I had a cockroach job last year where the customer was clueless as to where the cockroaches were coming from. At least that’s what they said. Pest control guys are used to phone calls with the customer claiming they have never had the issue before, aren’t sure where it is coming from, and it must be someone else’s fault. Maybe 25% of my phone calls are like this. So I was skeptical, but of course willing to help. I scheduled my estimate. When I got there I was pleasantly surprised to find a gorgeous property. Cockroach jobs are rarely, if ever, at houses like this. There were gardens everywhere, multiple garages, and a very large and beautiful home. Everything was clean and serene. I was puzzled about the cockroach infestation. I inquired about any water leaks, history of roaches, cleanliness issues (I saw none), etc. I did my inspection and I couldn’t figure it out. That doesn’t mean I can’t help, or treat the infestation, but diagnosing the genesis of the issue does make things easier. So the home owners and I were befuddled, but ready to move forward with treatment. As I walked to my truck I noticed another garage that I hadn’t seen yet. It was brand new and the siding was still going up. Then it hit me… I asked the home owner if any clean fill had been brought in for construction. He said it had, and asked me why it mattered. I then asked him if the cockroach infestation in any way coincided with the truckloads of dirt that were brought in. He reflected for a few seconds, and then it hit him… “YES!” he said. “We did notice it the same week that the clean fill had been delivered.“
“There we go, Tim. They came in with the dirt”, I said. “Clean fill ain’t always clean.” Mystery solved.
Of course I took care of the roach problem for them. That’s what I do. But it was nice to understand the origin.
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