Pest Control Tips
Sanitation and Exclusion Require Client Involvement
Customer cooperation is a critical element of any successful Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. Consider sanitation and exclusion, two crucial steps in IPM. Neither would be fully effective without the continuing involvement of the client.
Sanitation involves eliminating harborages by removing debris from the building and grounds, and cleaning up food debris, spills and standing water daily. Any food products should be stored neatly, off the floor and away from walls.
Client involvement increases success of sanitation.
It is important for clients to know how they can help correct pest problems. IPM depends heavily on the continuous assistance of the client to eliminate food, moisture and harborages for pests. Without client assistance with sanitation, a PMP cannot provide effective pest management. The best way to gain client cooperation is to educate them on the procedures being used in their homes and businesses.
When clients know what a PMP is doing and the reasoning behind it, they are less resistant to the methods the PMP wants to use. Plus, they begin to understand their own role in the success of pest management.
Pest control applications provide greater, longer-lasting control when sanitation is taken seriously. When emphasis is placed on eliminating food debris, cockroaches are likely to increase their foraging range. This increases the chance that cockroaches will come into contact with a trap, bait or insecticide. Good sanitation helps keep cockroach populations from exploding. With fewer available food sources, there is less to sustain a large population.
Exclusion prevents reinfesting of structures.
The client also needs to help with the process of exclusion. The goal of exclusion is to prevent pests from entering the structure. Exclusion involves making structural repairs. These repairs include patching wall openings, weatherproofing doors and windows, caulking cracks, sealing plumbing and trimming trees and shrubs close to the building. Also, windows and attic vents should have screens. Using a variety of methods to keep pests outside can minimize the need for insecticide treatments inside.
After a building has been sealed, it is important to inspect incoming boxes and furniture to stop pests from being carried into the building and reinfesting the area.
