Whether solving fictional crimes or real-life mysteries, great detectives ask a lot of questions, make keen observations and learn how to process facts in a quick, systematic way. Like detectives, great Pest Management Professionals also know how to look for the right clues so they can track down nuisance-causing culprits.
Let’s look at a hypothetical scenario and consider how to approach the solution like a detective:
A multi-story hotel calls you because a live cockroach was spotted in a room. Upon arrival, housekeeping demands you go to the room and spray it thoroughly. Before conducting a treatment, here is a list of questions to ask:
- Do you have a specimen that you can show me?
- Note: without a specimen, you can’t be sure it is actually a cockroach. If it is, the type of cockroach may determine the control procedure you use.
- Where and when did you see the pest?
- Is it the first time you’ve seen this pest? If not, how often and when did you see others?
- What is the current pest control program used to control cockroaches in the facility?
- Can I review the pest management log for the last six months?
- Can you provide a map of the facility?
- Has any furniture been changed recently in the room?
- Has anyone recently fixed the TV, sink, or other things in the room?
- Are residents encouraged to have food delivered to their rooms?
- Are food trays left in the hallways overnight?
- Is the room used for long-term occupants or overnight stays?
- Are newspapers delivered to the rooms?
- Do the housekeeping carts remain on each floor? Where are they kept? Are they numbered for identification?
All of these questions can provide clues to how the cockroach entered the hotel. How are you going to inspect and communicate to the hotel personnel? Your plan of action should involve inspecting, baiting if necessary and placing follow-up monitors in discrete locations around the hotel where they are not easily visible. You should also conduct a short training session for the appropriate hotel staff about their roles in inspecting and minimizing the chance of new cockroach invasions. When there is one cockroach in a room, the chance of new ones entering is more probable. Remind them that the idea is not to kill one cockroach – it is to determine how it entered, and what proactive steps should be taken to prevent it from happening again.
Your ability to create a successful control program starts with your thinking process. It is what helps distinguish you as a professional and a super sleuth.
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