Common stinging insects - commercial pests in New York

When stinging insects infest your place of business, you face a problem with the potential to seriously impact your bottom line. Bees, wasps, hornets and yellow jackets can become a real problem for employees, tenants and customers. Some of the more aggressive species can become downright dangerous. A disturbed nest could trigger a swarm of thousands of individual insects. More common are everyday nuisances. Hives near store doors, will drive customers away. Bees and wasps within work spaces disrupt employees. A serious infestation can be grounds for a tenant to break a lease or get rent abatement. Commercial real estate managers need to take stinging insects seriously. Don't be tempted to take on bees and wasps on your own. While employees cowering from bees in the lunch room may make you want to break out a can of insecticide and start spraying, don't do it for the following reasons: 1) It is illegal in New York (and most other states) for a non-licensed person to treat any kind of insect or rodent pest in a commercial building. 2) Training is what gives the professional the knowledge to choose the treatment appropriate to the specific pest. The right product needs to be applied the right way at the right time in the right place. Used properly, pest control methods are not risky for pets or people. Misuse, however, can cause serious harm. 3) Stinging insects are particularly difficult to treat on your own. You run the risk of getting stung - or provoking a swarm attack. Common sprays kill the individuals you see, but rarely impact the entire nest. And if you don't stop the problem at its root and close off nesting sites and access, the hive can return. It is imperative to get professional help when dealing with stinging insects in a commercial environment. To make sure you find competent help here are some key things to look for: 1) Accreditation by the Better Business Bureau means the company has met certain standards of trustworthiness, with validated truth of claims, record of honoring promises, responsiveness to customers, and safeguarding the privacy of customer data. 2) State certificates are up to date and complete. 3) Companies that have more than the minimum certification. Ratings like Quality Pro by the National Pest Management Association are earned by a small fraction of providers who have gone the extra mile in hiring and employee screening, environmental stewardship, and most importantly, comprehensive training. 4) Green pest management certification and a use of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach. IPM is an environmentally sensitive philosophy that makes use of a variety of tools in combination to maximize effectiveness and minimize impact on people. 5) Availability of a comprehensive 12 month service contract. If you have one kind of pest, you are likely to have others. A service contract often pays for itself in finding and eliminating pests before they grow into big problems. Arthur Katz is CEO of Knockout Pest Control, Uniondale, N.Y.