A monitoring trap is a device placed where activity is suspected, read on a set schedule and recorded as a count. In Rio Rancho the method is the same as anywhere else: the placement follows a trail or a sign found on the inspection, the device is numbered and mapped, and the trend across readings decides the next step. This guide explains each of those steps and how to read the counts without overstating them.
Key takeaways
- A monitor measures activity and shows where it is. It does not remove the activity by itself.
- Place each device on a route that the inspection has linked to activity, not at random.
- Number each device, map it and record its place at every reading.
- Read the trend across three or more readings, not a single count.
- A device that was moved, covered or disturbed gives a count that should be treated with caution.
- A count that falls to nothing over a set period is evidence, but it is not proof of permanent clearance.
What kinds of monitor are used?
The common kinds are sticky cards, pheromone or attractant traps, and enclosed monitors placed along a wall base or beside a food store. Each suits a different route, and the report names the kind used and why.
A sticky card is a flat surface coated with an adhesive. It catches insects that walk across it and is placed flat along the route they use. It is simple and cheap, and it gives a clear record of what was caught, but it can also catch things that are not the target, so the identification step matters.
An attractant trap uses a lure to draw a target kind to the device. Lures are specific to certain insects, and a lure that works for one group may do nothing for another. The technician chooses the lure from the identification, and does not use a lure as a general test.
An enclosed monitor is a box or a station with a small entrance and an interior that holds the captures. It is useful where children or pets could reach an open card, and where a route runs along a wall or under a fixture. The report records the device, its number and its place on the plan.
How is a placement decided?
A placement is decided by the route the inspection found. A device is placed on the trail, at the entry point or beside the harbourage, and the report states which of these the device is meant to test.
The first question is what the device is meant to measure. A device on a trail measures how much traffic the trail carries. A device at an entry point measures whether anything is coming in from outside. A device beside a harbourage measures whether activity is coming from inside the hiding place.
Each placement is recorded on a plan of the rooms, with a number, a place and a note of the surface it sits on. A device on a rough or a dusty surface may catch differently from one on a smooth one, and the note helps a later reader understand the count.
How often should a device be read?
The reading interval is set by the route. A route near food or water may need reading more often, and a route that shows only now and then may need a longer interval. The report states the interval and the reason.
A short interval gives a fast picture but may miss a route that is only used now and then. A long interval gives a fuller count but may hide an early change. The technician sets the interval on the basis of the evidence and says so in the report.
At each reading the technician counts the captures, notes the condition of the device, notes whether it has been disturbed, and replaces it if it is full or spoiled. The replacement is recorded, so the series of readings stays complete.
How should a count be read?
A count is read as a change across readings, placed in context. A single number is rarely enough, and a count that is low or high for a reason unrelated to the activity must be read with that reason in mind.
Three readings showing the same place with the same kind of capture give a pattern. A rise after a sealing job may show that the job has not yet closed the route. A fall after a treatment may show that the treatment has worked, or that the device is no longer on the route. The technician reads the change in the context of the plan.
A count can mislead. A device in a room cleaned every day may read low. A device behind a rug or a box may be hidden. A device that has been moved may be measuring a different route. The report notes each condition, so the count is not read at face value.
What do the counts tell the next decision?
A count that stays high at one point points to a route to seal or treat there. A count that spreads across rooms points to a building-wide route, and a count that falls to nothing over a set period suggests the activity has stopped or the route has closed.
A steady count at a single entry point is evidence for sealing that point. The sealing list names it, and the next visit checks whether the count has changed. A count that moves across several rooms points to a shared route, such as a void or an outside wall, and the technician may recommend an inspection of the spaces that connect them.
A count that falls to nothing over a full monitoring period is evidence, but it is not proof of permanent clearance. The report recommends a final check before the monitoring ends, and it records the date. A new capture after the end of the plan is a new question, and it starts with the identification.
What can a homeowner or a manager do between readings?
Between readings, a homeowner or manager should not move the devices, should keep them out of reach of children and pets, and should note any new sign with its place and date. The device is treated as part of the evidence, not as a decoration.
