Tackling Tough Roaches Through IPM Strategies

BUGSolutions of Tennessee specializes in multi-family accounts, where shared walls, pipes and common areas enable cockroaches to spread quickly between neighbors. We asked BUGSolutions Operations Manager Michael Clark to answer some of the most common questions PMPs ask about servicing these challenging accounts.

PCT: Is cockroach work a steady source of revenue for your company?

Michael Clark: Absolutely! German cockroaches are one of the biggest issues we deal with. Those accounts sustain our business in the winter months. There’s probably not an apartment complex out there that doesn’t have at least one unit with German roaches, and we service over 1,000 apartment communities. It’s a revenue stream we can depend on.

PCT: What’s different about treating German cockroaches in multi-unit apartments versus in single-family homes?

MC: When we do a cleanout or a basic treatment in a multi-family setting, we need to be very cautious about not driving the cockroaches into surrounding units.

We often use cloverleafing — treating not only the specified unit, but also those above, on each side and below — to ensure some level of protection on all sides of the unit. Doing this kind of treatment allows us to lay eyes on the surrounding units to see where the infestation is coming from, because often the resident who reports the issue isn’t the source. We also look to see if a water source from another unit is bleeding over, because the drains run into one waste pipe, which can contribute to the problem.

PCT: Is your approach different for peridomestic cockroaches?

MC: Yes, although we inspect for and treat all pests when we’re in a unit. We typically focus on kitchens, bathrooms and utility closets for German cockroaches, then we look at areas that might be harboring American or Oriental cockroaches — the areas where pipes come through walls, for example. With peridomestic roaches, it’s often a structural issue that leads to infestation.

For example, many of the complexes we treat are built on slabs, which hold a lot of moisture. Drainage issues, such as a water leak that wasn’t appropriately dried out, can create an ideal harborage area for Oriental cockroaches, which can come in, set up and feed on the organic growth there. We focus on treating the exterior, as well as using a repellent dust around the wall voids. We do not use repellents with German cockroaches, because they tend to just push the pests to neighboring units rather than scaring them away.

PCT: How else might the structure or landscaping of an apartment building contribute to peridomestic infestations?

MC: Multi-story buildings can cast a lot of shadow over certain areas that never get sunlight; that keeps moisture around the foundation, which attracts peridomestics. They also love mulch and the beautification beddings around them, especially when mulch breaks down and piles up — it creates a perfect harborage site for occasional invaders.

We work with property managers to help them understand and stay on top of these conducive issues. For example, we educate them about the importance of ensuring at least an 18-inch border around the building and explain the advantages of using rocks rather than pine straw with mulch.

PCT: How do you work with property managers to access the apartments you need to treat?

MC: The first thing we do when we go into a new account is make sure they understand that we want to work in collaboration with their management and maintenance teams. We assign a dedicated technician, who gets to know the account and keeps good notes in case a different technician would ever need to fill in for them. We give the customer the technician’s cell phone number, so they always have emergency support if they need it.

In complexes where maintenance does quarterly walkthroughs, we ask to go with them, because we know we can kill two birds with one stone: We get a look at everything in the apartments ourselves and we have the management presence with us in case something needs to be addressed with the resident immediately. We let them know, too, that when it’s possible, we like to have a member of the maintenance team go with us to help us get in the door.

We recognize that every property management group is different and has their own rules, so we tailor our approach to the specific situation. Some managers want complaint-only treatments; we call on them once a week and they tell us which units have reported issues. If we need to do a cloverleaf, we let them know which units we need to enter, and they put them on the next week’s list (they have to provide at least a 24-hour notice before entering the unit). Most managers work well with us and have our keys ready for our list when we get there.

Other property managers like for us to do a quarterly rotation. We check a certain number of units a week, making sure we get into each of them at least once a quarter. Sometimes we serve as their eyes into the units, watching for structural problems, sanitation issues and conducive conditions, because they generally don’t get to go in as often as we do.

PCT: What’s the best way ensure long-term management of German cockroaches?

MC: We do a follow-up visit the next week to make sure any gaps and voids we had identified are sealed to prevent issues from recurring. Then we stay on top of the units we’ve treated until there are no more issues. We also partner with the management group to make sure they clean up any dead roaches between treatments, so we can keep an accurate view of what’s going on. Finally, the quarterly rotation service helps us maintain control by serving as a continual preventive treatment.

PCT: What other advice can you offer about treating cockroach infestations in multi-family accounts?

MC: When you’re treating 50 units, it’s easy to get into a flow and just go through the motions, but that’s a mistake. Don’t assume that what worked for one unit will work for the next, because each has its own harborage sites, structural faults and resident lifestyles; you need to take it on a case-by-case basis and think of each unit as individual.

Also, take good notes! Pest control is probably the No. 1 way people get out of their leases, so we need to be on our A-game all the time. We give management a checklist of our policies to share with residents — we don’t treat with pets loose, we don’t open doors, etc. Then, in our notes, we document that the pet was in the kennel, the bedroom door was closed, and anything else about the visit that confirms we completed the service in the best way we could. Write everything down. You can’t over-document.

The author is a frequent PCT contributor.