Risk Assessment
Evaluating infestation severity, health risks, structural damage potential, and customer tolerance to determine urgency and appropriate response level.
Detailed Overview
Not all pest problems require same urgency or intensity. Risk assessment considers: (1) Health risks: Roaches and rodents spread disease requiring urgent response. Stinging insects near playgrounds dangerous. Bed bugs psychological impact severe. Mosquitoes vector diseases. Ticks transmit Lyme disease. (2) Structural damage: Active termites cause thousands in damage - immediate treatment essential. Carpenter ants less urgent but still structural concern. Occasional invaders cause no damage - lower priority. (3) Reproduction rate: German roaches multiply rapidly - delay worsens problem. Bed bugs reproduce quickly. Rodents population explosion in weeks. (4) Customer tolerance: Food facilities zero tolerance. Healthcare near-zero tolerance. Residential varies by individual - some tolerate occasional ant, others want immediate response to single bug. (5) Regulatory/audit: Food facilities face audit failures, restaurants risk health code violations, multi-family buildings have habitability requirements. Risk categories: Emergency (safety hazard - hornet nest at entrance, severe roach infestation), Urgent (health risk, rapid reproduction - German roaches, bed bugs, active termites), Routine (nuisance pests - occasional invaders, minor ant activity), Preventative (no current problem but high risk). Response matches risk level.
When to Use
Assess risk level on every service call to determine appropriate response urgency. Explain risk level to customer so they understand recommendation. Prioritize scheduling based on risk.
Required Skill Level
Should only be performed by licensed pest management professionals
Benefits
- Ensures appropriate response to severity
- Prioritizes emergencies over routine service
- Justifies treatment intensity to customer
- Avoids over-treatment of low-risk situations
- Prevents under-treatment of high-risk problems
Limitations
- Customer perception may differ from objective risk
- Risk tolerance varies by individual
- Some low-risk pests cause high customer anxiety
- Balancing risk with cost challenging
Related Concepts
Other principles that may be useful
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
A prevention-based pest management method that provides long-lasting pest control, improves building conditions, and is less harmful to residents and pets than traditional pest control.
Pest Triangle
The four essential requirements pests need to survive: food, water, shelter, and ways to get around. Eliminating any of these makes an environment inhospitable to pests.
Threshold Levels
The point at which pest populations or damage reaches a level that requires action. IPM uses threshold levels to determine when treatment is necessary rather than treating on a schedule.