07/03/2023

If You Want Something Done Right – Do It Yourself!

Dr. Richard Kramer, BCE

I’m not speaking about you or your employees as individuals, but your company and its ability to correct contributing factors to pest problems in a house. I can’t tell you the number of times we’ve spoken to property managers, restaurant owners, and homeowners about conducive conditions and how to correct them. At best, in most cases this resulted in failure to identify all points of entry, incorrect procedures, and improper materials – leaving the issues unresolved. In some cases, other trade professionals were hired to do the job end with the same results.

Eventually we decided to do most of these things ourselves. Granted, expanding our services into atypical pest management practices requires additional technician training, requiring them to do things other than manage pests. Taking on these other tasks often solves the pest issue, makes for a very happy customer, and increases company revenue.

One of the most difficult issues we have dealt with is identifying the source of phorid and drain flies emerging from sub slab areas. The breeding site most likely results from a broken sub slab drain. In the past, we have referred the customer to a plumber for a camera inspection of the drain. Typically, this inspection is limited to the main sub slab drains (returning a finding of no breaks). This inspection fails to look at the connection of the kitchen drains and other smaller drains in the structure. The most common break we have found is at the junction of the sink line and the main drain line. Either drilling several small holes in the slab and forcing smoke into the drain will confirm the breeding is occurring under the slab. While repair of the drain remains with the plumber, oversight of contaminated soil removal should rest with pest management.

Other pest situations where we have found smoking drains to be successful is identifying American cockroach and Norway rat points of entry. We have done this successfully in private residences and as high as 11 stories in commercial office buildings. These investigations have revealed rusted-out pipes, uncapped drain lines, and other openings in drainage systems allowing these pests entry. Short of replacing rusted-out lines, we have corrected these issues with rodent resistant drain plugs and pvc caps. Rubber pipe caps aren’t suitable for preventing rat infestations.

When faced with perpetual drain fly and phorid fly infestations in restaurants, grocery stores, bars, and other facilities with filthy drain issues, we would recommend custodial, or staff, clean the drains – rarely does this work. There is drain cleaning and there is pest-drain cleaning. While there are a variety of biological drain cleaners, in our experience they are good for light build-ups and follow-up treatments, but heavy drain build-ups are best dealt with by physical brush cleanings. This often involves after-hours work, but gets the job done.

Many companies have provided “seek and seal” services for rat, mice, and cockroach infestations. However, often we have found that improper materials were used and were ineffectively installed. Choice of materials is extremely important in keeping mice and rats from chewing through the installed materials. However, what about situations where clutter is the major impediment to effective rodent control? We have sold clutter clean-up and removal services to commercial and residential accounts. This not only removes harborage and food resources, but allows for inspection and implementation of an effective pest management plan.

A few companies have ventured into termite damage repair, and this can be very lucrative work but requires a working knowledge of construction techniques. Often, it’s difficult to assess the full extent of damage until you dig into it - thus it is best to anticipate the worst-case scenario when formulating a bid. Our first attempt at this appeared to be just a rim joist and a few floor joists but turned into framing around a large Palladian window, working with aluminum siding, and cutting PVC trim into an arch. A project grossly underestimated and under bid. It’s a good thing our company was in its infancy, and we didn’t have a lot to do. Lesson learned!  

Carpenter bee work is another area where companies can and should go further. Simply treating the galleries isn’t sufficient. Leaving them open invites reinfestation or occupancy by other pests. Sealing with caulk or wood filler and applying paint or stain as necessary prevents future infestations.

Prior to selling our company we were exploring the possibility of adding insulation removal and replacement to our services. This service removes insulation damaged by animal or pest infestations and provides sanitation for the affected areas. Use of a borate treated insulation helps mitigate insect infestations, such as silverfish, and particularly in older homes increases the R-value in the attic space.   

There are many other opportunities for add-on services that companies have used to increase revenue and provide added customer value. Don’t underestimate your company’s ability to do this type of work. We don’t have to limit ourselves to the mitigation of pests.