What to document during an inspection

Dr. Tim Husen, BCE, PHE, Southeastern U.S. Technical Services Representative, BASF Professional and Specialty Solutions

You can’t identify what you haven’t found! Inspection should be a part of every routine service — not just when customers call you about ants in their homes. A thorough inspection should identify structural deficiencies, favorable landscapes or other conditions conducive to ants.

Document everything you see during the inspection, especially:

• Potential attraction sources: Food or moisture sources, poor storage or sanitation practices, honeydew-producing insects.
• Potential access points: Cracks or openings around doors, windows and utility lines, and plantings too close to the structure.
• Potential nesting sites: Landscape stones, rock walls, downed trees, structural timbers, piles of compost, leaves, mulch or other organic debris.

Even if the customer doesn’t have an ant problem (yet), having this information recorded prior to an issue arising or an ant-related reservice visit will help you locate the attraction source, potential entry points, and ultimately the ant trail or nest more quickly.