Get Staff On Board with IPM

4. Communicate well and frequently. Once everyone begins to play their assigned role in the facility’s pest management program, be sure to establish open lines of communication from you to your staff to your pest management professional. Without effective, frequent communication, discrepancies may begin to develop in your program—which can ultimately lead your facility to a reactive approach to pest issues, rather than a proactive one. By building a positive relationship between your staff and your pest management professional, you’ll continue reaping the benefits of your IPM program in the long run.

5. Handle each situation by following pest sighting protocol. Although you may have followed the first four steps to a “T,” there’s always a possibility pest activity will set in at the facility. Since all hands are on deck, it’s important to set a pest sighting protocol to guarantee everyone at the facility knows how to communicate pest activity to both you and your pest management professional.

• Request that at least one of the pests whether insects or rodents be caught and provided to the pest management professional for positive identification. Information on where and when the pest was seen should be shared as well.
• Let the pest management professional take the time to properly identify the insect based on its biology, behavior, and appearance. This will ensure that proper treatment methods can be recommended for your facility.
• Help the pest management professional determine where the entry point for the insect lies in order to prevent further pest penetration.

If the mentioned five steps are enforced with staff, you will see an added value to your pest management program that may not have existed before. Remember to always take the time to teach staff so everyone can enjoy the benefits of minimal to no pest activity at your facility.

Dr. Siddiqi is director of quality systems for Orkin, LLC. A board certified entomologist with more than 30 years in the industry, he is an acknowledged leader in the field of pest management. Dr. Siddiqi can be reached at [email protected].