Pest Management
Overview
Federal pest management services include the planning, development, operations, and maintenance for pest control, removal, and prevention in both indoor and outdoor spaces. “Pests” are defined as insects, wildlife, or plants that are hazardous to public health, compromise operations, or destroy property. Environmentally sustainable pest control is often termed “Integrated Pest Management” (IPM). The practice of IPM has been mandated on federal property since 1996 (7 USC 136r-1). An IPM program has two basic parts. The pest control service contract accomplishes the monitoring, trapping, pesticide application, and pest removal components. However, for sustainable pest prevention, it is critical that federal contracts be effectively coordinated with the activities of other building service programs that have a bearing on pest activity, such as food service, landscaping, child care, waste management, and repairs and operations. See GSA's Integrated Pest Management Guidance
for more information.
Downloadable Resources
Selected Past Solicitations If you have past Pest Management green solicitations that would be informative to the green procurement community, please submit them to sftool@gsa.gov.
DeCA Integrated Pest Management Services - SOW
Defense Commissary Agency statement of work for pest management services
U.S. Coast Guard Integrated Pest Management Services - SOW
Solicitation excerpt for pest management services at Air Station Sitka
CDC Integrated Pest Management Services - SOW and Evaluation
Center for Disease Control and Prevention solicitation excerpt for pest management services
CBP Pest Control - SOW excerpt
Customs & Border Protection janitorial SOW excerpt that includes pest control services
Veterans Affairs Medical Center Integrated Pest Management Services - SOW and Instructions to Offerors
This excerpt is from the statement of work and the Instructions to Offerors of a solicitation for Integrated Pest Management services.
Army Pest Control Management Services
Excerpt from a Source Sought
Required Green Products
In accordance with FAR Subpart 23.1, federal contracts for pest management services must require contractors to use or supply products covered by the following environmental programs, when applicable:
Download a suggested list of related products covered by this federal environmental program.
There is presently only one product required to be used for pest management service contracts, as IPM does not lend itself to a "green products list" model. However, as detailed below, IPM best practices specify that non-chemical control methods and certain types of “least-toxic” or "reduced risk" pesticide formulations be used wherever feasible.
Note that the above product mandated by statute is also required for GSA leases. Refer to GSA's Green Lease Policies and Procedures (under "Required Green Lease/RLP Provisions") for more information on both required and recommended provisions.
Optional Green Practices
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a way of managing ecosystems and a decision-making process that minimizes harm from both pesticides and pests. Consider the practices and concepts below when defining performance requirements and developing evaluation criteria where applicable to the scope of services.
- The pest control contractor should regularly monitor pest levels.
- Select and apply pesticides as judiciously and incisively as possible.
- Non-chemical preventative measures and biological, cultural, and mechanical control methods, such as traps, are preferred where feasible.
- Emphasizes a preventive mindset, by denying pests the food, harborage, and access they need. Sanitation and physical exclusion are critical.
- Use "least toxic" or "reduced risk" pesticides only as a last resort
- Continually educate occupants on the importance of correct methods for food storage and disposal is essential.
- Consider contracting with third party certified service providers.
- Use "least toxic" or "reduced risk" pesticides only as a last resort.
- As a general rule, indoor insecticides should be applied only as nonvolatile bait formulations, either containerized or as crack and crevice treatments.
- Spray or dust formulations should be used indoors only as a last resort, when baits are not feasible. These formulations must never be applied when space is occupied, and, as a general rule, should be applied only as crack and crevice treatments.
- Application of insecticides to exposed surfaces must be restricted to exceptional circumstances where no alternative method is practical.
- As a general rule, rodent control inside buildings should be accomplished with traps. In exceptional circumstances, when rodenticides are deemed essential for control, they must be placed either in tamper-resistant bait boxes or in locations not accessible to building tenants, pets, wildlife, or domestic animals.
- Educate building management staff about IPM and their role in detecting pests and recognizing conducive conditions for pest infestation.
- Educate building occupants about IPM and their role in reducing pests through proper management of food and food waste.
- The most effective pest management programs incorporate a centralized service call system in which building occupants phone in pest control requests that are logged on a work order document. Client reporting is therefore an important pest surveillance method.
- The pest control service contractor should maintain an onsite logbook or file for each building that contains labels/MSDS sheets for all pesticides potentially used, all service requests, and documentation of all work performed.
- Integrate pest management principles into janitorial and waste management contracts. For example, using dedicated, tightly-lidded receptacles for the disposal of food waste in offices, periodic cleaning of trash collection carts and trash rooms, and replacing conventional dumpsters with self-contained compactors
- Integrate pest management principles into landscaping contracts. Visit the Landscaping Services page for tips on landscaping practices that will minimize pests.
- Integrate pest management principles into your building operations strategy. For example, sealing pipe and cable access holes in outer walls, installing nylon brush weatherstripping to exterior doors, repairing gaps in all window and vent screening, installing automatic door closers, fixing all plumbing leaks promptly, and relamping exterior fixtures to minimize blue-white and maximize yellow wavelengths.
- Integrate pest management principles into your food operations strategy. For example, thorough caulking of crevices and seams in preparation and storage areas; periodically steam cleaning or pressure washing drains, preparation and serving areas, and trash rooms; properly rotating stock; storing materials off of the floor; and minimizing cardboard containers.
Evaluation Factors
IPM is an expert-dependent process that not every pest control service provider can successfully deliver. The concept of best value allows federal buyers to select a contractor with the experience and technical resources to deliver high quality, environmentally preferable pest management services at a reasonable price. Although it is important to tailor technical evaluation factors to each individual acquisition, the factors listed below tend to be universal in the most effective pest control service procurements. Note that it is important to have sufficient subject matter expertise in order to properly evaluate these factors.
- Experience/Past Performance – Offerors must be able to demonstrate fully successful previous experience in delivering pest control service that conforms to IPM principles and procedures and that are comparable to the present acquisition in size, scope, and complexity.
- Operating Plan and Staffing – This factor evaluates the offerors’ proposed resource allocation to accomplish the work, including the education, experience, and certifications of all front line and technical support personnel. A basic requirement is that all personnel providing on-site service must be fully certified as commercial pesticide applicators. It has become standard for larger projects to require a staff entomologist as a full-time contractor employee, who either holds a degree in the field or is registered as a Board Certified Entomologist (BCE).
- Personnel Training – This factor evaluates how the contractor employees keep abreast of technical developments in their field and continually develop their skills.
- Control, Monitoring, and Recordkeeping Protocols – This factor evaluates whether the proposed chemical and non-chemical control products conform to modern IPM standards and whether the planned methods for monitoring and documentation will meet the buyer’s needs.
Where to Buy
Federal agencies may purchase pest management services under GSA's Building Maintenance and Operations BMOS. In addition, Category 325320 includes products that may be used to support pest management services, such as insect repellant, insecticides, insect killers, mouse traps, and roach traps.
While these contracts include basic terms and conditions, the ordering agency is responsible for inserting any additional appropriate green requirements and language into the solicitation. See GSA's Integrated Pest Management Guidance when writing specifications. More information on ordering through GSA Multiple Award Schedules can be found here.
References