Aren't you going to spray?
Jorge Bedoya, ACE, PCQI
Operations Manager | Associate Certified Entomologist | NYC German Cockroach Specialist
One of the most difficult things when taking over a new residential account (if you do proper Integrated pest management) is to find tenants that are all about ''spraying''.
As IPM instructs, we should always look for pesticide application as the last resource, prioritizing inspection, Identification, and non-toxic techniques such as trapping, sealing, and improving sanitation before doing any application.
In many cases, I find that people who request service in the new accounts constantly sign up for service, and after a deep inspection and constant monitoring with insect/rodent traps, they didn't reach the economical/psychological threshold that justifies pesticide application. Hence, I make the report, provide the instructions and leave.
In most cases, they get shocked and ask the famous question: ''Aren't you gonna spray? If you don't, then you are not doing your job and I will complain to management about it.''
Most pest control technicians will just spray fakely to make these people ''happy'', but I follow the integrated approach, for my protection and the environment. When people like to force the technicians to spray for no reason, they are exposing the technician to an unnecessary pesticide application, which if constantly repeated, can lead to chronic complications in his future life.
Then, is it worth dealing with spray fanatics who think pest management is just spraying? or we should focus more on educating collectively for our tech's sake?
The threshold for pesticide application is never 0, we don't know the future, but we can identify the conducive conditions and remediate them preventively, instead of just being reactive.
Thanks for reading!
Corporate Development - SME Organizational Growth - Customer Care - Quality and Business Trainer
2 年It is not only with residential accounts only, even when dealing with commercial accounts, some believe that continual spraying is the solution, a program with few spraying frequencies is not a good nor effective pest control program… it takes time to convince them the opposite
Entomologist and IPM Analyst at Technical Directions, Inc.
2 年Back in the 70s-80s we had to answer customer concerns about not smelling the chemical which served as the customer's benchmark. I'd like to give you a verbal pat-on-the-back Jorge! Your management should never put the service technician in a position where he has to defend a least-toxic approach. It should have been made clear up front to this customer (during the sales phase of the relationship) that pesticides would be used judiciously in conformance with your IPM principles, and only then based on your professionally trained evaluation. Such a customer would probably be the first to sue you if Fifi got sick!
Pest Control Specialist | Digital Marketing Consultant | Trainer | Founder, Insight Radio | Media Entrepreneur |
2 年Fantastic article Jorge, proper education of the client is key
Global Thought Leader l Pioneer in Pest Risk Management l Advocate for Sustainable Solutions l International Speaker and Author l Bridge to Global Markets l Future of Pest Management l Hospitality l Food Safety l Trainer
2 年Jorge excellent article. You are doing the right thing by your client, the environmrnt, the industry and for yourself too. Yes the clients need to be educated and sadly there are some spraying unnecessarily to please clients as its the easy road.