Pest Management Partnerships Many Hands Make Light Work by Patrick Copps
P
erhaps more than in any other profession, housekeeping professionals know that there is a lot of truth to the old adage, “Many hands make light work.” Whether it’s making beds or sweeping floors, the more everyone works as a team, the better job you’ve done for a building’s occupants. The same holds true for pest management. A successful Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program hinges on the partnership between you, your staff and your pest management professional.
IPM seeks to reduce chemical usage by limiting conditions conducive to pest infestations. This consists of proactive sanitation and facility maintenance to restrict pests’ access to possible sources of food, water and shelter. Since your pest management professional isn’t at your building 2417, he or she must rely on the housekeeping staff to help keep the place pest free. Housekeeping staff are on the frontlines of a building’s operations so they’re able to quickly observe and report pest sightings – or conditions that could lead to pests. Let’s take a look at the signs of a pest infestation. The first sign of a pest problem is sighting an actual pest. Work with your pest management professional to place sticky monitoring boards in out-of-the way nooks and crannies like janitorial closets. These will help trap crawling pests – alerting you to the presence of insects, like cockroaches. Fly lights draw flying pests to a sticky trap by using UV light. These should be installed inside near entrances to food prep areas and exits to waste disposal areas. Position fly lights facing into your building – you don’t want the unit to be visible from the outside, which could inadvertently draw pests inside. Another sign of pests is what they leave behind – droppings. Cockroach droppings look like black pepper grains. Mouse droppings are the size of a grain of rice, and rat droppings are the size of a raisin. While you might not see the actual pest, droppings are a sign you’ve got an issue in your building and can actually help a pest
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| Vol 15 No. 3 |
The Executive Housekeeper
management professional identify what type of pest is lurking in the area. In addition to droppings, some pests, like cockroaches, leave behind cast skins as they grow and shed their exoskeletons. Also, rodents leave behind greasy rub marks as they travel along walls and baseboards. In addition to detecting pest signs, housekeeping staff are an integral component of reporting, and controlling, conditions conducive to pest infestations. Pests are in your building for three main reasons – food, water and shelter. Limiting pests’ access to these three things is the core of an effective IPM program. Here are some common ways in which housekeeping staff can help: •F ighting Food Sources: Pests aren’t picky about their meals – they only need crumbs to survive, so maintaining superior sanitation is vital. Clean all surfaces regularly with a vacuum cleaner that is fitted with a HEPA filter and be sure to vacuum cracks and crevices where debris can collect. Cockroaches can make a meal out of almost anything-including dust and the glue that holds card-board boxes together. Frequent cleaning and removal of dust and food particles can help to deter pests looking for their next meal. •M anage Moisture: Like food, pests don’t need a lot of moisture to survive. Some culprits to look out for are leaky vending machines and HVAC units. Clean up spills immediately and report any leaks to the facility maintenance department so they can make repairs. Watch out for dripping mops and wet buckets placed in janitorial closets as well.