u/TrueAudience9922

We work with hotels throughout NYC, and one thing I've noticed is how much of a difference it makes when management is involved in pest prevention before there's an actual problem.

Bed bugs usually get the most attention, but hotel pest control involves a lot more than guest rooms. Kitchens, laundry areas, storage rooms and waste areas all need attention too. Regular inspections, communication with housekeeping and maintenance, and good documentation can make a big difference.

Curious what others in commercial pest control are seeing. Are most of your hotel accounts proactive about pest management, or does everything become a priority only after a guest complains?

One thing we see constantly is a pest problem being treated as a treatment problem when the real issue is the building itself, especially in older cities like New York City.

Rodents keep showing up because of utility penetrations or structural gaps. Roaches keep moving between units. Fly activity keeps returning because a drain, trash area or moisture source hasn’t been corrected. The technician can do everything right and still end up back at the same account dealing with the same complaint.

We’ve been putting more emphasis on identifying and documenting the conditions contributing to the problem instead of just recording what was treated.

For those working commercial or multifamily accounts, where do you draw the line between something the pest control company should be expected to solve and something the property owner or management needs to correct before you’re going to get lasting control?

Interested in how other companies handle that conversation with customers, property managers, superintendents, and business owners.

I'm interested in hearing this specifically from operators.

When you're paying for recurring pest control, what matters most beyond simply not seeing pests?

Faster response when something happens? Better communication with management? More detailed reports? Staff education? Identifying sanitation or maintenance conditions before they become problems?

I work on the pest management side and restaurant accounts are some of the most interesting because pest control overlaps so heavily with sanitation, drains, deliveries, maintenance and building conditions. Curious what restaurant owners actually value most from their provider.

I'm curious about this from the PM side.

Is the biggest issue usually communication? Recurring pest activity? Poor documentation? Tech turnover? Missed appointments? Lack of follow-up?

Working on the vendor side, I've found that what we consider important isn't always the same thing the property manager considers important.

For those managing multifamily or commercial properties, what makes you keep a pest control company long term, and what makes you start looking for another one?

I'm looking to get more involved in the NYC property management community and would love to attend some networking events, association meetings, or educational seminars.

For those of you in the industry, what events do you actually find worthwhile? BOMA, IREM, REBNY, local meetups, trade shows, breakfast events, etc.

I'm less interested in huge expos and more interested in events where you can actually have conversations and build relationships.

Any recommendations or annual events that you'd make a point of attending?

I work in pest control in the NY/NJ market, and something I've noticed over the past several years is that our industry is changing faster than ever.

This week alone there were reports about New York remaining one of the country's bed bug hotspots, while other reports showed rodent complaints declining citywide but actually increasing in certain neighborhoods.

That tells a much bigger story. Pest pressure isn't uniform anymore.

One neighborhood can be dealing with heavy rodent activity while another a few blocks away sees almost none. Construction, sanitation, aging infrastructure, travel, weather patterns, vacant buildings, food availability, and even changes in waste collection all influence what we're seeing.

The same goes for bed bugs. Hotels, apartments, dorms, healthcare facilities, and multifamily housing continue to face challenges because bed bugs travel wherever people travel.

One thing I've learned is that pest control today isn't really about spraying anymore.

It's about inspections, identifying conditions, exclusion work, monitoring, sanitation, data collection, customer education, and using treatments strategically. That's why Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has become the standard for long-term success.

Technology has also changed the industry. Digital reporting, remote monitoring, better documentation, and improved communication are allowing technicians to identify trends much earlier than we could years ago.

I'm curious what others are seeing.

Whether you're in pest control, property management, hospitality, facilities, or just a homeowner:

What pest issue has become noticeably worse in your area over the past few years?

For me, it's how localized everything has become. Two properties on the same block can have completely different pest pressures, which makes one-size-fits-all pest control less effective than ever.

I work in pest control in the NY/NJ market, and something I've noticed over the past several years is that our industry is changing faster than ever.

This week alone there were reports about New York remaining one of the country's bed bug hotspots, while other reports showed rodent complaints declining citywide but actually increasing in certain neighborhoods. Pest pressure isn't uniform anymore.

One neighborhood can be dealing with heavy rodent activity while another a few blocks away sees almost none. Construction, sanitation, aging infrastructure, travel, weather patterns, vacant buildings, food availability, and even changes in waste collection all influence what we're seeing. The same goes for bed bugs. Hotels, apartments, dorms, healthcare facilities, and multifamily housing continue to face challenges because bed bugs travel wherever people travel.

