Sticky Sticky Sticky

Use of glue boards to trap stinging insects is really catching on at homes and sensitive accounts such as schools and churches.

For most insect accounts, the best time to treat is in the evening, when most of the colony have finished their daily foraging and are in for the night.

However, this is rarely the preferred time to schedule technicians, especially after a full day on the job. It also means that the customer, expecting to have the problem taken care of on the spot, usually has to wait until after sundown for results.

But, there may be a better way - a method that speeds up both technician productivity and customer satisfaction in one fell swoop, and can be done in broad daylight.

Glue boards are commonly used for rodent accounts, but recently they have also been found to work as a handy treatment method for insects, such as wasps and bees. The nest itself, is treated for populations already inside and glue boards utilised to catch foragers upon their return.

In addition to timely treatment, the glue boards are also a great tool when nests are hidden from view. With Superman's X-ray vision not yet available to the commercial market, pest control technicians have to get creative when trying to get to sources.

Placing the glue boards to potentially catch what otherwise couldn't be reached is a matter of common sense. Wall voids are a perfect example. Holes in the walls can be sealed to prevent access, however more often than not, the bees work around it finding new entrances or entering the home directly, making matters worse.

Even though you can't see some nests, you can just slide up these glue boards on either side of the holes. By sticking them together, allowing a slight overlap, one long train of glue boards can be effectively positioned around the nest area. A couple of days later, when the pest control officer returns to the account, the whole line of glue boards can be safely removed.

The glue boards are just as helpful outdoors, helping capture insects under vinyl siding. By placing the glue boards every 4 inches in the corrugation of the soffets, you can catch most bugs as they enter and exit the roof. The boards fit really well and can protect small areas of your home relatively cheaply.

While glue boards are a classic tool in the integrated pest management (IPM) toolbox, they are much easier and less expensive to use than one might expect. It only takes one or two technicians to handle the glue board placements, which can then be left to the home and business owners to remove a few days later, following instructions on what to do, where and when.

The glue board technique has also helped solve the problem of treating for insects around stone wells, where chemicals are not an option.

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