Calling in the Experts to Battle Roaches

So maybe there is a reason that roaches have been around for 280 million years. They are hardy little souls. Who was I to think that I could fight these little beasts on my own?

My nightly ritual of meticulously cleaning the kitchen and putting away all the dishes and cat food wasn't really doing the job. Those little creepy crawlies were still in my house. It was time to call in the experts.

I went to the Green Shield Certified web site, http://www.greenshieldcertified.org/ and found a list of companies that practice IPM - Intergrated Pest Management - the environmentally friendly approach to pest control. Rather than just spraying pesticides to kill the bugs, IPM fixes the conditions that lead to pest problems and uses least-toxic pesticides only when absolutely necessary. I called and left messages for the three companies listed in the New York City area that offer a Green Shield certified service and made an appointment with the one that returned my call, Assured Environments.

When the actual exterminator came I thought he did a very through job. Instead of spraying under the stove and in crevices like the usual "man with can" that the building usually sends, this guy clearly had a different approach. He pulled out all my appliances, got down on his hands and knees and looked in crevices, behind counters and appliances. He used a HEPA vacuum to suck up any roaches that he could see or any of their droppings. Yuck. He used copper wool to stop up holes. Even this didn't work immediately. In fact, he had to come back two more times before the problem was solved. And even as I write that, I have my fingers crossed.

One thing that I learned through this process is that you have to know what you want. Even with the Assured team, if I had not kept on saying that I wanted to do this in the most environmentally friendly way, I would have been talked into using a more toxic alternative. It's a faster fix, less hassle. But I was dead set on trying to make this work in the least toxic way possible. These are uncharted waters and you have to know what you want and what you don't want. And stand your ground.

Check out http://www.greenshieldcertified.org/ to learn more about Integrated Pest Management and see if there is a certified company in your area. If your problem is serious enough, it really makes sense to call in the experts.	Talk to several of different pest control companies to find out how they work, what kinds of sprays and gel baits they use when necessary. Call several references and see what they have to say about the service.	Call your school, office, building managers and ask them what type of pest management they use and ask if they would be open to trying a more environmentally friendly service like Green Shield Certified.

In 2006, friends Francesca Olivieri and Susan Gluck Pappajohn started their company, sage baby

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