One thing I've learned is that pest control today isn't really about spraying anymore.

It's about inspections, identifying conditions, exclusion work, monitoring, sanitation, data collection, customer education, and using treatments strategically. That's why Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has become the standard for long-term success.

Technology has also changed the industry. Digital reporting, remote monitoring, better documentation, and improved communication are allowing technicians to identify trends much earlier than we could years ago.

I'm curious what others are seeing.

Whether you're in pest control, property management, hospitality, facilities, or just a homeowner:

What pest issue has become noticeably worse in your area over the past few years?

For me, it's how localized everything has become. Two properties on the same block can have completely different pest pressures, which makes one-size-fits-all pest control less effective than ever.

I'm based out of the NY/NJ market, and every Friday I put together a roundup of what's happening across the pest control industry. One thing has become pretty clear the industry is changing faster than it has in years.

In the Northeast, we're seeing increasing rodent pressure in dense urban environments, longer fly seasons, greater demand for exclusion work, and commercial clients placing much more emphasis on documentation, health inspection readiness, and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs rather than simply having a building sprayed.

I'm also noticing a bigger shift toward technology, digital reporting, photo documentation, proactive inspections, and preventative maintenance across both residential and commercial accounts.

I'm curious what everyone else is seeing in your market. What's changed the most over the past year? Are rodents, cockroaches, flies, bed bugs, or another pest becoming a bigger challenge where you are? Have customer expectations changed? What's one trend you think will have the biggest impact on the pest control industry over the next few years?

I'd love to hear what technicians and operators are seeing in different parts of the country. It's always interesting to compare what's happening in NY/NJ to other markets. Generally curious, and always looking to further my companies, and my own education. Appreciate all feedback.

I'm based out of the NY/NJ market, and every Friday I put together a roundup of what's happening across the pest control industry. One thing has become pretty clear the industry is changing faster than it has in years.

In the Northeast, we're seeing increasing rodent pressure in dense urban environments, longer fly seasons, greater demand for exclusion work, and commercial clients placing much more emphasis on documentation, health inspection readiness, and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs rather than simply having a building sprayed.

I'm also noticing a bigger shift toward technology, digital reporting, photo documentation, proactive inspections, and preventative maintenance across both residential and commercial accounts.

I'm curious what everyone else is seeing in your market. What's changed the most over the past year? Are rodents, cockroaches, flies, bed bugs, or another pest becoming a bigger challenge where you are? Have customer expectations changed? What's one trend you think will have the biggest impact on the pest control industry over the next few years?

I'd love to hear what technicians and operators are seeing in different parts of the country. It's always interesting to compare what's happening in NY/NJ to other markets. Generally curious, and always looking to further my companies, and my own education. Appreciate all feedback.

I've inspected a lot of homes over the years, and I'm always surprised by the places pests get inside.

Everyone checks doors and windows, but some of the biggest issues I've seen are gaps around utility penetrations, AC line openings, crawlspace vents, attic roof intersections, foundation cracks, garage corners, and even gaps behind kitchen cabinets that homeowners never notice.

Whether it's mice, rats, ants, roaches, spiders, or other occasional invaders, small structural openings often end up being the root cause.

I'm curious to know what was the most surprising pest entry point you've found in your home, and how did you finally discover it?

Always interesting to hear the stories and see what people have run into. Thank You.

I've seen mice and rats enter through some surprisingly small openings over the years. Homeowners often focus on doors and windows, but many rodent infestations start in places people rarely inspect. Some common ones I've come across include utility penetrations, gaps around AC lines, crawl space vents, garage corners, foundation cracks, roofline intersections, and openings behind kitchen appliances.

I'm curious what others have found. What was the rodent entry point that surprised you the most, and how did you finally discover it? Always interesting to see where rodents, mice, and rats are actually getting into homes and buildings.

Could be a treatment that failed, a callback that taught you something, a customer interaction, pricing mistake, route management issue, hiring decision, or even a pest you underestimated.

For me, one of the biggest lessons was that the best treatment plan in the world doesn't matter if expectations aren't properly set with the customer. A lot of callbacks can be avoided with communication before and after the service.

Curious what lessons other technicians, operators, and pest management professionals learned the hard way that made them better at the job.

I'm always finding out about new restaurants, cocktail bars, and cafes months after they've already opened.

Curious how everyone stays on top of new openings in NYC. Do you follow specific websites, newsletters, Instagram accounts, food writers, community boards, liquor license applications, etc.?