3 areas to focus on for successful cockroach management

Casey Prewitt, Sales Manager, Professional Pest Management, Neogen

Considered to be one of the Top 5 revenue-generating pests in the industry, cockroaches bring many unique challenges to PMPs across the United States. From residential to commercial properties, restaurants to healthcare, and moist to dry climates, PMPs will encounter many different species of cockroaches. Each is unique in their own ways, bringing challenges to even the most veteran technicians in our industry. As 2019 is in full swing, there are three areas that must be addressed to be successful on every treatment:

1. Inspections. To understand what is happening when you are not there, asking questions is the first crucial step to inspections. Where are they seeing activity? What has the customer done to get rid of them? If they had used a previous company, what did that previous company do to treat the situation? Questions provide you with information about what treatments have been unsuccessful and what areas have not been evaluated.
2. Treatment. Viewed as the most important step by many, success in this area is determined by thorough inspections, continued monitoring and communication with your customer.
3. Communication. Talking with your customer about active participation will determine how long it takes to gain control, or if you even can gain control. Suggesting key areas to work on and explaining the problem’s potential sources not only helps the PMP, but gives industry professionals the credibility they deserve. To me, this is the most important part of every treatment: setting honest and true expectations when you speak to your customer. Gaining control before the expectation you set always makes you look good, but the alternative leads to a lost customer.