The other day I was called out to a regular client for ‘inch worms’ that really just turned out to be Indian meal moths. That was fine, this happens a lot but while I was there we decided to do her regular service which she was due for in about a week. The tech who normally runs the area is a fine man and does a great job but my customer did have one request. She asked if we not dust the around the kitchen anymore because she constantly has to clean up the white powder whenever we do. This of course alarmed me and I wanted to get to the bottom of this quickly to make sure we did not continue this for her or any other customer. What I found was a common mistake that can be avoided in just few seconds with a flashlight and being willing to poke your nose into a cabinet. I invite you to watch this short presentation and see first hand what this customer experienced and maybe the tips and information will keep you from making the same mistake.
It’s a common practice to puff dust in voids, cracks or gaps in walls or cabinetry. Dusts fill the area quite nicely and the residual is such that you can leave that spot alone for months and know that your barrier is still there working to kill any bugs who dare venture in. It seems like a very safe way to apply pest control since it’s going to a secure place where no one can get to it so many techs happily seek out these voids to treat. In the majority of placements it’s as safe as it gets and most clients appreciate the attention to detail. Some voids however are not so secure and applying dusts that float around in a plume will land on non target objects and contaminate food or other stored items.
Alaways take care to investigate any area you’re treating even if you’ve done spots like these 1000 times before. No two houses are exactly the same and while dusts can be cleaned up it still smacks of unprofessionalism and chips away at the trust you’ve worked so hard to build up. Dust carefully, dust often and kill more bugs.
