Integrated pest management (IPM) is a modern answer to the age-old problem of pest control. It’s a process that works by minimizing risks, analyzing situations, and using eco-friendly pest exclusion techniques. What sets IPM apart is its sustainability, affordability, and focus on public health.
If you’re reading this, that means you already have an IPM program established for your commercial property or business. That’s great! You’re devoted to the long term prevention of pest damage! Even better! You want to protect the environment while deterring pests. Excellent!
You’re off to a great start, but now it’s time for the next steps. If you want to know how to improve the effectiveness of your existing IPM program, we’ve got the answers below.
Double down on your cleaning efforts.
If you went to our blog archive right now and clicked on any given post, there would be one consistent pest prevention tip in all of them. Cleaning. Because IPM focuses on instilling long term prevention practices, cleaning is a big part of having a successful program. Take time to look at your existing cleaning practices and see where you can improve.
For example, if you manage an office, do you have a trackable chart for each individual employee’s weekly cleaning responsibilities? Do you have a plan in place for deep cleaning that goes beyond daily wiping and sweeping? If you’re in charge of a warehouse, what is your dust collection system like? Is it out of date? Is there room in the budget to hire a professional cleaner to guarantee the consistency of your sanitation efforts?
Take time to teach your employees.
We know you’re a budding expert on integrated pest management, but what about your employees? Your renters? You can follow all the rules in the book, but it won’t be enough if you’re the only one. Disseminate the information you’ve been learning about IPM to others in your building.
You can do this in a number of ways. You can host a lunch and learn gathering, a training seminar, or an interactive class. You can write a weekly newsletter, email reminders, or brochures. How you do it is based on your specific business, but what you need to do is always the same: teach others what you know.
Document everything.
One hands-on recommendation we have for many of our IPM customers is to have a pest sighting log. A way that, whenever anyone sees an insect or pest of any variety, they can write it down. It can be digital or analog, but this documentation can go a long way. It will help you pinpoint when infestations start, where they’re located, and more.
This is only one documentation-based idea. Documentation in general is integral to successful IPM. The more information you have about the workings of your building – including potential pests – the better you can work on exclusion.
Improving the effectiveness of your integrated pest management program is about consistent effort and growth. Always learning more, trying new things, and knowing when to call the professionals.
If you ever have questions about how to make business-specific IPM improvements, get in touch with Assured Environments. We’re always happy to help.
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