PHOTO: DMITRIYDANILOV/ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS/GETTY IMAGES
We asked Pest Management Professional’s columnists and editorial board members to share which aspect of cockroach control (besides inspection) should a technician spend the most time, and why. Here are some of the experts’ responses — including a few extra that didn’t make it into our September 2020 print edition.
Please vote in our poll now to share your thoughts. You can also add your advice in the comments below or send your comments to pmpeditor@northcoastmedia.net.
PMP’s Regular Contributors
Greg Baumann: “Stressing the importance of sanitation/limiting food for the cockroaches. This might be a long-term effort in some accounts, but don’t give up. It is too important.”
Bobby Jenkins: “Where they are getting their food and water, especially if you are using baits — you need to know what to use to best compete. This also gives you the chance to remove other food choices in an infested area, and allows the cockroaches to feed on the bait since they already are living there. Also, the presence of water enhances the attractiveness for bait control.”
Pete Schopen: “Obviously, the most common answer would be sanitation. But in a restaurant, cracks-and-crevices in the equipment, storage racks and prep stations can be harborage sites. A good technician will either seal up these gaps or show the restaurant staff where the ‘hot spots’ are located.”
Mark Sheperdigian, BCE: “After inspection and monitoring, the bulk of a technician’s time should be spent on application. Whether using baits or contact insecticides, application is everything to a cockroach control program. If you don’t kill them, they won’t go away. Bait placements must be appropriately sized and properly placed. Contact insecticides must be accurately applied to ensure sufficient contact.”
PMP’s Editorial Advisory Board
Stuart Aust: “Besides inspection, the other key aspects are identifying the source of the infestation (how did the cockroaches get into the account), treating the nesting areas, and performing exclusion if needed.”
Michael Broder: “Monitoring. For any integrated pest management program, you don’t want to just blindly apply pesticides everywhere. Proper placement of insect glue monitors can be essential to identifying the location of any new cockroach activity, and showing technicians exactly where to treat.”
Doug Foster: “Follow-up, which would include questioning the client on results, monitoring to verify results, retreatment as necessary, and finally exclusion to help prevent future problems. If you never solve the problem or modify the environment, the problems will continue or recur soon after. Education also is a very important component of cockroach control.”
Paul Hardy: “Since the majority of the pests commonly live outside the structure, the majority of the service time is outside prevention, followed by customer relations.”
Frank Meek, BCE: “Written, verbal and visual communication skills. This is something that impresses clients immediately, and stays with them after the service, both physically and in their thoughts if you have done a great job in this effort.”
Dr. Faith Oi: “Help the customer figure out how cockroaches became a problem in the first place, and then communicate a strategy on how to prevent a subsequent infestation.”
Eric Scherzinger: “Flushing areas to help with the inspection and being able to bait in the correct places, as well as knocking down adults. Then, placing monitors to help monitor after proper bait placements are made.”
Kurt Scherzinger: “Documentation, as most of the time cockroach issues stem from a sanitation issue. You need to communicate with customers what they need to do to help get the issue under control.”
Dr. Stephen Vantassel: “Convincing the client to clean and declutter.”
Leave A Comment