[Technically Speaking] Green! Who’s buying it?

I’m not buying it (“green”) and neither are our customers. The majority of pest management customers are interested in one thing — timely pest eradication — and in most cases they don’t care what it takes to accomplish that end; and, furthermore, they don’t care what color it is.

Several months ago I had the opportunity to review the documents required to become QualityPro Green (a program offered by the National Pest Management Association) and I was expecting something different than what I found.  Basically the QualityPro Green program requires that QualityPro companies:

• Employ a comprehensive, environmentally friendly approach when treating a property.
• Investigate the source of the problem — and eliminate it — before applying pesticides.
• Apply pesticides only when necessary.

DÉJÀ VU. Does this sound familiar? It should because this is what we have been touting as Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for the past 20 to 30 years. Just look at the most prominent texts and handbooks in our industry and this approach to pest management is evident throughout all of the pest management recommendations.

In the ‘50s and ‘60s the pest management industry prospered through the use of pesticides and they were the method of choice that provided immediate results. In the ‘70s the industry struggled with stricter regulations over the use of pesticides and the concept of IPM. Since the ‘80s IPM has been the mainstay of pest management in our industry. We don’t need a designer word to ply our trade to the public. As far as “green” goes, the public won’t believe it, they won’t care, and they won’t buy it any more than IPM, which they never understood or appreciated.

EXHIBIT ‘A.’ Recently we put a “green” property on service. This is a commercial apartment building that was built with “green” materials including a grass roof, energy-saving features and other features making them as “green” as they can be. Appreciating what they are trying to do, we put together a pest management program that would meet their needs and selected products that, if needed, were considered “green.” I personally met with the property manager and the technician to make sure we were all on the same page. After a tour of the property and discussions about several ongoing pest problems, the property manager’s parting comment was, despite being “green,” if we have a pest problem I don’t care what you use — fix it!  So much for being green!   

Please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. I wholeheartedly support the three principles of IPM (as outlined in the QualityPro Green program) stated previously and the growth of our company during the past four years is a direct result of our belief in solving pest management problems by eliminating the source. The services we offer our customers extend well beyond pesticide application and these additional services account for approximately 50 percent of our revenue.

SOUND STRATEGIES. There are numerous non-chemical techniques, such as use of traps, vacuums, heat, cold, etc., that in many situations effectively mitigate pests. In addition, there are other IPM strategies that either reduce the need for pesticides or, in some cases, eliminate them:

Rats and Mice

• Interior exclusion involves sealing holes in common walls and floors with Stuf-Fit and foam; using sheet metal to seal larger holes; and installing a drip edge or similar metal along the upper edge of kick plates on base cabinets.  Some of these procedures may require the washer/dryer, dishwasher, refrigerator, and/or stove to be pulled out.
• Exterior exclusion involves sealing all exterior points of entry around pipes, wires, vents, drains, and other wall penetrations. Door sweeps often are installed on entry doors and doors to utility closets and air handler rooms.
• Install hardware cloth or similar materials around decks and other close-to-earth structures that allow rats and other animals to get under them. Install heavy duty metal mesh wire over flower beds, tree beds, and raised flower beds to prevent burrowing.

Cockroaches

• Caulking and sealing to eliminate harborage.
• Sanitation and cleaning inside, under, and around equipment.
• Install screens or other drain covers over dry drains and other drains that allow cockroaches to enter from sewers.

Flies

• Provide drain cleaning and other cleaning services to eliminate breeding sites and attractants for adult flies.
• Seal around windows, doors and other potential entry points for overwintering flies.
• Install or lease light traps to capture adult flies that enter the structure.

Wildlife Pests

• Trap or otherwise remove wildlife from the structure; perform repairs to prevent reentry.

CONCLUSION. I hope at this point in the 21st century that many of us are using these IPM strategies to the maximum extent possible, are reaching for the quick fix less, and are not worried whether we call it green, red, blue, white or black.

What irks me most about being “green” is the implication that many NPMA member companies that have been striving to sell IPM to their customers are now expected to become QualityPro Green. You can label something anyway you want and advertise it — be it QualityPro, QualityPro Schools, or QualityPro Green — but the bottom line is, what do you deliver? More often than I like, I see a wolf in sheep’s clothing. 

The author is president of Innovative Pest Management, Brookeville, Md.