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Certain businesses are more susceptible and sensitive to the need for pest control. Businesses in particular need of safe pest control services include Food Service, Hospitality, Property Management, Food and Beverage Processing, Schools, Healthcare Facilities, Government Agencies, Retail Shops, and much more.

Whether you are just starting out or have been running your business for some time, the reality is that you probably want to spend as little time as possible thinking about pest control. Not only does your business need regular commercial pest inspections, but many steps must be taken to ensure freedom from pests—always in conjunction with health and safety practices.

Implementing an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program allows you to focus on running your business. This means that you can get back to work knowing that your pest control needs are taken care of by a commercial pest control service who can specifically design plan that’s right for your business. Saving you valuable time and money in the process.

Introducing Integrated Pest Management

Perfect for businesses that need to minimize their exposure to pest control chemicals, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) works to control pests in a sustainable manner. IPM begins with methods that come with the fewest risks first, emphasizing pest management strategies which are safe for humans and for the earth. Integrated Pest Management works to safeguard our health, our food, and the environment by combining physical, biological, cultural, mechanical, and possibly chemical tools in order to achieve the best results and minimize harm.

Read More: What is Integrated Pest Management Service?

What are the Five Steps for Introducing IPM to Businesses?

When implementing an IPM in a new business location, five steps should be included in the process: Inspection, Monitoring, Assessment, Treatment, and Evaluation. Cypress Creek Pest Control works with clients to design IPM programs around the specific needs of the business using these steps.

1. Inspection. The first step in determining the IPM needs of a business, a commercial pest control expert will inspect the location. This visit will include noting any pre-existing damage from pests as well as looking for other evidence of pests on the site.

2. Monitoring. Necessary for determining if preventative actions need to be taken, monitoring options and frequency will be agreed upon with the business owner or representative. This process may need to be repeated before findings are conclusive, even if no pests are found on the first try.

3. Assessment. Once the monitoring process is completed, an assessment is formed to include any findings of pest presence and damage that may have been discovered. Every effort will be made to identify the specific breed of pest and determine the most effective, but least invasive, solution.

4. Treatment. Beginning with the lowest risk treatments, this stage of the process may include various steps such as disruption of habitat, sanitation efforts, biological controls that use a pest’s natural enemies, or mechanical controls such as glue traps.

Once it is determined that a business has need for pest treatment, pest control professionals use their expertise to create the safest plan possible. Making every effort to avoid the use of chemicals until it is absolutely necessary, an IPM program may include many different solutions as a response to the discovery of pests. These responses may include:

• Improved Maintenance. The appearance of pests may indicate that changes need to be made to a physical area in order to remove breeding grounds and food sources. This may mean removing standing water or changing the place where garbage is collected.
• Staff Education. Communication with staff and appropriate policies are critical for ensuring pest control. This may mean improvement of cleaning duties, limiting food to certain areas of a building, or changing the way that garbage and trash are disposed of.
• Physical Control. In some cases, it may be necessary to set traps for rodents, with the first choice being pheromone traps that are less dangerous to the surrounding area.
• Chemical Solutions. As a final option, chemical control may be needed but non-toxic, safer options are always considered first when using Integrated Pest Management. Cypress Creek Pest Control always adheres to the San Francisco Reduced Risk Chemical list when chemicals are necessary.

5. Evaluation. Once the treatment has been completed (and this may need to be in several stages, an evaluation will be performed to determine the effectiveness of the treatment. If the pests remain, a more severe form of treatment may be required until they are completely eliminated.
Once the cycle of these five steps has been completed, follow up will be necessary to continue maintaining a pest-free environment into the future. Cypress Creek Pest Control meets the Integrated Pest Management needs of various types of businesses in the Houston area.