[Technically Speaking] Proactive approaches to pest management

Most of our business is based on reactive approaches to pest problems — customers call indicating the type of pest problems they are having and technicians respond with some form of reactive measures, e.g., baiting, spraying, trapping, vacuuming, etc. We are keyed in on solving the customer’s problems in the most expeditious manner possible — this is what they expect and what they want.

I think many times we fall short when we easily could give them more than they expect and want. In the long run, by providing a proactive approach to pest management problems, we can forestall future pest management problems and in so doing make our jobs a lot simpler. This article discusses the most significant pest management challenge our industry has faced in several decades — bed bugs — a pest that lends itself to proactive measures that mitigate some of the difficulties in managing this pest.

BED BUGS. At this point in time bed bugs are one of the major pest problems confronting our industry (and some of our customers). We are just beginning to see the tip of the iceberg regarding litigation over bed bug bites. So far, litigation regarding this problem has not significantly impacted our industry; however, this is not the case for some of our customers, e.g., hotels, motels, apartment complexes, furniture rental companies, etc.

Some companies are trying to be proactive in managing this pest by applying pesticides that they believe will provide residual control. Research, reports and my own experience have so far found that currently registered products are minimally effective as residuals. Thus, this type of proactive measure will not deliver the desired results.

One of the basic tenets of Integrated Pest Management is customer education. As the bed bug nightmare spreads it is imperative that we enlist the assistance of our customers in identifying problems as they begin to emerge and not rely solely on ineffective residual applications and a reactive pest management approach — typically chemical application.

Education, inspection and documentation are proactive approaches to bed bug problems that can help mitigate problems for our customers and us, for instance:

Hotels and Motels

• Provide multilingual fact sheets for housekeeping and engineering staff on inspection procedures, signs of infestation and procedures if activity is suspected.

• Provide periodic training for staff.

• Place hotels and motels on a rotational pest management inspection schedule to ensure that all rooms are inspected periodically, at least semiannually.

• Document inspections for bed bugs even if none are found. Retain all inspection reports.

• Infested rooms should be removed from service and all adjoining rooms should be inspected. Do not return the room to service until you are confident no more bugs are present.

• Provide and/or recommend the use of encasements for mattresses and box springs.

Apartments

• Provide multilingual fact sheets for posting in conspicuous locations to inform tenants of signs of bed bugs and procedures to follow if infestation is suspected, including proper laundering of bedding and clothes.

• Apartment complexes should be on a rotational inspection schedule (also applicable for cockroaches and mice) at least every six months.

• Apartment complexes with more than 10 percent incidence of infestation should have a property-wide bed bug (also applicable to cockroaches and mice) inspection of ALL apartments.

• Document findings of inspections and treatments, and when possible, include sanitation level (particularly clutter), number of beds (occupants), level of infestation and, when treating, the extent of preparation. Retain all inspection reports.

• Provide and/or recommend the use of encasements for mattresses and box springs.

Furniture Rental

• Provide multilingual fact sheets for posting in conspicuous locations to inform staff regarding the signs of bed bugs, inspection procedures for returned items, and procedures to follow if infestation is suspected.

• Provide periodic training for staff.

• Regularly inspect storage areas, showrooms, delivery vehicles, and furniture for evidence of bed bugs.

• Recommend procedures for cleaning, treating and sanitizing infested furniture.

• Specifically document the results of the inspection, even when no evidence of bed bugs was found at the time of the inspection.

THE LONG RUN. While this article focused on proactive approaches to bed bug problems it doesn’t take much imagination to see how this applies to many of the pest management situations we encounter, e.g., cockroaches, ants, mice, rats, etc. We need to spend more time on long-term (proactive) solutions to pest problems and much less time on the knee-jerk (reactive) short-term solutions.

The author is president of Innovative Pest Management, Brookeville, Md. He can be reached at 301/570-3900 or via e-mail at rkramer@giemedia.com.