Why Pest Control Bait Points must be dated?
1) Checking Rat and Mice Bait Points
Rodenticides and non-toxic monitors use a food base to attract rats and mice – cereal-based in most cases. This means that all baits are prone to degradation by dampness, insects, but also slugs and snails outdoors.
Barcode Systems vs Dated Systems?
Each quality control system has pros and cons:
Barcoded Stickers:
- Fast to scan
- Site visit cannot be completed until all barcodes are scanned
- Compile results automatically
- Slow to setup
- Stickers fade and crack over time
- Technicians must carry replacement stickers and reprogram regularly (time/costs added to the service)
- It is possible for technicians to make copies of the barcodes and scan the duplicates (from their vehicle) instead of the real ones (on-site)!
- Managers/Customers cannot physically check if the control points barcodes have been scanned or not
Manually Dated Stickers:
- Durable vinyl stickers (6+ years)
- Managers/Customers/technicians can physically verify that each control point has been checked
- Very popular with Environmental Health Officers and external Auditors
- Creates a ``service history`` summary at each control point - retrospective control with technician's initials
- Allows accurate performance monitoring (KPI) for each staff member
- Stickers must all be changed at the same time when the calendar is full
- Permanent markers are harder to use on wet days
- Pest activity is manually recorded at each numbered control point
After years of experimenting with the two systems above, it has been determined by Owl’s management that the Manually Dated System offers a much better and reliable service quality, especially on 24/7 sites where customer representatives are not present.
In addition to this system, we rotate technicians on all our sites at each visit, allowing for “an extra pair of eyes” and identifying any internal issue that may arise.
Inefficient or No control measures?
Customers should always request a physical proof that control points are checked regularly and carry out spot-checks. Otherwise, you may experience a pest control programme that is not serving its intended purpose. This is illustrated in the pictures below during random site surveys:
2) Checking Insect Monitoring Bait Points
Insect monitoring devices are little glue boards on which an insect pheromone attractant is added, either directly inside the glue or else on a separate pill that is placed in the middle of the board. Most commercially available pheromone lures will last no more than 8 to 12 weeks in an indoor setting. The glue is also rapidly covered in dust and therefore be ineffective in trapping insects, especially in businesses such as bakeries, were flour is used abundantly.
Each monitor setup date should be clearly indicated on the device, so its lifespan can be established:
- When control points are dated, Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) and Auditors are reassured that all premise areas are checked regularly indoors and outdoors.
- It is also a proof of service which can be used during an inspection if some pest control reports have been misplaced or lost.
Qualified and Fully Licensed Pest Control Technicians
Owl Pest Control Dublin is a member of the NPTA (National Pest Technicians Association), BPCA (British Pest Control Association), IPCA (Irish Pest Control Association), and is actively taking part in the development of the Pest Control Industry in Ireland. Our Technical Staff are licensed by the Department of Agriculture & consist of Filed Biologists, Highly Qualified Pest Control Technicians, Senior technical staff with over 15 years professional experience & qualifications including Postgraduate Degrees; Cork University, RSPH, BPCA, IPCA, Kilgerm & HACCP diploma
