Retail stores are especially sensitive to the risk of pest infestation. People come in and out all day, every day. The front door is constantly opening and closing. Deliveries come in at regular intervals. Break rooms are never paragons of cleanliness. Storage closets are a breeding ground for the dust and dark corners pests love.

Obviously, there are plenty of ways to mitigate your store’s risk of pest infestation. The best way to do it, however, is to learn to incorporate the strategies of integrated pest management. Here’s everything you should know about IPM, why it works, and how it can work for your business.
 

What is integrated pest management (IPM)?

Integrated pest management is the coordinated use of expert information alongside other available pest control methods. The idea is to monitor, assess, and take action against potential pest threats using environmental markers and other knowledge. With IPM, potentially damaging chemical pesticides aren’t the first line of defense, which makes it more ecologically-friendly than other options.

The other main appeal of IPM is that it’s tailored to work for your situation. Before they get started, IPM-practicing pest control companies collect account-specific information. They get to know your specific facility, pest problem, and needs. Then, they design an action that takes all that information into account. When your action plan is specific instead of generalized, it can do more with less. IPM can focus on prevention more than reactionary measures and achieve more effective and lasting results.
 

Why is IPM especially helpful in a retail environment?

IPM allows you to prevent pest problems before they happen, instead of just reacting after the fact. Reacting to existing pest problems is expensive–in more ways than one. Not only do you lose business while you treat your problem, you could also lose customers and reputation. That’s all before you factor in how much it costs to treat the infestation itself!

With IPM, you can stop pest problems from happening before they happen. Plus, you’ll IPM avoids the use of chemical pesticides unless absolutely necessary. Overall, if you can incorporate IPM into your store, you save money, time, and reputation.
 

How can I integrate IPM principles at my retail store?

Good news: just by learning about IPM, you’ve taken the first step toward incorporating it into your business. The most important thing about IPM is awareness. By thinking about the possibility of pest infestation, you can take steps toward preventing it. Think about where pests might get in and how you could keep them out. Figure out if there’s something in your business attracting pests and remove or fix it. Just by thinking about pests, you’re already more effectively preventing them than you were before.

Your next step should be to establish a relationship with a trusted pest control company. Their experts can assess your store to let you know how to protect your specific environment. Experts can make all kinds of helpful suggestions for you to incorporate. Then, you just have to incorporate these steps and keep thinking about how to prevent pests in the future. Your store will be a pest prevention fortress before you know it!

Would you like to learn more about integrated pest management? Want some help incorporating it into your business? No problem! Just get in touch with Assured Environments. Our professional technicians are available 24/7 to answer your questions and answer your calls.