IPM in the South

Given the hot and humid summer that most of us are enduring, and the increase in pests as a result, I thought it might be appropriate to share some tips on hiring a pest control contractor. I adapted the following list from Laurie Brajkovich, Amy Davidson, Natalya Eagan, Ann Hanger, and Belinda Messenger School & Child Day Care IPM Program Pest Management & Licensing Branch Department of Pesticide Regulation, Sacramento, CA. The tips are targeted for school staff, but I generalized some of the tips for homeowners.

Most of us—whether homeowner or building maintenance professional—will need to hire a pest control contractor at least once in our lives. If you’re a homeowner, you may need annual termite inspections. If you’re a maintenance professional for a school or office building, you need a contractor for monthly inspections and periodic control measures. With so many pest professionals to choose from, how can you evaluate whether a company is using Integrated Pest Management (IPM)?  Below are some questions to ask your contractor.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Is the contractor licensed?
• Is the contractor experienced in IPM?

SITE ASSESSMENT (INSPECTION)

• Has the contractor toured the campus with you to see where improvements are needed?
• Is the contractor doing inspections on a regular basis (e.g., monthly) to keep on top of changing conditions?

PROBLEM ASSESSMENT (DAMAGE)

• Does the contractor perform a thorough assessment of each pest problem?
• Is the contractor knowledgeable about the damage from each type of pest?
• Can the contractor distinguish mammal pests from the types of holes?

PEST I.D.

• Does the contractor know the species of each insect?
• Does the contractor know the biology of the pests?
• Does the contractor know the type of weeds?
• Does the contractor know what conditions the weeds are indicators of (e.g poor irrigation, poor drainage, poor nutrients, etc.).

MONITORING

• Does the contractor use scouting or inspection procedures to monitor population levels at least monthly? (for schools) Or recommend areas to check in the home at least monthly for pests?
• Does the contractor use monitoring traps for insects and rodents?
• Does the contractor place mouse and rat traps correctly?
• Are the monitoring traps still sticky?
• Are traps placed where they should be?
• (For schools) Monitoring records should be kept on school district property for each building or site specified in the contract. Review these records periodically.

INJURY LEVEL

• Does the contractor have a way of determining when control is warranted, and how much control is enough?
• What is the goal? Eradication or management? (for some pests, the goal should be eradication; for others, you want to keep a small number to maintain a predator population)

ALTERNATIVES/ACTION

• What does the contractor recommend in terms of prevention: sealing cracks and holes, or routine preventative spray treatments?
• (For homeowners) Does the contractor suggest ways you can manage minor pest populations on your own?
• Does the contractor minimize the use of and potential exposure to pesticides wherever possible (e.g. use of non-pesticide treatments, reduced risk pesticides treatments, etc.)?

**One more piece of advice, based on one of our audience comments: always check online to see reviews or complaints before you hire someone. 

For more on reducing pests through IPM in homes and buildings, see The Southern Region School IPM Working Group eXtension website.

Filed under: Pesticides, Urban IPM Tagged: | IPM and pest control, pest control, pest control company, pest control contractor, pest control operator