Pro-Team Sierra User manual

Sierra®
Integrated
Pest Management
Guide

Sierra
Integrated Pest Management Manual
Congratulations on your purchase of the Sierra backpack vacuum!
You are now in a select circle of pest control professionals who
actually practice IPM. That sets you apart because it demonstrates
that you are proactive and on the cutting edge of the industry.
Using a commercial backpack vacuum demonstrates your profes-
sionalism to your customer. Your job is not to become a janitor
and clean the clients’ premises. Rather, you are using a backpack
vacuum so you can easily and quickly reach and correct very spe-
cific problem sites and minimize the real or perceived toxic insult
to the environment. You can, in some cases, be solving problems
with the Sierra during the same amount of time you formerly
took just to do your thorough inspection. Using the Sierra, you
will demonstrate your expertise in identifying not only the prob-
lems pests create but the sources of those problems and you can
educate your customer as to their ability to prevent infestations
before they ever start. You will be able to reduce the toxic chemi-
cals needed to eliminate pests, demonstrating your concern about
improving indoor air quality and contamination of food products.
Here are some suggestions on how to improve your IPM work
with the Sierra:
Spiders:
Pesticides can’t penetrate spider egg cases. Dead insects at the
site become food for other insects. Spider webs are a prime food
source for the plaster bag worm. With the Sierra, you can remove
the spiders, webs and the dead insects and offer a chemical free
approach. Impress your customers by leaving the area free from
unsightly webs and dead bodies. Using the aluminum extension
wands allows you to reach as high as 40 feet with less than five
pounds of weight in your hands, reaching beyond the clutter in
basements and storage rooms. You can get webs in the highest
ceilings standing safely on the ground.

Cockroaches:
In badly infested apartments, tests have shown that more cock-
roaches were killed with the Sierra than were killed with a py-
rethrum fog. Cockroaches can instantly retreat into crack and
crevices or their lair where air currents do not deliver the fog. The
vacuum can pull them out along with the egg capsules, which are
not affected by the fog.
There are many advantages to removing the dead cockroaches.
Many studies have shown a serious problem with asthma exists in
low-income housing, caused by particulate from cockroach car-
casses.
There are alternatives to pesticides that can flush out cockroaches
so they can be picked up with the vacuum. These include hot air
from a hair dryer, a plain air aerosol can or air from a compressed
air sprayer. The Sierra must be ready to capture the cockroaches
when they flee their hiding places.
The initial and annual treatment should include the use of the
“down and under” long crevice tool to remove food particles, egg
cases, dead roaches, etc., in hard to reach areas under and behind
machinery. Doing this will make the bait more enticing.
A few cockroaches could survive the bumpy ride down the hose.
To keep them from escaping, leave the motor running when clos-
ing and removing the bag. Place the paper bag in a plastic bag
and seal it before discarding it.
Periodic removal of organic debris under and behind equipment
and appliances can easily be made with the Sierra “down and
under” long crevice tool. This accumulation of debris is rich with
allergens and roach-attracting body odors, inviting more roaches
to the site. Particles of this allergen saturated detritus become
airborne and contaminate the indoor air. Recycled in the air, these
particles can be life threatening to thousands of asthmatics. A
High-filtration Disc in the dome filter of the Sierra filters out over
99% of potentially harmful particulate in the air we breath.

