam treatments. A professional pest management company will not rely only on pesticides but will rely on all possible measures of IPM. Even when it comes to use of pesticides, professionals would use a gel formulation rather than a spray to contain the product to cracks and crevices where the pest spends 80% of its lifecycle. The IPM approach minimises the development of pest resistance and is environmentally a sound practice. A programme based only on pesticide could fail and is not the best for the occupants of the facility.
Monitoring effectiveness, changing methods
Monitoring the effectiveness of the treatment is as important as the treatment. Often, both the pest control company and the facilities manager question or investigate only when a problem develops and do not focus on continuous monitoring for effectiveness and developing problems. Monitoring results and then changing products & methods used are vital to maintain the facility as a pest free zone.
Engaging the right people
Using the right people for the job is important as it could help eliminate the above challenges. Therefore, it is important that the team that services your facility is well trained in professional pest control practices and integrated pest management. Trained professional can carry out inspections, develop the right programme and utilise the right materials to deliver an effective treatment that is closely monitored for effectiveness. Some pest control companies invest in the right equipment and pest control products but sometimes fail to invest in the proper training of the team. Further, the facility manger in many instances does not verify the training and competency of the team providing treatment.
Engaging the right pest control company
Engaging the right pest control company by the facility manager will minimise all pitfalls in pest control at facilities. However, the selection process often fails to consider the pitfalls of pest control. Sometimes the decision to engage is made purely on price. The facility manager often see savings in costs by this approach. The damage of such a decision begins to show only later with the pitfalls becoming obvious. Then it begins to cost the facility manager much more by way of damaged reputation and increased cost in switching providers.
Raja Mahendran
Based in Australia, the author is an international pest business consultant, executive coach and trainer. He helps pest control companies and facility managers to become more competent and effective in integrated pest management.