in an open doorway with a strip of paper in your hand. If the paper blows away from the building, then you have positive airflow, which will help blow pests out the door. On the other hand, if the paper blows inward when you open the door, then you have negative airflow, which could actually be pulling flying pests into your building. Work with a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) professional to correct any ventilation issues. Consider installing an air curtain — two fans facing each other on either side of a doorway — which will create a current that flying pests may find difficult to penetrate. Waste Dumpsters and other waste disposal areas are a haven for pests. Oftentimes, this is the first stop for pests looking for food and they can soon be lured into your nearby building by the emanating heat and odors. To help prevent pests from getting too close, place dumpsters away from your building and don’t let waste accumulate near back entrances. Work with your waste management com-pany to clean and rotate dumpsters fre-quently, which will discourage pests from harboring in the dumpster. While prevention is your best defense, clever pests can sometimes outdo your best efforts. Here are some tips on how to spot a win-tertime infestation: Droppings: A strong indicator of an infestation is visible droppings, which are about the size of a grain of rice for mice and about the size of a raisin for rats; insect droppings are far smaller, but still visible Gnaw marks: Rodents are always gnawing, and since rodents can squeeze through small openings, look for holes that appear to be chewed or gnawed Rub markings: Look for any greasy markings on walls inside your struc-ture that indicate a rodent is regularly traveling along the same path, as rodents feel protected when they can crawl along a wall Cast skins: Cockroaches and other insects leave behind their exoskele-tons as they mature and molt Live or dead pests: The best evi-dence is spotting an actual pest. Use glue boards and insect light traps to monitor for pests. While winter can be long and cold, it does not have to be marred by a pest infestation. Work with your pest management profes-sional to implement an integrated pest management (IPM) program that encom-passes prevention and monitoring. Soon enough it will be spring and you’ll be glad the winter was spent waiting for warm weather rather than worrying about pests. CM Frank Meek is international technical and train-ing director for Orkin LLC. As a board-certified entomologist and a 20-plus year industry veter-an, he is an acknowledged leader in the field of pest management. Contact Frank Meek at [email protected] or visit www.orkincommerical.com. Circle Product Information no. 201 on page 32 www.cmmonline.com 37
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