Wasps:
Elevated wasps nests (including larvae and adults) can easily be
removed by using the Sierra with extension wands. You can reach
up l5 feet or more and suck up chunks of the nest and larvae with
the open end of the wand. Do this late in the day or very early in
the morning when the wasps are settled in their hive. If the nest is
inside a foundation wall block, the wasps can be sucked into the
wand extension as they are returning to the nest. Leave the mo-
tor running when the bag is removed. Put the paper bag inside a
plastic bag and seal it. If the client objects to a liquid drench, use
the Sierra to suck out adult ground nesting wasps late in the after-
noon. Dusting wasp nests afterwards with a desiccant can control
additional insect activity.
Bees:
Bees are beneficial and should be protected except in instances
where the customer is in danger of being stung. DO NOT attempt
to remove a swarm hanging on a tree limb with a vacuum cleaner
unless you are properly protected from their stings. The noise of
the motor will aggravate bees and they will probably attack.
To control bee nests inside walls, check instructions in the Mallis’
Handbook for Pest Control or Smith and Whitman’s NPCA Field
Guide to Structural Pests.
House Dust Mites:
Just about every home in the world has dust mites. They live in
dust balls, sofas, mattresses, and even rugs. Their principal food
is the thousands of microscopic particles of skin which people
and pets shed daily. These tiny pests are the most common cause
of indoor allergies. After ten years, dead house dust mites could
comprise one sixth of the weight of a well-used sofa cushion. Just
sitting on the cushion spews a cloud of the troublemakers into
the air. Simply attempting to kill the mites with a miticide is not
enough to prevent the allergies. The microscopic particles from
dead bodies, eggs and feces will be constantly recycled by a con-
ventional vacuum cleaner. The High Filtration Disc available
for the Sierra traps and retains these particles. Shop vacs, which
pick up liquids, actually aerosolize the allergens and intensify the
problem.

Many companies advertise elimination of dust mites in air ducts
for a low price. The price is low because dust mites don’t live in
air ducts. They need dead air pockets where the relative humid-
ity is above 50%. If only 1% of them survive they can repopulate
the colony rapidly at humidity levels higher than 50%. The Sierra
with its various attachments can remove pockets of dust and the
house dust mites from mattresses, sofas, rugs and from behind
beds and furniture.
Clover Mites:
This pest comes in from the turf to overwinter behind the walls,
especially on the sunny side of the house. In early spring, when
the sun heats up the wall, they come boiling out of openings
around the windows and they cover the walls. When touched,
they leave a red stain on the wall. The vacuum is the best way to
remove them without staining the wall. Dusting a desiccant into
the crevices around the window will stop more from coming in.
Other Invaders:
There are numerous other pests that you may be called on to
remove. Pest control textbooks such as the Mallis Handbook on
Pest Control and Smith and Whitman’s “NPCA Field Guide to
Structural Pests” recommend the vacuum cleaner as an alternative
to pesticides to control occasional invaders. This group includes:
box elder bugs, mold or plaster beetles, elm leaf beetles, cluster
flies, face flies, phorid flies, wheel bugs, centipedes, camel crickets,
field crickets, house crickets, daddy long legs (or harvest men),
millipedes, clover mites, pill bugs, scorpions, silverfish, bristle tails,
sow bugs, spring tails, thrips, and weevils. Removing these insects
with the Sierra is the most effective and versatile method in the
industry.
Booklice:
This psocid insect is sometimes found in enormous numbers in
damp situations, especially around books. Reducing the humidity
to below 50% can control them. The Sierra is ideal to remove the
unsightly accumulation of dead booklice on books and shelves.

Pantry Pests:
Vacuuming dead insects that have emerged from infested pack-
ages of food can help avoid repeated callbacks. The Sierra can also
remove live insects hiding behind the shelf or under shelf paper,
a practice which can keep them from spreading. Some people
are very sensitive and fearful of using pesticides in a pantry area.
Even if a residual is used, new pests can still emerge from cartons
or packages that were infested from the grocery store. The pest
control operator may need to inspect and discard each infested
package in the pantry that contains condiments, grains, candy,
pet food, birdseed, etc.
Fabric pests:
Moths and carpet beetles are increasing, partly because of an in-
crease in international traffic with untreated wool products. Once
introduced into a home or institution, these fabric pests can live in
the accumulation of hair, dead insects and lint behind and under
furniture and along and under baseboards, especially in clothes
closets. Running a Sierra upholstery tool over each wool garment
that has been stored for long periods can dislodge and destroy the
fragile carpet beetle eggs. The PMP can do it as an add-on-service
or the customer can have each garment dry cleaned.
Carpet beetles can enter homes from shrubbery such as Spiraea,
Ceanothus, daisies and wild buckwheat. Other outside sources of
carpet beetle infestations include nest of chipmunks, birds, bats
and bees. Dead insect galleries or birds in a chimney flue or an at-
tic are prime food sources for carpet beetles.
The Sierra has tools that can remove pockets of dead insects from
light fixtures, behind baseboards, hard-to-reach sites on rugs un-
der furniture, dense cobwebs, etc.