A device that has been moved or knocked off a surface breaks the record. If a device is disturbed, the caller should note the date and tell the technician, and should not try to reposition it. The technician will reposition it at the next reading and record the change.
A business may find it useful to keep a monitoring log beside the devices. The log records the date, the place of each device and any sign seen between readings. That gives the technician a record that matches the plan.
How do you set up a plan that others can read later?
A monitoring plan is written so that a second technician, a manager or an inspector can read it without the first technician present. It names the devices, their places, the reading dates, the counts and the decision rule for ending the plan.
The plan starts with a short statement of what the monitoring is meant to show: whether an entry point is active, whether a trail is still in use, or whether a treatment has changed the count. Each device is then listed with its number, its place, the surface it sits on and the reason it was placed there.
The plan ends with a decision rule. It names the count or the period at which the monitoring will stop, be extended or be reviewed, so the question of when it ends is settled before the first reading rather than after several months of drift.
What should a homeowner do if a device goes missing?
A missing device is reported to the technician with the date it was last seen, and the gap is recorded in the log. The monitoring continues with the remaining devices, and the missing one is replaced at the next visit with a note of the change.
A device can be knocked over by a pet, moved by a child or removed by a cleaner. Each of those breaks the record for that place. The homeowner should not try to replace the device without telling the technician, because a replacement placed in a different spot gives a count for a different route.
The report records the gap, so the next reading is read with the gap in mind. A count that rises after a gap should be read carefully, because the device may have been in a better place before, or the route may have changed.
How do monitoring results combine with the inspection?
Monitoring results are read alongside the inspection, not in place of it. The inspection says where the route is likely to be; the monitor shows whether it is in use over time; and the two together decide whether a sealing or a treatment step is needed.
An inspection that finds a trail along a wall base is a hypothesis about the route. A monitor placed on that trail tests the hypothesis by counting what uses it. If the count stays at nothing over several readings, the route may be closed or the activity may have stopped, and the sealing list may need no change. If the count holds steady or rises, the route is in use and the next step is more specific.
The report pairs each device with the inspection finding it tests, so the reader can see the question and the answer side by side. A monitor with no linked finding is still recorded, but the report should say that it was placed to check a general sign rather than a named route.
When is a monitor the wrong tool?
A monitor is the wrong tool when the target is unknown, when the route is outside the building and cannot be reached, or when the question is about damage rather than activity. In those cases the report recommends the identification, the outside survey or the structural check instead.
A monitor counts what walks or flies into it. It says nothing about damage already done to a sill, a joist or a pipe, and it cannot show a route that runs outside the reach of the device. A homeowner who expects a monitor to answer a question about a damaged wall will be disappointed, and the report should say so from the start.
A monitor placed without an identified target can also produce a count that nobody can interpret. The technician will then recommend an identification step before any more devices are placed, so the monitoring is aimed at a question that can be answered.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the trap catch something different from what I have seen?
A trap catches what walks or flies to it on its route, which may not be the same as the sighting. The identification step decides whether the catch is the same kind, and the report says so.
Can I use a store-bought trap instead?
A store-bought device can be used in a monitoring plan only where the technician agrees it fits the route and where its placement is recorded. A device placed without a plan can produce a count nobody can read.
Is a monitor safe with children and pets?
An enclosed monitor is safer than an open card, but neither should be within reach of a child or a pet. Place each device out of reach, and tell the technician about any child or pet in the home.
How long should monitoring last?
The report sets the period and the reason. Monitoring that has not shown a change after a reasonable period should be reviewed rather than simply continued, and the technician should say what the review will decide.
What if the count keeps rising?
A rising count is a reason to recheck the route, the identification and the sealing at the source. The report should recommend the next step rather than an extra device at the same point.
Sources
- NMSU Circular 570, One Hundred Common Insects of New Mexico (revised 2005)
- NMSU Cooperative Extension Service, Sandoval County office
This guide is general information for Sandoval County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.