Mr. Meek

Security & Safety

Mean, Green Pest Control

By Frank Meek, International Technical & Training Director, Orkin, LLC

With hybrid cars, energy-saving appliances and recycled products on the rise, the environmentally friendly movement has never been more popular. What many people don't know is that the pest control industry, for several years, has been making its own move toward "greener" alternatives to traditional techniques.

But what does this mean for your hotel? It means better pest control results with less risk. Newer techniques and technologies are much more tailored to the biology and behavior of each target pest than treatments in the past. Consequently, they are more effective, virtually unnoticeable to your guests and much less likely to pose health risks. The days of spraying baseboards with pesticides and often malodorous treatments are over.

To maximize the effectiveness of today's environmentally friendly pest control tools and techniques, they must be part of a broader Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. IPM programs recognize that pest management is not about regular treatments to create a chemical "barrier" to infestation. Rather, IPM is an ongoing process of sanitation, housekeeping, facility maintenance and constant monitoring for pest presence - prior to the application of any pest control treatment.

Before discussing these techniques, it is important to emphasize that accurate pest identification is vital to your success. By properly identifying the specific pest in question, your pest management professional can understand that pest's behaviors, as well as the control methods that will best prevent and eliminate an infestation. After all, knowledge is power.

Work with your pest management professional to add one or more of the following "green" pest control techniques to your IPM program:

Airflow - Perhaps the simplest tool in your pest control arsenal is air. Moving air can pose an obstacle to certain flying insects, so you can use it strategically for pest control. For example, with staff and guests coming and going constantly, exterior doors open and close around the clock. Every time one of these doors opens, it presents an opportunity to pests, especially flying insects, to enter. If air flows out of your hotel when the doors open, it will literally push flying insects away. Work with your HVAC professional to make sure your system creates positive air pressure. Also, consider placing fans in areas prone to fly or mosquito problems, including breakfast bars, outdoor dining areas or poolside wet bars. Even a gentle breeze will help deter flying insects.

Trapping - Sticky boards and glue boards are two of the most popular non-chemical methods of insect and rodent control. Not only are they useful in the physical removal of pests, like cockroaches, flies and rodents, but they're also a good tool for monitoring pest activity. Traps should be placed in areas that are susceptible to infestation but are not accessed by your guests. These areas include receiving docks, storage areas, and housekeeping and laundry rooms.

Fly lights - With all the food odors in your hotel - from the delicious aromas of the kitchen to the pungent smells from waste dumpsters - flies will be highly attracted to your establishment. Instead of chemicals, fly lights attract flies with ultraviolet light, then trap them on a sticky board inside the light unit. Because these units are non-toxic and silent, they can be placed in virtually any area. Consider using them in food preparation areas and near doors opening to outside waste disposal areas and loading/receiving docks.

Repellants - Obviously, one of the most effective ways to control pest infestations is to deter pests from entering your hotel in the first place. Repellants are designed to move pests to areas where it is easier to control them, and are most often used around the perimeter of the building and in exterior cracks and crevices. Silica gel, an organic compound that injures insects' exoskeletons, is a common ingredient in repellants. Typically used to repel cockroaches and other crawling insects, silica gel causes insects to retreat after contact with the substance.

Structural Exclusion - In the same sense as repellants, structural exclusion physically stops pests from entering. Carefully inspect the building's exterior on a regular basis to identify potential pest entry points - unnecessary cracks and crevices in the building's exterior, openings around windows and doors, gaps around utility penetrations. Close such openings with a weather-resistant foam sealant. Also, secure all windows with a #16 mesh screen to prevent even the tiniest insects from entering.

Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs) - IGRs use an insect's hormones to disrupt its life cycle, thereby preventing pests from reaching full maturity, reproducing and expanding the insect population. Since each pest's hormones are different, IGRs are only effective on the pests for which they are designed. When used properly, IGRs have no effect on non-target organisms.

Pheromones - Like IGRs, pheromones are only applicable to a targeted pest. Pheromones are secreted chemicals that send specific messages for communication to the same species of animal or pest. Pest management professionals use synthetically replicated versions of certain insect pheromones to lure them into sticky traps. These pheromone traps help reduce flying insect populations to an extent, but perhaps more importantly they help a pest management professional identify flying pests and monitor populations for targeted control efforts.

Organic Cleaners - Sanitation is an integral part of both your hotel's operations and your pest management program. The fact is pests are more likely to infest areas that are unclean and provide them with access to food and water. Consider using an organic cleaner instead of a harsh chemical cleaner in the kitchen of your hotel's restaurant. Developed using the same biotechnology employed in ocean oil tanker clean-ups, organic cleaners use naturally occurring bacteria and enzymes to breakdown grease and grime. When used in drains, sinks and garbage disposals, organic cleaners can eradicate breeding areas for drain and fruit flies.

Non-Volatile Baits - Even though baits contain pesticides, they are an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional spray pesticides since they do not become airborne. Tamper-resistant bait stations that target rodents or gel formulations that can be injected into cracks or crevices to eliminate cockroaches are just two examples of non-volatile baits.

Your staff - At the end of the day, your staff is one of your most powerful pest control tools. Ask your pest management professional to conduct a training session, explaining to your employees their part in the pest control program. Your staff needs to be the daily eyes and ears of the program, monitoring and reporting pest activity and making sure your sanitation program is barring pests' access to food and water sources. Teamwork is the key to long-term success.

Since IPM works best when it's tailored to fit the special needs of your hotel, work with a reputable pest management professional to determine which of these techniques will be the most effective in your establishment. Adding greener alternatives to your pest management program will only make it stronger. Your guests and hotel deserve nothing less.

An industry veteran, Frank Meek has been with Orkin since 1986. In 2003, he was named among the future leaders of the pest management industry in Pest Control Technology magazine’s “40 Under 40” ranking. Currently, as the International Technical and Training Director, Mr. Meek provides technical support and training in both sales and service to Orkin's international franchises, helping them grow and develop in their specific markets. As a board-certified entomologist, Mr. Meek teaches Integrated Pest Management principles and can explain how to use all available methodologies to prevent pest infestations in various commercial settings. Mr. Meek can be contacted at 404-888-2898 or fmeek@rollinscorp.com Extended Bio...

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