Rodents:
Scavenger insects are often attracted to bait that has been strewn
about from bait boxes by rodents. Sometimes the bait is years
old. A previous owner or a PMP may have left it. It can be easily
removed with several of the tools in the Sierra kit. Rodent drop-
pings must be removed because they are a strong attractant for
more rodents.
Hantavirus:
Inhalation of dust containing dried feces and urine from some
species of mice can cause Hantavirus and other viral diseases such
as Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis (LCM). Hantavirus strains have
also been found in squirrels, domestic rats and chipmunks. Clean-
ing up accumulations of these rodent feces with the Sierra with its
High Filtration Disc is a profitable add-on business. No other disci-
pline is better suited for this task than the pest control industry.
Extreme caution must be taken in removing suspected Han-
tavirus sources. The manufacturer assumes no liability for
operators or others exposed to possible Hantavirus and other
viral infections. The following recommendations are based on
the best available knowledge to date. Always continue to educate
yourself on the current methods involving the lowest possible risk
to the operator and the customer. You must wear rubber gloves,
a half face respirator with HEPA filter and then treat the site with
one and a half cups of bleach or ammonia (not both) in one gal-
lon of water. Wait until the feces are dry before removing them.
Extreme care must be used in disposing of the Micro Filter and
High Filtration Disc. Incineration is recommended. Also clean
the cloth bag in a disinfectant solution immediately upon comple-
tion of the job and replace the High Filtration Disc. Wet-dry vacs
are not recommended because they compound the problem by
aerosolizing the pathogenic organisms.

Bats:
Bat nest debris can cause serious illnesses. Before doing work in
a bat infested attic, the Sierra with its High Filtration Disc can
remove the pathogenic organisms while minimizing the risk to
the PMP or the client. Follow the precautions noted in the section
about Hantavirus.
Bedbugs:
DDT almost eliminated these bloodsuckers in the fifties but today
they are making a comeback. Treating a mattress with any pesti-
cide is unwise considering the associated liability problems. The
Sierra kit has several tools that can safely and effectively eliminate
them from the seams and buttons in the mattress and in the bed-
springs, crevices in the bed and baseboard, walls and floor under
and behind the beds.
Wood Destroying Insects:
Even after you have successfully eradicated an infestation of ter-
mites or wood borers, evidence of the old infestation (the wings,
pellets, or frass) may remain behind. This can cause problems
when the structure is examined for resale. The inspector will note
the evidence of wood borers and perpetual buyers may be dis-
couraged from purchasing the home or building. Pellets from an
inactive gallery of dry wood can spill out due to strong traffic or
heavy indoor activity. This may mean that the pest control opera-
tor is called back to retreat the structure. In order to avoid giving
the consumer the impression that the job was left unfinished, you
should always vacuum before leaving a job. The Sierra’s specialty
attachments make thorough cleanup simple. Your customers will
appreciate the difference between cleaning with a broom or the
average vacuum cleaner and using the Sierra because it is the
quickest, most efficient way to clean.
Bug Zappers:
Dead insects accumulate in the pan of electric bug zappers. These
then attract more insect scavengers. Cleaning the zapper pan pe-
riodically with the Sierra provides another add-on-service.

Public Relations:
Walking into an account with a backpack vacuum instead of a
compressed air sprayer positions you a cut above the conventional
serviceperson. You can impress customers by removing the dust
around the coils under the refrigerator, and by removing cobwebs
in corners, basements and storage sheds. These are extra services
that demonstrate your attention to details and aesthetics. Affixing
a label with your company name or logo on the Sierra will give
your company further recognition and attention.
About The Equipment:
Before operating your Sierra for pest control, read the ProTeam
Owner’s Manual carefully for safety, preparation, operation and
maintenance instructions.

PO Box 7385 Boise, ID 83707 866.888.2168 Fax: [phone]
www.pro-team.com
www.proteamvacs.com
103394 (12/09)