NATIONAL REPORT—Not so long ago, the solution for dealing with a hotel pest infestation was to “call the exterminator,” conjuring up cartoony images of a man with a poison-pump, misting unknown chemicals into the air of the business, chasing out customers and pests with the plume. For hotels in New York, where daily business activity is critical for the financial health of the business, this kind of thing could be devastating, but we live in a different world today. Now, safety and health are first and foremost in the mind of any pest control professional. Modern pest control methods often employ green pest control applications, which minimize or eliminate inconvenience to business operators and their clients by ensuring safety to their most important assets; the employees and the guests, as well as minimizing or eliminating the possibility of inhaling toxic chemicals.
The modern world of pest control leverages Integrated Pest Control (IPC) or Integrated Pest Management (IPM), as it is sometimes referred to. IPC, to get technical for a moment, is defined by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations as “the careful consideration of all available pest control techniques and subsequent integration of appropriate measures that discourage the development of pest populations… [to] reduce or minimize risks to human health…” In plain English, your pest problem goes away, but not at the expense of your people or your bottom line.
In the world of New York pest control, the IPC method takes the proverbial bull out of the porcelain shop, using a multifaceted approach, which is gentler on the total environment, and ultimately more effective. For example, a hotel owner may be advised to reseal units with caulking or weather stripping to discourage pests from re-entering after a treatment, versus spraying chemicals more frequently, only beating back pests that could have been simply kept out from the start. The overall solution will depend on the environment, the infestation, and the agreement between the professional and the client, but it all starts with a good plan.
Emergency Situations Almost Eliminated
By taking this route, the long term interruption to the business is decreased significantly, the chances of an emergency are almost eliminated, and the operator is more empowered to maintain the health of both clients and profit; the Economic Injury Level, or “EIL,” of the business is avoided. This much is easy enough to understand, but the savvy operator wonders, “When and how am I to identify pests before they become a problem?”
Both the short and long term solutions of daily pest control should not require the man with the poison pump, but an integrated operation strategy, involving the team members already on staff, keeping an eye out for the signs, as they perform the job they are already paid to do. These findings are reported up the chain to the appropriate office and the plan is executed as agreed upon by the IPC professional and operator beforehand.
So what are you going to train your team to look for? Oversimplified, we are looking for bedbugs, flies, roaches, and rodents, but we may be looking for birds and other large pests as well. Key areas to check are deep into the seams of mattress corners where the piping is stitched and bedbugs make their homes, under and behind furniture where roaches like to hide, and areas where food or water are prevalent. The latter are places where flies not only hang out, but where they lay their eggs. Trash areas should be quickly cleared to the dumpster, and any pile up should be reported immediately. Cleaning staff should be on the lookout for rusty stains on the sheets which could be entrails from pests, and any sounds observed, like scratching or movement in the walls, should not be ignored in the hopes that they will go away. It sounds like a forgone logical conclusion that these things would be reported, but if expectations for said reporting are not communicated with the whole team, then the plan for integration could suffer.
Understand What is Unseen
The key to understanding a pest sighting is not what is seen, but what is unseen. A pest indoors is likely there to either eat or reproduce, and in all likely situations it is both. Properly training your team to look for the signs listed above is where IPC starts, but continued dialogue and public recognition of good work will drive a culture of cleanliness throughout the hotel, to avoid the emergency situation where tougher means of extraction must be employed, and to avoid disruptions to your business which hurt everyone. Remember, even the most refined hotels suffer some level of pest control challenges, but only the very finest hotels have an executed plan.
The importance of finding an IPC company, one that uses green pest control methods, and that helps you avoid economic injury, is not an ancillary part of your loss prevention plan, it is the core of that plan. But where to find a reputable company? Most operators will consult with other businesses nearby to gain referrals from which to pick from. Beyond the obvious advantages of this method, the pest controller will likely be familiar with the area and the specific challenges to that part of the city. As an alternative, using search engines like Google, or social networking platforms such as Yelp can turn up many results. Your best bet, when left without a referral, is to check directory listings on green friendly websites like Green Lodging News or green certification websites like the Certified Green Pro, U.S. Green Building Council, or Green Shield Certified. Whatever the means, make sure their approach is not only integrated, but green, to make sure your business stays open and you avoid the man with the poison pump.
RJS Pest Management supplied this article. RJS provides comprehensive commercial pest management services in the New York City metropolitan area. The company has experience serving a broad range of commercial industries and providing pest management services for virtually every pest common to the New York City area.
