Background of introduction: From Monthly Surveys to Real-Time Monitoring
Previously, monitoring primarily involved monthly site visits to collect insect capture sheets from light traps, count and identify insects, and check bait consumption by rodents (rats) and captures in sticky traps. This method only allowed for estimation of rodent intrusion or insect outbreak timing based on the collected data, leading to a time lag between problem occurrence and a solution.
Furthermore, to meet the on-site need for early problem detection, countermeasures, and even preventive measures, there were instances where the only option was to increase the frequency of inspections, relying on sheer manpower. This was because a monthly survey might not be sufficient, considering the breeding cycles of rodents and insects. This required a significant amount of time and effort.
To address these issues, Pescle Rodents (rodent detection system) and Pescle Insects (flying insect monitoring system) were introduced with the goals of enabling early investigation and countermeasures, improving quality, and saving labor.
1. Pescle Rodents (Rodent Detection)
Conventional rodent intrusion surveys mainly relied on methods such as checking the consumption of rodenticides or non-toxic baits (primarily in attics and the external environment around buildings), sticky traps, or visual inspection for traces (rat signs).
Rodents are highly cautious and do not easily approach traps, so it was not uncommon for it to take several months from understanding their behavior to extermination. Additionally, traditional trail cameras used for video surveys required someone to physically go and check the footage.This was especially time-consuming and labor-intensive in hard-to-access areas like attics. Such investigations in attics, whether involving traps or cameras, also posed occupational safety risks for workers.
From a quality assurance perspective, resolving rodent problems is an essential task that cannot be postponed. Pescle Rodents was a very attractive tool as it could overcome the drawbacks of these conventional methods while objectively proving the effectiveness of early rodent detection and countermeasures.
2. Pescle Insects (Flying Insect Monitoring)
Traditional flying insect surveys involved collecting insect trap sheets during monthly visits, with company staff or specialized inspectors identifying insect species and counting the captures. This inevitably led to a certain time lag, and information on the exact timing of insect outbreaks could not be obtained, which was one of the challenges as it could delay cause investigation.
In environments requiring high levels of hygiene management, such as food and pharmaceutical factories, the source of insect outbreaks must be identified promptly. Delays in the initial response can lead to missed opportunities for optimal pest control measures, increasing the risk of foreign object contamination, which can damage the company's image and lead to financial losses.
While there were cases where client factory staff (including quality assurance personnel and production managers) frequently checked insect traps outside of regular inspections for early problem detection, this required a significant amount of time and imposed a certain burden.
Pescle Insects, a tool capable of remotely monitoring insect activity and capture status in real-time, was appealing as a new approach to these challenges.
Implementation Effects
1. Pescle Rodents (Rodents)
The introduction of Pescle Rodents has enabled real-time detection of rodent intrusion trends, allowing for rapid problem identification and early countermeasures. Furthermore, the advanced technology combining AI and sensor cameras has maintained the quality of investigations while reducing labor and improving investigation speed, leading to swift action.
*Clear Proof of Intrusion Status: Objective video evidence can be obtained, allowing for a clearer demonstration of the effectiveness of countermeasures.
*Rapid Rodent Discovery and Early Countermeasures: Real-time monitoring allows for immediate detection of rodent intrusion. This has significantly sped up the process of understanding rodent activity, which previously took several months, enabling early countermeasures.
*Improved Safety and Reduced Labor: Investigations can now be conducted safely and efficiently even in hard-to-access areas, reducing worker burden and ensuring safety.
2. Pescle Insects (Flying Insect Monitoring)
With Pescle Insects, the status of flying insect outbreaks can now be grasped in real-time through video, enabling swift countermeasures similar to those for rodents. Automatic hourly photography and counting contribute to identifying outbreak timing and reduce the workload for customers. When used in conjunction with conventional methods, it achieves both accuracy and speed, leading to improved food safety and customer trust.
*Accurate Grasp of Outbreak Status and Swift Response: Hourly automatic photography allows for the understanding of the number of captured insects and their approximate types from the image data. This leads to early detection of on-site abnormalities and enables swift countermeasures. Furthermore, since images of insect capture sheets, capture counts, and occurrence dates/times are logged, the timing of outbreaks can be anticipated. This allows for the formulation of effective countermeasures based on more accurate cause analysis.
*Improved Speed and Accuracy through Combined Use with Conventional Methods: By using Pescle Insects in conjunction with conventional visual inspections and monitoring surveys, more effective flying insect countermeasures that leverage the advantages of each method have been realized. Combining the rapid response of real-time monitoring with the detailed and accurate analysis of conventional methods achieves both precision and speed in flying insect countermeasures.
*Reduced Customer Workload: Eliminating the need for daily or frequent insect trap checks has significantly reduced the workload for client factory staff, allowing them to concentrate on their primary duties.
Future Outlook: Promoting the Digitization of Pest Control
(From left: Mr. Enomoto from RYODEN Corporation, Chief Kaneko, Chief Tamura, and Chief Seki from Earth Environmental Service, Mr. Nishikawa and Mr. Maeda from RYODEN Corporation)
In addition to monitoring rodent and flying insect traps, Earth Environmental Service aims to further advance its pest control operations and overall quality assurance support services by actively incorporating IoT technology.
They anticipate further development, such as strengthening data sharing and analysis functions by linking "ESCOEVO," Earth Environmental Service's operational system for centralized hygiene management information, with Pescle.
From the Pescle Team
The Earth Environmental Service Nagoya Branch provided feedback for improvements, including reducing false positives for Pescle Rodents, adding an insect size determination function and enhancing waterproofing for Pescle Insects, and improving UI usability.
The Pescle development team will address this feedback by working on functional improvements from both hardware and software perspectives, contributing to the realization of even greater food safety through the evolution of pest control operations.