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 ...