Are you ready to stop treating symptoms and start eliminating the root cause of chronic rodent pressure? In the competitive world of pest management, the difference between a good technician and a true professional is the quality of the initial inspection. The field of rodent control has evolved far beyond bait stations and snap traps—it is now a complex, specialized service centered on rodent exclusion and advanced property assessment.
If you’re seeking to level up your pest management career, increase customer retention, and gain the confidence to handle the toughest accounts, then the path forward requires mastering the exterior inspection.
American Pest CEUs is proud to present the definitive online training program: Advanced Exterior Rodent Inspections, taught by industry authority and proven expert, Shaun Reeves. This comprehensive video course is designed specifically for pest professionals who are serious about technical excellence.
Why Traditional Inspections Are Failing (and What You Must Change)
For too long, exterior rodent inspections have been relegated to a quick walk-around, focusing only on the obvious—trash bins and visible droppings. Modern rodent control demands a forensic approach. The reality is that House Mice can squeeze through openings the size of a dime, and Norway Rats need only a quarter-sized gap. If your inspection is missing these critical, subtle entry points, your exclusion work is doomed before it starts.
This is why this in-depth course is not just valuable; it is non-negotiable for today’s successful technician.
Shaun Reeves, with his decades of experience in structural pest control, breaks down the process of a proactive, profitable, and results-driven exterior assessment. This video training goes deep into the principles of structural analysis and rodent behavior, ensuring you transition from reactive technician to a respected rodent exclusion specialist.
What You’ll Master: The Core Pillars of Advanced Exterior Inspection
This intensive video training course focuses on systematically analyzing the building envelope and the surrounding environment, turning every inspection into a comprehensive structural defense plan.
1. Structural Vulnerability Mapping and Entry Point Forensics
The core of the course is learning to think like a rodent. You will discover how to locate and prioritize entry points that most technicians overlook, ensuring permanent results for your clients.
- Utility Penetrations: Master the inspection of gaps around air conditioning lines, gas meters, electrical conduits, and drain pipes. You’ll learn which materials (like copper mesh and specialized foams) provide genuine long-term defense.
- Foundation & Slab Integrity: Identify structural cracks, weep holes, and deterioration where rodents burrow or gain hidden access to wall voids and sub-areas.
- Roofline and High-Point Access: Rats, particularly Roof Rats, are adept climbers. Learn to thoroughly inspect eaves, soffit vents, roof intersections, chimneys, and overhanging tree limbs that act as highways onto structures.
- Doors and Garages: Analyze door sweeps, weather stripping, and the vulnerable points of overhead garage doors where flexibility and movement create opportunities for pest entry.
2. Environmental Factors and Habitat Modification
A successful inspection extends beyond the building itself. Rodents are attracted by harborages and resources in the immediate landscape.
- Sanitation Assessment: Accurately evaluate and provide effective recommendations for waste management, dumpster placement, and eliminating outdoor food sources (bird feeders, pet food).
- Landscaping and Harbourage: Learn to spot how overgrown vegetation, dense ivy, woodpiles, and general debris provide shelter, staging areas, and protected pathways directly to the building.
3. Reading the Sign: Advanced Activity Monitoring
Shaun Reeves shares his expert techniques for interpreting the subtle, high-value evidence that tells you the species, population size, and active pathways of the infestation.
- Gnaw Marks and Rub Marks: Differentiating between fresh and old activity and using rub marks along exterior walls and beams to pinpoint active travel routes.
- Dropping Analysis: Understanding the size, shape, and location of droppings to accurately identify the species (Norway Rat vs. Roof Rat vs. Mouse) and assess the severity of the infestation.
- Non-Toxic Monitoring: Utilizing innovative, non-chemical methods to track movement patterns and confirm entry points before exclusion work begins, increasing accuracy and technician confidence.
The Professional Advantage: Why This Training is Not for CEU Credit
Unlike standard continuing education (CEU) courses which are designed merely to meet regulatory hour requirements, this is a dedicated, in-depth professional training course. Its sole purpose is to transform your skill set and elevate your profitability.
Why Train with Shaun Reeves and American Pest CEUs?
- Unmatched Expertise: Shaun Reeves is renowned for his practical, on-the-ground knowledge and clear teaching style, delivering instruction that is immediately applicable in the field.
- Video Flexibility: This training is delivered entirely via high-definition video, allowing you and your team to watch complex techniques until they are fully mastered. Fit the training into your busiest schedule, learning from the office or the field.
- Immediate Skill Application: You gain a competitive edge by offering a superior service—exclusion—which solves the customer’s problem permanently, leading to fewer callbacks and higher customer satisfaction scores.
In the modern pest control landscape, a robust exterior inspection is the bedrock of a successful, long-term rodent control program. Professionals who master this art command higher value and ensure superior results.
Don’t let inadequate training limit your potential. Take the first step toward becoming an industry leader in rodent exclusion. Visit americanpestceus.com for all your specialized pest control training needs, and enroll in the Advanced Exterior Rodent Inspections course today! Click here to take the one-hour course that will help you level up on rodent inspections.
