August: two seasons begin at once
Rodents head for warmth, cockroaches hit their peak. You have to prepare for both.
August is the busiest month in the pest management calendar. Two unrelated processes coincide, and each requires its own approach.
Rodents. From the middle of the month, nights become colder and crops are harvested, the food supply in the fields disappears, and migration towards buildings begins. It continues until sustained cold weather arrives. Work should focus on the approaches to the building: seal entry routes, remove shelter along the walls, and place bait stations around the perimeter before the rodents appear, not afterwards.
Cockroaches. Heat and humidity accelerate development, open doors and windows make it easier to move between premises, and seasonal renovations and pest treatments in neighbouring properties force populations to migrate. In cities, the August peak is more pronounced than the spring peak. The effective approach is internal sanitation combined with baits: eliminate access to water and food scraps, seal utility penetrations, and apply gel.
The same mistake is common in both cases: waiting for obvious signs. In August, you are dealing with isolated individuals that are still looking for a place to settle. In October, you are dealing with an established population that is already breeding. The difference in the amount of work required is immense, which is reason enough to spend a week in August carrying out an otherwise routine inspection of the premises.
