Part 1 – Pest Pressure Outlook
What can clients expect to happen with their pest control programs in 2022? Will pest pressure increase? Will there be a greater appreciation for the value pest management services by clients? Will service methods change?
Sprague’s regional managers – Lance Gray, Shane Hartnett and Jared Wallace who have decades of experience preventing and eliminating pests from an array of commercial accounts across the Western United States – offered their insights into what 2022 will look like and what was learned in 2021.
In the first of a two-part series, we asked our pest experts what they anticipated when it came to pest pressure in and around commercial properties in 2022. What did the crystal ball reveal?
Will Pest Pressures Rise?
Jared Wallace
Regional Manager
Eastern Washington, Idaho, Colorado and Utah
Pest pressures will be on the rise as the hospitality industry returns to welcoming guests and hosting meetings. Cockroach and fly activity will pick up as more food waste – a primary attractant for both pests – will be generated.
What can clients expect to happen with their pest control programs in 2022? Will pest pressure increase? Will there be a greater appreciation for the value pest management services by clients? Will service methods change?
We could also see another surge in bed bug activity as hotel occupancy rates increase. Bed bug pressure all but went away during the pandemic but with people traveling more for leisure and work, we see an uptick in activity. The high volume of holiday travel this season could also spur additional bed bug activity, and we know bed bugs are highly mobile pests.
For office buildings the hybrid work model has proven successful but as workers spend more days in the office we’ll see increased ant, cockroach and rodent activity. The same would apply to retail outlets.
Lance Gray
Regional Manager
Oregon, California, Nevada and Arizona
The back log of shipping containers up and down the West Coast could lead to pests, some that we haven’t seen before, being brought into commercial properties in packaging or food. Stored products pests in shipments of grain and seed can be introduced into the food processing or distribution system and can lead to serious issues.
The pressure to get products and materials off the docks could lead to the inspection process being rushed and signs of pests missed. Unfortunately, we won’t find out about it until the spring and summer when warm temperatures arrive, and conditions are more conducive for pests.
Roof rats will continue to be a challenge and we’ll see an uptick in bed bug pressure in the property management and hospitality markets.
Weather conditions and human behavior will continue to impact pests pressure levels. While clients can’t control the weather, they can help themselves by following through with sanitation, cleaning, exclusion and property maintenance protocols to reduce the pest threat.
Shane Hartnett
Regional Manager
Washington, Oregon
The colder temperatures and snowfall we received in the Pacific Northwest will increase rodent pressure in and around commercial properties to start the year as they look for a warm location to ride out the winter. Pest activity on the exterior of commercial properties will experience a decrease in the first quarter but if there is a warm, wet spring we’ll see a rapid rise in pest pressure come summer.
Pest populations have been consistent over the past few years even during lockdowns. In some instances, we’ve seen an uptick in pest pressure since they were left unchecked inside commercial properties when service was suspended or cutback. As business and travel activity returns to normal levels in 2022, we’ll see pest pressures grow in commercial properties including hotels, office buildings and multi-family housing.
Discover The Sprague Difference
If you are looking for an innovative pest management service provider for your commercial property, connect with the Sprague pest management experts at 800.272.4988.