Pest ID App Benefits Technicians and Plants

One example of the technological revolution that is occurring in the pest management industry is that of the new Field Guide App from the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). The app is based on content from NPMA's Field Guide to Structural Pests, an 800-page reference source that includes detailed information on identification, biology, and control of nearly 200 different structural pests with color photos and drawings. During a review of the Field Guide reference book with Author Eric Smith to determine what additional pests and information could be added, the idea to create an electronic version was proposed. And the rest, as they say, is history. As NPMA Chief Industry Relations Officer Andrew Architect explained, "Due to the scale of the project and changing nature of pests and control procedures, NPMA felt that by offering the Field Guide in a mobile format, new pictures, information, and enhancements could be made on a more frequent basis."

So the association worked with its allied member, eNex, to develop the complementary app. Available on both Apple and Android devices, the Field Guide App provides pest management professionals with a way to digitally access the information and use it in new ways.

For example, in addition to utilizing the 1,000-plus photos and pest information in the app, service technicians also can add their own individual notes and take and save photos within the app. They also can designate specific species that are most prevalent to their service area, email information to others, or send their own field photos to the NPMA technical team for identification.

"The app allows users to select those pests they encounter on a regular basis in their service areas and hide those that tend to be uncommon for quick and efficient identification," Architect said. Additionally, technicians can zoom in on digital images in a way one never really could in a physical manual, enabling even more accurate identification of pests. And, if they encounter a pest which they can't identify or don't see within the app, "all mobile field guide users have the ability to take a picture of an uncommon pest they encounter in the field and send it via the app to the NPMA Technical Department for identification," he said.  

The app essentially takes all the expertise, experience, and technical resources of NPMA and puts it at the service technician's fingertips in one tool. The app helps to increase service efficiency and effectiveness by enabling the technician to quickly and easily identify uncommon pests, then determine best practice for control, without having to leave the plant and schedule additional service due to lack of knowledge or resources.

Customer Benefits. In addition to the value derived from these increased efficiencies, food processing customers also benefit from this new technology, as their pest control technicians who have the app can email them photos and text from the app. In this way, information can be shared with the plant on specific pests that were found in or around the plant, are common to the area, or are in season, providing an understanding of any existing pest problems or potential pests of which the plant should be aware and keep an eye out. The technicians also can share information on control procedures, so that customers can best understand mechanical and sanitation steps they can take to assist in reducing pest conducive environments.

As Architect explained, when their pest management providers have the NPMA Field Guide app, "Customers can expect to receive professional information on pests that may be infesting their structure along with high-resolution pictures and control procedures. This will not only allow them to better understand their problem but also highlight the professionalism of pest control operators who service their homes and or businesses."

Introduced in March, 2016, the app has, thus far, received all four- and five-star ratings from users, resulting in an overall average rating of 4.8 (out of 5).