I think by now you have figured out I’m really not a sophisticated bug man. I like things simple and one thing I’ve figured out over the years is; “The simpler principles work best.” In Time, #1 of our series I explain the virtues of believing in your treatment and letting it do the work. As long as you’ve put forth the effort- time is your friend. In #2 we talked about distance which is really just the physical work with some thinking behind it. Again nothing complicated. For #3 of our series we’ll dive into the simple once again and explore the principle of shielding which in my experience, frustrates a lot of DIY pest controllers and pros a like.
Shielding Is
Anything that provides protection for an insect is shielding. From excess stucco at the base of a home protecting termites from your spray to a fan or wind that blows your treatment off target. There are so many examples I could use but to illustrate my point we’ll use a simple cabinet drawer with our target being roaches.
Have you ever taken the counter top off of a cabinet or pulled a drawer out and looked inside? If not then I’d ask you to take the cabinet challenge. If you did, you’d see many little hiding spots and places where a cockroach can live insecticide free. Gaps, seams, ledges, hinges, drawer rails, corner supports, dado cuts, false backing, false bottoms, drawer support brackets and pin holes and then of course all the plastic bags or old recipe cards that spilled over and are crammed in the back. All of these places should be considered shields for the average roach job.
All provide easy access and protection but sadly, most are over looked. Treatment doesn’t always mean physically spraying each one of these spots but it should mean at least taking a look. Using the principle of distance you could easily place some bait or a trap in such a confined space and knock out many of these spots at the same time. Of course then you’d be relying on our time principle- funny how these keep intertwining. But if indeed you do spray, dust, bait, whatever and your product can’t reach the roach or vice versa you have shielding and your treatment will be ineffective.
Get Past The Shields
There are really just two ways to get beyond the precious protection. Physically removing, sealing or altering the shield so that it can’t be used by the bug or so your treatment can get to the target. Or, you can have the tools necessary to get through or around the object that 
hinders you. I’d venture a guess and say that 90% of what you’ll need is simple elbow grease and a determination to get in there and get the job done. Sometimes just sticking your head in a spot with a flashlight and an aerosol can do the same if not better job than a $1000.00 ULV (ultra low volume) applicator. Of course there are times when only a specialty tool will do but I have gadgets that I haven’t pulled out or needed in 10 years. Still, when you need em you need em so having a good pest control tool collection is never a bad thing.
Pest control in its least common denominator is just a service. Service requires thoughtful deliberate action and thats it. Applying principles to your actions is the best shield you can have in keeping your business, route and client bug and problem free.
