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Is a monthly every door apartment pest control service required to achieve roach control in an apartment building? The answer is both yes and no.
To answer that question you have to define what an apartment pest control service is.
If you ask the tenant, maintenance manager or property manager what a pest control service is most would tell you spray.
If I asked what they want in a pest control service they would all say to come and spray monthly.
My number one request buy a customer calling on the phone is “I need you to come and spray my house for bugs”.
My question is how is that working for you?
Apartment Pest Control Studies
An every door monthly baseboard spray service in a multi-unit is not going to prevent nor control any pest problem, especially a German or American roach infestation.
The fact that every study ever performed shows that a monthly every door spray service does little to control pests. This is backed by every major university study by every entomologist, manufacturer and experienced professional pest control technician.
Cost and Efficacy Comparison of Integrated Pest Management Strategies with Monthly Spray Insecticide Applications for German Cockroach (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae) Control in Public Housing.
Abstract
The long-term costs and efficacy of two treatment methodologies for German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), control were compared in the public housing environment. The “traditional” treatment for German cockroaches consisted of monthly baseboard and crack and crevice treatment (TBCC) by using spray and dust formulation insecticides.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15154482
Cost and Effectiveness of Community-Wide Integrated Pest Management for German Cockroach, Cockroach Allergen, and Insecticide Use Reduction in Low-Income Housing
Abstract
ABSTRACT Many low-income housing units in the United States continue to have chronic German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), infestations and high prevalence of cockroach allergens despite the availability of highly effective cockroach control products. Several studies have demonstrated the greater effectiveness of integrated pest management (IPM) compared with routine chemical interventions in apartment buildings and the beneÞt of cockroach allergen reduction using IPM. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/5e40/e640f9b5a428f83db129f2a36307965d7605.pdf
Unless you are treating where they are actually living, cracks crevices and voids.
The question then becomes if you are treating every unit how much time can you invest in or how much are they paying or willing to pay for you to take the time it really requires to inspect and perform the right type of service.
Are they paying for 1 minute of work per unit or 15.
What is the labor rate in your are $65 or $165 per hour
Are they paying $1 per unit or $8
What does the monthly service include?
Inspection of the unit this may be 1 to 5 minutes, depending upon if you have to just inspect with a light or inspect just the monitors.
If you see evidence of roaches in an outlet are you going to open 5 outlets and inspect them and treat them all or will you have to ignore it.
Is it spray only? Or does it include gel, dusts, granular baits, insect growth regulators.
Will this include exclusion is exclusion already in place, will maintenance perform the exclusion sealing with foam all the kitchen and baths to stop pests from walking into those units from other units.
We can do a complete German roach service to kitchen and bath in the average apartment that includes.
Roach gel bait in every cabinet.
Treat wall and cabinet voids with cimexa dust.
Seal wall voids with foam.
Treat every appliance with Avert
Pull open every outlet typically 3 to 5 and treat with Avert and Gel
IGR & Alpine WSG crack, crevice, treat behind stove, fridge and dish washer.
In Both Kitchen and one Bath in 20 Minutes Flat, providing infestation is isolated to kitchens and baths.
That is a more complete and intense than they will ever get in 24 months of standard service and it will control most problems in one shot.
Here is the problem its $41.66 per unit at $125 an hour.
If you have a 100 unit apartment complex what percentage of the units have a problem.
Are they willing on focusing 20 minutes on those units to actually control the problem and only completely treat 25% of the units per month for one year and then only doing a third of the units on a monthly basis that means you only perform a service on a quarterly basis, where you then spend 8 minutes per unit inspecting and treating appropriately to achieve real control.
How about the common areas?
Trash bins, trash rooms, and trash shuts are you treating them with foam DSV and Nibor D to deal with odors, flies and roaches.
Mulched or heavily vegetated areas.
Elevator Shafts
