Condo Media - September 2012 - 25

“triangle of life.” With this in mind, a PMP starts the inspection on the exterior of the building, including the garage, yard and/or common area to determine if there are potential harborage sites in the area, standing water or consistently wet locations and/or sources of food. Most pests prefer to nest in hidden, secluded areas such as spaces behind stored items, in dense vegetation or under low-profile decks. Conducive areas such as these are even more prone to problems if food and water sources are nearby. Once discovered, removing or minimizing potential harborage sites, as well as food and water sources outside a building, is an essential first step in any IPM program. Common Exterior Harborage Sites • Areas with tall grass • Under or near dumpsters • Inside rock walls • Under heavy, thick vegetation (such as ornamental bushes) • Near bird feeders • Inside infrequently used structures (such as sheds or utility buildings) • Under or behind stored items • Under decks

entry points should be fixed or sealed for maximum protection. Common Routes of Entry • Torn window screens • Worn or damaged door sweeps (often found on garage doors) • Attic vent screens • Utility entry points • Branches that touch the building • Cracks in the foundation

IPM Tips for Inside Your Home
• Inspect every room thoroughly. • Seal or repair holes and gaps around wire and plumbing, cracks in foundation and broken windows. • Install a tight-fitting weather strip around bulkhead door. • Control moisture: Fix leaky pipes and ensure proper ventilation. • Inspect food products regularly for signs of pests. • Store food products, including pet food and birdseed, in well-sealed, tamper-resistant containers and avoid storing large quantities of food. • Keep your home free of clutter. • Vacuum frequently. • Cover vents with fine mesh screening.

IPM Best Practice: Inspect the Interior
Now that exterior harborage and entry potential have been reduced, it’s time to sit back and relax, right? Well, no: The battle has really just begun. Next, the PMP takes a close look at the interior, with the same principles used during inspection of the exterior. Again, the focus needs to be on food, water and harborage. With a flashlight in hand, the PMP will start the assessment at one end of the interior space and work toward the opposite end to ensure a thorough, quality inspection. Skipping around from room to room increases the odds of overlooking something important. • Basement Inspection In buildings with a basement, the PMP will take exclusionary steps along the sill. This is an area through which many utilities pass, offering abundant opportunity for pests to enter. Gaps around wire and plumbing entry holes should be sealed. Any other potential entry points such as cracks in the foundation or broken windows will need to be sealed or repaired. A particularly vulnerable area in some buildings is a bulkhead door. Installing a tight-fitting weather strip all the way around the bulkhead door is an effective strategy. As entry points are sought out in the basement, the PMP also looks for any evidence of leaky pipes. Moisture in a building is very attractive to pests, so all plumbing issues need to be addressed. Moisture can be a problem even in buildings with no

IPM Best Practice: Seal Entry Points
The next step in the IPM process is to consider how pests can enter buildings and then prevent them from doing so. A thorough inspection of the building by a PMP is required in order to determine weak spots in the structure’s defenses. Particular attention is paid to the foundation, door/window frames, vents and utility entries, such as the space around the oil-filling pipe. Possible entry points should be sealed where appropriate. Effective exclusionary materials used by PMPs include caulk, copper mesh, hardware cloth and canned foam insulation. Insects and rodents require amazingly small entry points; in fact, mice only need one-quarter inch of space to crawl through, so the smallest

CONDO MEDIA • SEPTEMBER 2012

Condo Media - September 2012

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