‘Is vacuuming in there?’

excerpt: The Cockroach Combat Manual II

At PestWorld 2013 in Phoenix last fall, Dr. Austin Frishman and I met and signed copies of the Cockroach Combat Manual II

(CCM II) for readers. While this was an enjoyable and rewarding experience, certain questions, comments and discussions that ensued during our book-signing tour were interesting. In this issue and the months ahead, CCM II excerpts are and will be published in PMP.

“Is vacuuming in there? I think our guys should be vacuuming,” one fan said. Doc Frishman responded, “It’s in there, and you’re right!”

Throughout the years, Doc and I have been professionally associated with suppliers that offer professional-duty vacuums to the pest management industry. While there are various models from which to choose, there’s more than meets the eye when considering a vacuum for pest management use.

“I could use a shop vac; it’s cheaper” is a comment often heard at industry gatherings and meetings. While this may be true to a degree, there are at least three important factors to consider:

■ Not all high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) vacuums are created equal. And, while a retail-level shop vac might be fitted with a HEPA filter, it doesn’t necessarily make it an adequate substitute for a HEPA system vacuum manufactured for professional use. This is a concern because allergen-triggering particles might leak from vacuums that aren’t designed, engineered and built to be full HEPA systems during use.

“We need to be very careful when vacuuming roaches because of asthma and allergies,” Frishman says. As CCM II readers know, Frishman worked with public health professionals on childhood asthma and allergies triggered by cockroaches in urban environments. The purpose of using vacuums for cockroach control includes immediately removing and eliminating roaches from the infested account. Avoid inadvertently causing a roach particle trigger.

■ While the price point of retail models seems attractive, it can be shortsighted to use them. Most professional vacuums are capable of removing large quantities of live cockroaches, shed skins/exoskeletons, egg capsules and carcasses without the risk of causing airborne particles because of their filtration, exhaust and housing designs. Their engineering is superior for such purposes than most retail-level models.

■ Consider the perspective of the consumer. Imagine what the customer might think during a side-by-side comparison of pest management professionals (PMPs), where the one on the right is using professional equipment and the one on the left is using a vacuum purchased at Wal-Mart.

“As an industry, we want to maintain and improve our professional image,” Frishman says. “Using a vacuum anyone can buy for $39.95 doesn’t send the correct message.”

We recommend using professional vacuums instead of retail models for many reasons. A well-informed purchase decision is a superior one. pmp

Paul J. Bello and Dr. Austin Frishman jointly authored The Cockroach Combat Manual Manual II. Contact Dr. Frishman at 561-487-1585. Contact Bello at paulbello@att.net.