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Pest management has changed significantly throughout its history. At the turn of the century, there were very few pesticides, most contained lead, arsenic, nicotine, and a variety of other acutely toxic materials, however, the industry relied heavily on the use of nonchemical strategies to manage pests. During and after World War II, pesticide development and production increased significantly and an era of almost exclusive pesticide use began in the industry. Then in the 1980s, reliance on pesticides began to decrease, and the industry began moving toward reduced-risk pest management strategies, i.e., less pesticides and more nonchemical procedures. Thus integrated pest management (IPM), a well established agricultural term, was adopted by the structural pest management industry. WHAT IS IPM? IPM originated in agriculture and is based on the concept that there are agricultural pest levels which can be tolerated without suffering significant crop production losses and the cost of pesticide use is not justified. However, if the pest population exceeds a predetermined threshold, insecticides are applied to lower the population below the economic threshold. The agricultural concept of IPM poses some problems for the structural pest control industry. Economic thresholds within the structural pest management industry ore not commonly used because the customers’ aesthetic (economic) threshold is zero and their expectations often mandate that the pest problem be resolved immediately. Occasionally, action thresholds have been used within structural pest management, for instance the Department of Defense in a recent publication suggests that an average sticky trap catch of fewer than one cockroach per trap, per night does not justify pesticide application. It further suggests that trap catches of one to three cockroaches per trap, per night may require a spot treatment. However, this is an exceptional case in structural pest management. The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) have formalized two definitions which better describe the concept of IPM within the structural pest management industry. NPMA defines IPM as a decision-making process that anticipates and prevents pest activity and infestation by combining several strategies to achieve long-term solutions. Components of an IPM program may include proper waste management, structural repair, maintenance, biological and mechanical control techniques, and pesticide application. The USEPA in their IPM in schools brochure defines IPM as an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common sense practices. IPM programs take advantage of all pest management options, possibly including, but not limited to, the judicious use of pesticides. A few organizations characterize IPM as an approach to pest management which considers the use of pesticides as an independent entity and not as a component of the pro gram. This flies in the face of what IPM is and what its goal should be — a decision-making process and planning program designed to identify specific pests and infestation site(s), suppress the infestation with short- term solutions, and reduce the causes of infestation with long-term strategies. IPM is proactive rather than reactive. An IPM program can include any or all of the following elements: • Cultural practices are those factors influenced by humans and their environments. Sanitation is the most important cultural practice affecting the success of a pest management plan and it is a customer responsibility. Sanitation removes the essential elements for pest survival, i.e., food, Water, and harborage. Specific examples are waste removal, cleaning, grass mowing, exterior clean-up, etc. • Biological techniques involve the use of living organisms or their by products to control pests. Parasites and predators are very useful in controlling outdoor pests, however, there is very little application indoors. Fungi, bacteria, and other microorganisms have been used successfully in a few situations indoors, and one of the most popular baits in the industry is derived from a bacteria. Insect growth regulators and chitin synthesis inhibitors, which abnormally affect growth and development, are included in this category. Biological control products use living organisms, like a wasp, or their by-products to manage pests. • Physical techniques typically involve the use of heat or cold to control pest populations. Depending on the expo sure time, temperatures above 140 degrees F are usually sufficient to kill most arthropods. Cold temperatures can be used to kill most stages of arthropods, however, temperature and time of exposure ore more variable than when using heat. • Mechanical devices have for hundreds of years been used to manage pest populations. There is probably no household in the United States which does not have a fly swatter. There are wind-up live traps, sticky traps, snap traps and a variety of other devices for controlling rodents. Screening, netting, hardware cloth, caulking, and expandable foam, are examples of just a few of the products available for excluding pests from structures. These tools are very valuable in preventive pest management. • Pesticides are products designed to kill or manage pests by affecting their behavior or growth, e.g., repellents, insect growth regulators, plant growth retardants, etc., and they are a very important component of IPM. The selection of a particular product depends on the site, pest, active ingredient, and the formulation. Pesticides kill or manage insects by affecting their behavior and/or growth. The phrases “innovative pest management” or “creative pest manage rent” hotter describe the type of service the industry should be providing. This terminology conveys the concept of thinking before reacting and is founded on the principle that each pest management situation is different and