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Step 4: Record
Keeping
Why Keep Records?
Sound
decision-making in IPM must be based on the best available information
on pest activity and pest-conducive conditions, and on the success of
previous control measures. IPM relies upon data collected through monitoring
and inspection to determine the need for control measures.
In IPM programs, the pest manager
keeps records on:
• Pests that are encountered
• Control strategies used (including pesticides and non-chemical
controls)
• The effectiveness of control methods
Besides providing a scientific
basis for decision-making, records contain information to help the pest
manager evaluate the effectiveness of particular control actions and assess
the need for follow-up action. Also, records maintained during previous
years can help in planning monitoring and scouting strategies in the following
year.
When they combine information
about pesticide applications with data on pest activity levels, pest managers
can assess the success and duration of pest suppression. This information
can inform future pest management decisions.
What Records Should
Pest Managers Keep?
Depending
on the system, pest managers will maintain the following types of IPM
records:
• Inspection reports
• Pest sighting logs
• Pest monitoring logs
• Pest control action logs/service reports
• Pesticide application records
Inspection reports
Pest managers use inspection
reports to document thorough site inspections and to communicate
the presence of pests or pest-conducive conditions to the client.
In many cases, inspection reports include specific corrective recommendations.
Pest managers commonly use inspection reports in structural pest
control and in evaluation of lawns and landscapes associated with
structures. They generally conduct detailed inspections at the start
of an IPM program and ongoing inspections routinely throughout the
program.
The inspection report
is a thorough, room-by-room or plant-by-plant assessment of the
building, landscape, or other site being evaluated. It differs from
the pest control action log (discussed below), which is a brief
summary of inspection findings combined with data from pest monitors,
sighting logs, interviews and other sources.
Example of inspection
report
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Pest
sighting log
The pest sighting log
is a useful tool in structural IPM programs, particularly in schools,
hospitals, nursing homes, and industrial settings. The pest sighting
log is simply a record of pest sightings made by building occupants.
Entries note the:
Date |
Pest(s)
encountered |
Location
of the sighting
(as precisely as possible) |
Pest sighting logs are
kept in a convenient location and consulted by pest managers during
routine inspections.
The pest sighting log
gives the pest manager specific problem areas to follow-up on and
ensures ongoing communication between clients and the pest control
professional. More important, it involves building residents in
the process of pest control, the first step toward educating them
about how their daily practices influence pest populations.
Example
pext sighting log |
Pest monitoring log
Monitoring is an important
part of any IPM program. A pest monitoring log is a simple record
of the number and type of pests encountered by the pest manager
during scouting or routine inspections. Monitoring logs serve both
a preventative and an evaluative role in the IPM program.
They are preventive because
information obtained through monitoring can indicate the need for
an immediate control action. They are evaluative becuase a review
of long-term records reveals general trends in pest populations
that can be used to evaluate the success of specific control measures
or the success of the IPM program in general.
Example pest monitoring
log
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Pest control action log/service report
It is standard practice
among commercial pest control services for the pest manager to provide
a service report to the client that describes the action performed
and the cost of the service. In traditional, pesticide-based programs,
this report indicates the pesticide that was applied and often serves
as an invoice.
In IPM programs, the
service report is expanded to include:
• Information about
the pest species encountered
• Documentation of pest-conducive conditions
• Non-chemical control recommendations, such as repairing
leaks or removing clutter
For IPM to be successful,
the pest manager and the client must develop a true partnership.
The pest control action log is a vital link in this partnership.
It allows the pest manager to inform the client about current pest
activity and conditions that may lead to pest infestations. The
log can be designed in any number of ways, as long as it describes:
• Current pest
activity (based on monitors, traps, sighting logs, client communication,
and inspection)
• Traps or monitoring devices installed
• Services performed to alleviate pest problems (including
pesticide applications)
• Specific details of any pesticide application (including
the formulation, the application rate, and the time, date, and location
of the treatment)
• Recommendations for the client to eliminate pest-conducive
conditions
For IPM success, the
client must do his or her part by:
•
Cleaning
• Removing clutter
• Repairing leaks
• Sealing cracks
• Taking other recommended actions
However, although it is an important tool, the pest control action
log should not replace ongoing verbal communication between the
pest manager and the client.
Example
pest control action log
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Pesticide application records
Specific types of documentation
related to pesticide use are legally required in some states. In
most cases, records such as the following must be maintained for
a specified amount of time:
• The pesticide
applied (brand name and active ingredient)
• The EPA registration number
• The formulation
• The rate of application
• The location of application
• The time and date of application
For pesticide applications
made in a school, hospital, or other sensitive environment, it is
a good idea (and in some states, a legal requirement) for the pest
manager to provide the client with a copy of the EPA pesticide label
and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). Pesticide applicators, landscape
managers, and facility managers should consult federal, state, and
local regulations with regard to pesticide application records to
assure that they in compliance with all legal requirements
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