Condo Media - March 2021 - 20

PEST Control POinters
SPRING AWAKENINGS
Drapeau describes the kind of careful
inspection, monitoring, and remediation
that is at the heart of IPM, but first mentions issues likely to crop up in spring
in the New England area, saying, " In
springtime, one of our primary concerns
is babies. " That's when expectant female
rodents seeking harborage for themselves and their litters are looking for
an opening - literally.
It's therefore not uncommon for a female raccoon who enters a condo building, for example, through a vent, to have
her litter, then travel once inside the
structure; mice, however, are more likely
to head for the basement. Most common
in New England is the white-footed
mouse (also known as field mice or deer
mice). While squirrels - grey, red, and
flying - generally build their nests high
up in trees, they can, if given the chance,
make a home in your attic, where they
may gnaw away at electrical lines and
insulation and leave droppings, which
can contain ringworm. The rat most likely to appear in spring in New England,
says Drapeau, is the Norway rat, which
may be found burrowing in piles of
garbage and under concrete slabs.
While chipmunks don't do as much
damage as other rodents, they, too, are a
nuisance that may crop up in the spring.
What insects are seeking after the
snow melts is moisture, which is commonly found where there is water or the
debris that holds it, like piles of leaves,
trash, or grass clippings that can collect under decks, in gutters, or around
building foundations. Among them are
structural pests like carpenter ants and
termites, as well as the spiders that prey

upon them, and the centipedes that
prey upon them all. Also, more dominant as summer closes in are stingers
like hornets and wasps, and the dreaded
bed bugs, which can enter via the exterior of heat and cooling systems but can
migrate within it from one interior unit
to the next. Cockroaches, too, are likely
to become more pesky than normal as
the warm weather sets in.
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT
Drapeau says the key to getting ahead of
pest problems starts with a-boots-onthe ground (or at higher elevations, such
as attics) inspection by one trained in
the patterns and proclivities of opportunistic would-be invaders. Drapeau calls
regular inspections " the cornerstone
of effective IPM, " which the National
Pesticide Information describes as
" a combination of common sense and
scientific principles " that, among other
things, values " using knowledge about
the pest's habits, life cycle, needs, and
dislikes " and " setting a threshold to
decide when it's time to act. "
IPM IN NEW ENGLAND
As defined in the Massachusetts law
mentioned below, " Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) [is] a comprehensive strategy of pest control whose
major objective is to achieve desired
levels of pest control in an environmentally responsible manner by combining
multiple pest control measures to reduce the need for reliance on chemical
pesticides; more specifically, a combination of pest controls which addresses
conditions that support pests and may
include, but is not limited to, the use

of monitoring techniques to determine
immediate and ongoing need for pest
control, increased sanitation, physical
barrier methods, the use of natural pest
enemies, and a judicious use of lowestrisk pesticides when necessary. " (see
sidebar, " IPM: Coming to Terms " )
The IPM approach, says Drapeau,
is not just safer and more humane, it's
mandated in schools by the Environmental Protection Agency, required for
QualityPro accreditation by the New
England Pest Management Association,
and required by law in Massachusetts,
where the Children's Protection Act,
Chapter 85 of the Acts of 2000 compels
schools, day care centers, and school-age
child care programs to implement pest
management strategies that minimize
the risks to children from exposure to
pesticides in school settings.
l Taking Stock of the Situation:
The Inspection
Drapeau says at different times of year,
these inspections focus on different
issues, but says all seek to prevent
insects and rodents from successfully
reaching their food source. He says
whoever conducts the inspection -
be it a professional from a pest management company like his or someone
at the property who is trained for the
task - the goal is to identify not just
the existence of a pest problem but the
conditions that likely caused them.
" It doesn't take a rocket scientist to
identify some of these things. As we're
walking around, we're always looking
for openings, any kind of breach in the
wall - for example, if there's an electrical closet at the end of a building, it's

Protecting People, Too, Pandemic or No
WHILE THE PANDEMIC CONTINUES
TO THREATEN the health of those
who provide and receive services of
all kinds, including pest management,
the rules of engagement are familiar:
providers should be regularly tested
for the coronavirus, arrive wearing
masks, and keep their distance.

20

CONDOMEDIA March 2021

Drapeau says his own technicians are
tested daily and they ask the humans
they encounter face to face (masked,
of course) to fill out a questionnaire,
such as is now commonly required
in the offices of health providers,
on potential exposure and current
health status.

Pest control management companies
should also be able to provide reassurance
to customers that technicians are who
they say they are. The technician should
therefore arrive at the planned appointment time, verified by text or phone call,
with a service order with their picture,
wearing a company uniform.
Condo Media - March 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Condo Media - March 2021