has its unique solution. There are no quick fixes in this industry, if there were cock roaches would have been eradicated a long time ago. One of the industry’s leading educators says, “Technicians need to think like a roach.” Successful pest management programs depend on locating problem areas and harborages that are not always apparent. Technicians play a pivotal role in the success of IPM programs. Their specific responsibilities can best be characterized as education, investigation, customer education, implementation, and observation. ROLE OF EDUCATION As pest management professionals, technicians must not only be skilled in pest identification but must be familiar with pest biology, pest behavior, pest management strategies, and pesticides before attempting to solve their customers’ pest problems. They must be sufficiently knowledgeable to explain why and how they plan to deal with specific pest management situations. There are numerous educational opportunities within the pest management industry. Formal training is provided through several universities, com munity colleges, and technical schools. Many companies have in-house training programs which utilize a variety of training materials, e.g., computer training programs, slide tape series, videotapes, workbooks, etc. Educational programs are offered at NPCA and state association meetings and by most product manufacturers. Self education is possible by reading and studying any of the numerous industry reference materials. To educate the many customers served by this industry technicians must first be educated themselves. Pest management technicians should consider themselves the hub of a wheel with information radiating out from the center. PERFORMING THE INSPECTION This is the fundamental step in innovative pest management and is critical in minimizing pesticide applications and providing long-term solutions. Solving pest management problems depends on the synergy between inspection and identification, because one is worthless without the other. The benefits of a good inspection and correct identification, are knowledge of the pest, its biology and behavior, and solution of the pest problem. The inspection is your opportunity to become Sherlock Holmes, and to solve an unusual pest management problem and succeed where others have failed. It is very gratifying to solve a tough “bug” problem and see the reaction of satisfied customers when they are informed their home or business is pest free. The success or failure of the pest management plan is determined by the thoroughness and accuracy of the inspection, and this requires time. Some problems are easily diagnosed, for instance walking into a structure and seeing German cockroaches climbing the walls during the day or fleas jumping onto pant legs, however, recognition of the pest isn’t enough. The inspection should begin with a detailed customer interview in order to determine customer expectations and concerns, but most importantly the type and extent of the pest problem. This information-gathering session should provide some clues as to whether or not there is an actual pest problem. The worst thing a technician can do is assume that the customer has identified the pest problem correctly and base the pest management plan on this assumption. This error in judgment has led many technicians down the primrose path of treating for imaginary pests such as the “cable mite” or “paper mite.” Misidentifications of this type are not only embarrassing for the technician and their company, but is definitely not the type of service upon which good reputations are built. These situations occur when technicians fail to properly inspect and identify the problem, and should never occur if the proper inspection techniques are followed. CUSTOMER EDUCATION Once the pest problem is identified and a pest management plan has been developed, customer education becomes a priority. This phase of the pest management plan involves explaining procedures and products to be used, deter mining the customer’s expectations, and explaining their role in the resolution of their pest management problem. If this is not accomplished, customers may have unreasonable expectations. Unfortunately most consumers have no idea what IPM is, therefore, technicians have a formidable task ahead in terms of educating consumers about this type of service. IPM relies very heavily on the use of nonchemical pest management strategies and many pest problems are corrected through structural changes and/or repairs, which typically ore the customer’s responsibility. While it is common for pest management companies to caulk and/or stuff cracks and crevices, install door sweeps and other exclusion materials, major structural problems, e.g., roof leaks, slab cracks, moisture problems, lighting, etc., are beyond their capabilities and require customer resolution. Typically, if these major structural problems are not resolved the pest problem persists. Education is an ongoing task, and everyone in the industry must play an active role. IMPLEMENTING SERVICE This is the step in innovative pest management when knowledge and experience ore put into practice by implementing the pest management plan presented to the customer. This phase of the IPM process is continuously changing and requires periodic review with the customer. The review not only ensures the success of the plan, but customer satisfaction. Control failures rarely occur because of pest resistance to pesticides, they typically occur because the pest problem was not adequately evaluated, lack of knowledge about the pest’s biology and behavior, and/or failure to use pesticides in appropriate locations. The industry has an emerging arsenal of pesticides, such as insect growth regulators (IGRs), chitin synthesis inhibitors, baits, biologicals such as nemotodes, bacteria and fungi, and other new active ingredients. To supplement these pesticides