To Treat or Not to Treat…

July 2026 Edition: by Tom Eagan

It is not uncommon for a PCO to be asked, “What would you do?” by a customer when a pest issue is discovered. This can be a loaded question. If the technician responds with a treatment answer, are they going for the money? If the answer is customer sanitation, are they avoiding the work? A quality PCO will respond with an appropriate solution that fits the customer’s needs at the time and sets expectations for what the specific solution will accomplish. A great way to set a standard to align the customer’s risk tolerance for specific pest species and the PCO’s service agenda is by creating a Threshold Action Plan.

A Threshold Action Plan is a document stating target pest species, activity quantities at increasing levels, and actions to be taken at each of those levels. The intent is to define trigger points and a plan of action for the customer and PCO to obtain reasonable pest activity levels based on risk tolerance. For instance, a site may be sensitive to Indian Meal Moth activity. At what point does action need to be taken? Is one moth at the employee entrance an actionable item, or a nuisance the customer does not want to be bothered with? How about 20 moths, or 50? What if the activity is continuous over several weeks? The Threshold Action Plan will define these trigger points and provide guidance as to next steps for the customer and the PCO. It helps both sides to understand tolerances, reasonable actions, and streamline the process from discovery to managing the pest.

So how do we set numbers, levels, and actions? Maybe the customer already has quantities in mind. Perhaps the PCO has relevant experience to use as a guide. A good starting point is for the customer and PCO to discuss determining factors of risk and tolerance, and explore what options best suit the needs of the site. Review historical data to determine peak activity and correlate pest activity to customer complaints and audit scores. You can also use the “ICK” factor. Does the stated number of pests cause you to make a face? It may seem silly, but if you are not concerned with 1 mouse in the Dock Area, but 5 causes you to raise an eyebrow, you just set a threshold number. As a side note, I would take it a step further and explore why that number causes a reaction.

Continue this process to set Levels by correlating the amount of pest activity with a sense of escalating urgency. Another way to think of it: at what point is “more” necessary? Maybe that 1 mouse at the Dock isn’t so bad, but one capture each week for several weeks is probably an indicator of a bigger issue and may require additional attention. Perhaps that number steadily increases to 10 captures, and you know from last year that is when customer complaints kept coming in, and that is when the boss wants to be involved.

The next step is to assign appropriate actions that correspond to those Levels. Fumigation is probably not the correct response to finding a drain fly in the restroom. The action should be a response that reduces or prevents pest activity from escalating to the next level. In an ideal world, the first action would solve the issue, and there would not be a need for Levels 2 or 3; however, nature has a way of succeeding. Level 1 Action: newfound low levels of activity. I would recommend inspection to identify contributing factors for the pest activity and additional monitoring devices to locate the source. Level 2 Action will likely require assistance from site personnel. At this stage, I would dig deeper by moving pallets, opening equipment, asking about product movement in the facility, and gathering information about suppliers. Level 3 Action escalates further to review past and recent trending, continued inspection, and discussions with upper management on appropriate next steps. A chemical application can be suggested at any Level and should correspond to the amount of activity or sense of urgency.

Each site is different and will have different requirements and risk tolerances. A good Threshold Action Plan will be tailored to those site specifics and define tolerances and appropriate next steps. Work with your PCO and communicate the needs and goals of your site to help develop a plan of action to obtain reasonable pest activity. Another item to consider is that while a Threshold Action Plan is a document to reference, it is not carved in stone. If the Levels or Actions are not delivering the desired effect, review the numbers and make changes. Actions can be taken in advance of exceeding the threshold. The important thing is to take action, monitor efficacy, and make adjustments as needed.