WHY PEST CONTROL IS SAFER THAN EVER BEFORE

Belinda Smith, CEO of Rapid Solutions, outlines the major changes in pest control safety in recent years. 

In recent years pest control products have become safer for human health than they used to be, due to growing environmental and health awareness in general.

Why have these advances happened? There are many reasons. For one, we’ve learned we aren’t trying to eradicate pests altogether, but rather control where they live so they don’t bother us. Secondly, people are far more aware now than ever before about living healthily and that comes with expectations on pest control products and the way we pest managers use them. Thirdly, we’re upping our game with newer, better, faster methods of dealing with pest biology using a scientific approach.

Jay Turner, one of our Rapid Training trainers and award-winning owner of Laguna Pest Control, explains why the industry is changing.

“We now use lower volumes of pesticide applications than before and take a more targeted approach,” he said, in reference to the fact that urban pest managers are able to use 10% of the quantity of pest control product that was used in the past with positive results.

“We’re getting better at chemistry. We have better tools [products] available to us. We’re getting smarter about taking a targeted approach versus the spray and pray attitude.“

Mr Turner says products are now better targeted to certain pest species rather than being simply broad spectrum. As we learn more about insect biology we’re able to target pest control products toward the biology of the different pests. This means instead of eradicating them, we can control where they live and prevent their movement into unwanted areas.

We know that pest control isn’t just about pesticides. Nowadays we can take the considered approach of baiting and repelling. We can also remove harbourage sites that would otherwise attract unwanted critters.

Mr Turner says that years ago pest managers would have to get customers to empty out the entire contents of their kitchen cupboards. “Then we would come in there and spray the entire kitchen cupboard. Because of our understanding of insect biology and having a targeted approach I haven’t done that in 15 years,” he said.

Staying up to date with industry trends and practices not only ensures you provide a great service to your customers, it helps avoid costly mistakes and accidents that can cause you and your business avoidable cost and stress resolving complaints and claims.

 

Belinda Smith, CEO, Rapid Solutions