there ore improved delivery systems, such as aerosol units, bait stations, power dusters, and other tools to accomplish more precise applications. After determining the type of pests and their location, the proliferation of products and tools in the industry presents the service technician with an overwhelming number of decisions, such as selecting the best products and/ or techniques to use, addressing the customer’s concerns about pest management services, time of service, etc. These decisions influence the implementation of the pest management plan. Time is a molar factor when implementing a pest management plan and frequently determines its success or failure. Time influences the essential ingredient of any plan, which is thoroughness in execution. This alone reduces costly and time-consuming callbacks and has an immediate effect on customer satisfaction. The technician’s time must be delicately balanced in order to meet the customer’s needs and their company’s performance objectives. The implementation phase of the PM program is where the leather hits the road and to be successful technicians must consider all of the factors affecting the pest management plan and be innovative in their approach to the pest management problem. ACCOUNT OBSERVATION The success of the pest management plan is predicated on the technician’s knowledge of pest management, a thorough inspection which properly identifies the pests and contributing factors, educating the customer and obtaining their cooperation, and full implementation of the IPM plan. Each component determines, to some degree, whether the customer’s pest problem is successfully resolved. Evaluating the success of the pest management plan is the final step in the IPM program. Follow-through is the path to success in managing any pest problem and an opportunity to learn and improve pest management skills. The pest management plan can have several outcomes, e.g., elimination of the pest problem, no apparent change in the pest problem, accusations of feeding the cockroaches, etc. However, it is more likely that some degree of success between these extremes has been achieved. This underscores the importance of continuing to observe and evaluate the account until the problem is satisfactorily resolved. One of the best methods of resolving problems is to have a documented history of the account, e.g., diagrams, information on previous pest problems, locations of infestations, techniques employed, etc. The more detailed the record the better. Records provide a starting point for problem resolution. Systematically reviewing the records and merging that information with correct observations can lead to a timely solution for many problems. This helps to identify continuing pest problems by observing activity in different sites, discovering previously undetected sanitation problems, harborage or pest entry points, uncovering new pest problems, etc. Logbooks are typically used to retain this information and track the pest management program in an account or facility. German cockroach and termite control failures are the most common in the industry, and there are a host of factors which can cause these control failures. One of the most common reasons cited for cockroach control failures is resistance. While this is occasionally a problem in some commercial accounts, it can be managed with a thorough inspection, and appropriate selection and use of pesticides. Customer involvement, particularly regarding sanitation, proper storage and structural repairs is often a major obstacle. Failure to identify all sites of pest activity and harborage areas which require treatment also leads to control failures. Improper pesticide selection and failure to thoroughly apply the product to pest harborages and activity sites can defeat the best pest management plan. The importation of cockroaches by vendors and their immigration from adjacent facilities must also be considered. Termites pose completely different challenges for technicians because they are usually hidden and in this instance technicians aren’t, typically, engaged in the process of pest elimination, but are simply attempting to exclude them from the structure and their food source. Careful observation on callbacks is critical if the problem is to be resolved. Identifying the species is a critical step because it can not be assumed that native subterranean termites are the problem. Occasionally, Formosan, drywood, and dampwood termites are encountered and each has unique biological characteristics and habits which require special control techniques. Once the species is identified, it is extremely important to determine where the pest activity is continuing and assessing the potential causes. This, of course, assumes everything has been done to prevent the infestation, e.g., using the maximum label concentration and rate of application practical, mixing the termiticide adequately, calibrating equipment for accurate delivery rates, drilling holes at the proper locations and distances, properly treating porches and chimney bases, etc. Often overlooked is the presence of structural problems, e.g., a moisture problem in the structure that allows a native subterranean termite colony to become established in the structure out of contact with the soil, wood soil contact, inaccessible crawlspaces, foam insulation board in contact with the soil, which can provide an undetected conduit between soil and the structure, etc. There are many other factors to consider with regard to the pests listed previously, as well as many other pest problems. The technician’s knowledge of pests is the key element in analyzing observations and taking the necessary corrective action. Spending sufficient time making thorough observations pays its dividends by reducing the number of callbacks and insuring customer satisfaction. Prev: Impact of Pests On
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