What is a Pest Control Inspection?
A pest control inspection is a procedure carried on by licensed individuals to perform inspections on building structures to determine pest activity and identify causes of infestation. This procedure also aims to foresee areas that are most likely to be root causes of pests.
The hot spots of pests act as their breeding ground. These destructive species will multiply exponentially and lead to damage to property that is expensive, irreparable, or both. Performing regular pest inspections and maintenance will effectively keep out unwanted guests such as termites, ants, cockroaches, and more.
Who is Responsible for Pest Control?
Residential and building owners can schedule pest control at their own leisure. However, this is a necessary process for a property that is marketed to potential buyers or lessees. Landowners won’t be able to sell a property with present problems while landlords are required to maintain it, both of them have to make sure that the place is safe and livable for future occupants. They are legally responsible for efforts such as pest control.
It’s best to conduct regular pest control inspections knowing how destructive pests are and that any damages to the building structure have a negative effect on the value of the property.
The Spurt of Pest Control Inspection Services
Pest control inspections have always been vital to property owners from residential communities and commercial spaces. Homeowners hire the services of professional pest control inspectors to keep rodents and insects at bay and ensure that their homes are safe and healthy, corporate office property managers schedule regular pest control inspections to minimize the potential of employees acquiring pest-borne diseases and physical assets being damaged, and food manufacturers implement an integrated pest management approach to avoid contamination of food products and, ultimately, protect consumers.
With the pest control industry making $13.68 billion in revenue in 2019 and with an expected growth of 4-5% annually, it’s beneficial for pest control inspection firms to take a step back, identify current challenges, and look for opportunities that can help improve workflow efficiency and ride the industry’s momentum.
How to Conduct a Thorough Pest Control Inspection
Performing pest inspections entail checking numerous areas of a property (e.g., perimeter, basement, indoor areas, etc). It is important not to miss any spot to avoid re-inspection. Complete and accurate inspection reports are vital for pest inspections, to be able to provide the right solution. Below are some best practices you can apply to help ensure property owners have good pest inspection reports:
- Have tools ready
To perform a pest inspection you’ll need a few tools. Items such as flashlights, flushing agents or aerosols, magnifying glass, and a pen and paper to record your findings during the inspection. - Get down low
In doing inspections especially indoors, it is helpful to get down low on your hands and knees with a flashlight to get a better look at the area for damages that could be a sign of pest activity. - Take photo evidence
Photos are a great way to illustrate issues or problem areas in reports. Take or attach photos during the inspection and attach it to your reports. Inspectors will then take a look and examine and come up with recommendations to help solve the issue depicted in the photo. - Use a digital checklist
A digital pest control checklist can serve as a guide when performing inspections. It helps you keep track of areas or items you need to check. Using a digital checklist gives you the efficiency of using your mobile or phone device in performing inspections for faster completion of inspection and collation of data; avoid losing paper reports.
Pest Control Software: 4 Ways It Can Boost Your Business
Technology has played a crucial role in helping businesses from all industries transform the way they do business—and pest control inspection services are no exception. Digital technology has significantly changed the everyday workflow of pest control inspectors, leading to the improvement of many processes.
One of the most game-changing investments for pest inspection firms has been the acquisition and integration of pest control software. With the advantages that this robust tool offers, there is no wonder why many companies have adapted and equipped pest control inspectors with this technology.
Keen to know how pest control business software can make an impact on your operations? Here are 4 ways it can provide that boost:
1. Productive Inspectors are Happy Inspectors
To help keep inspectors happy, opportunities to free up their time should be identified so they can provide quality service to more clients. With pest control software, there’s a big opportunity to provide just that.
The pest control software can help streamline inspection tasks, such as job scheduling, report generation, and assignment of action items. This automation saves inspectors precious time and eliminates the need to go back to the office to collate information; instead, they can use this time to thoroughly discuss findings with clients and build rapport.
With SafetyCulture (formerly iAuditor), you can also combine the power of pest control software with employee training through Training, which can provide continual training and development opportunities through snack-sized video lessons. With this set of opportunities for improvement, you can keep inspectors satisfied in the long run.
2. Make Standardization Easy
Best practices in pest control inspection continually evolve, and with that comes the cumbersome practice of updating and reprinting inspection forms. Digital forms, such as pest control inspection checklists and work orders, can be built via the pest control software; this can make standardization of inspection templates more convenient as you’ll only need to update and publish a common template to get everyone on the same paperless page. By reducing the risk of inconsistency, you can rest assured that all pest control inspections for all clients are standardized.
3. Distinguish Your Business by “Going green”
Like it or not, prospective clients are concerned about how “green” your pest control service is. From the pesticides and herbicides used to your backend processes, eco-conscious customers will investigate how you practice green pest control. With pest control business software, you can have that competitive advantage and let clients know that you have gone paperless and made efforts to minimize the impact on the environment.
4. Strengthen Preventive Efforts With Improved Data Management
When it comes to preventative pest management, a strong foundation for data collection and recordkeeping is vital. Pest control software transforms your inspection data into insightful information. You can easily gather details, such as the seasonality of pests and the most common causes of pest infestations. You can then utilize this knowledge and use the pest control scheduling software to set appointments with clients for the implementation of preventive measures.
Technology is rapidly changing the pest control industry; with pest control software, you can ensure that your business does not get left behind. It helps you be more efficient in conducting pest control inspections, responding to business insights, and utilizing information to improve the quality of service—resulting in customer satisfaction and retention.
