Commercial pest control can be seen as the management of undesirable animals that intrude into industry. The idea of intruding may be questionable as the animal could well have been happily living there well before commerce entered into the environment. The general idea is sound though and control of these pests requires first an understanding of them and then the appropriate chemical/non chemical treatment.

Both domestic and commercial pest control have the same origin. As people have thrived and populated  many different environments. Certain insects and animals have learned to adapt to human environments and thrive alongside them. Our dwellings, our food and even our bodies are the means of survival for them. A German cockroach would never survive in normal circumstances in Antarctica, but put in a building - heat it and drop a few food scraps of food… now its not out of the question.

Pests can loosely be divided into these categories: structural pests, pests carrying diseases, stored product pests, pests of fabric, biting/stinging or parasite pests and other. These lines are by no means firmly set. One person may consider spiders a pest while another person sees them as beneficial and indeed useful in catching flies etc. But generally pests come under these umbrella terms for one reason or another.

Good commercial pest control should be able to cater for any and all of the above category of pest. A company providing a comprehensive and auditable triple line of defense program that doesn’t then have the time to come out to site to sort a simple wasp nest - is doing something seriously wrong.

A good pest control technician will also use an integrated pest management approach. This term is bandied about a lot and many people don’t seem to know what it actually means. The concept is supposed to mean that first the ecology of the pest is understood. Then steps are taken to make the environment less suitable for the pest without the automatic use of chemicals. Then if needed a chemical solution is used carefully and sensibly.

The other side of good commercial pest control programs is the documentation. A company may be taking all steps to ensure pest control is maintained but to an auditor this will not be visible unless it has been well documented. Programs that are audited often require more than just a written report. Some examples of additional information often required are: pest control maps, activity registers, siting registers, insect counts. In some instances an external auditer may require the pest control company to get an external source (entomologist) to identify pests found on site. The requirements often as specific to the auditor and their company.

None of this should take away from the company that simply wants some baitstations placed and checked for mouse activity from time to time.  In cases where there is no need for a complex answer - simple is best.