6 ways to automate a pest control check

#1 - Simple check

Who it's for: Single-site kitchens that run their own pest checks between contractor visits and want the check on a phone.

What it is: A pest control check is a regular inspection for signs of pest activity. This version is a tick-list of the things to look for: droppings, gnaw marks, insects, intact fly screens and bait stations, entry points, and the bin area, plus a notes field. It's the in-house check that sits between your pest contractor's scheduled visits.

In practice: A kitchen runs the check each morning. The chef walks storage and prep, ticks each item, notes a gap under the back door to seal, and the check is logged. If droppings turn up, the dated record shows exactly when activity started.

Why it works: The list lives on the canvas, so the check covers the same signs every time. The notes field flags activity or entry points to report to the contractor before a one-off becomes an infestation.

Steps included:

• 1 checklist (7 pest activity checks)
• 1 notes field

#2 - With written guidance

Who it's for: Kitchens where the check is run by whoever is on the rota.

What it is: The simple check plus a guidance note: the signs to look for (droppings, gnaw marks, insects, smear marks), where pests get in, and the rule that any activity is reported immediately, since one sighting can close a kitchen.

What it adds to the simple check:

1. Staff know what the signs actually look like
2. The "report any activity at once" rule is in front of them when they check
3. The check is consistent whoever runs it

Why it works: The guidance sits with the list, so whoever runs the check knows what they're looking for as they go. New staff don't learn the signs in a training session weeks ago; they read them on the screen as they work.

Steps included:

• 1 guidance note (the signs to look for, report any activity immediately)
• 1 checklist (7 pest activity checks)
• 1 notes field

#3 - With a signature

Who it's for: Kitchens where the daily check needs a name against it, or multi-site groups where head office wants to know who signed off each site's check.

What it is: A signed pest check is the simple check plus a signature captured at sign-off. The 7 tasks and the notes field stay the same; the signature confirms who did the check and when they signed it.

In practice: A kitchen with a rotating morning shift. Whoever checks works the 7-item list, notes anything suspicious, and signs. The next day the manager knows exactly who to ask about the note, not just that someone left one.

What it adds to the simple check:

1. A signature naming who did the check, captured at sign-off
2. A record of when the check was signed, next to what was ticked
3. Accountability without asking anyone to take a photo

Why it works: The name goes on the record at the moment the work finishes, not from memory later. When the contractor needs to know who spotted the activity, the answer is right there.

Steps included:

• 1 checklist (7 pest activity checks)
• 1 notes field
• 1 signature (sign-off)

#4 - With photo evidence

Who it's for: Teams that want a photo record of pest activity or bait stations, for the contractor, the EHO, or their own records.

What it is: The simple check plus a photo of a bait station or monitor point, capturing any signs of pest activity in the check. A photo lets your contractor assess the problem before they visit and shows an inspector you act on what you find.

What it adds to the simple check:

1. A photo of the bait station or monitor point, captured at the time
2. Evidence the contractor can act on remotely
3. A record that shows you respond to what you find

Why it works: A photo of the actual spot is far more useful than a note, both for getting the right response and for proving you didn't ignore it. A single, specific spot like one bait station is easy to shoot and easy to check.

Steps included:

• 1 checklist (7 pest activity checks)
• 1 notes field
• 1 photo of a bait station or monitor point

#5 - With Poppi checking the photo

Who it's for: Teams where the bait station photo gets taken but nobody reviews it. Multi-site groups where head office can't look at every photo every day.

What it is: A photo-checked pest check is the simple check plus a photo of a bait station or monitor point that Poppi (AI) reviews the moment it's saved. Poppi answers one question about that photo, set by you: does the bait station or monitor point show no signs of pest activity? A single named spot is something an AI can actually judge, where a wide shot of the whole area is not. If the answer is no, Poppi posts what it spotted to the team chat, so the problem gets flagged before everyone leaves.

In practice: A three-site restaurant group checks before opening at 6am. The opening manager photographs the prep-area bait station as always. Poppi reads the photo: station intact, no activity visible. Verdict yes, and nothing changes. On a rushed Monday the photo shows droppings near the station. Poppi answers no and posts the reason to the team chat ("The photo shows pest droppings near the bait station"). The manager addresses it and retakes the photo before opening.

What it adds to the simple check:

1. A photo of the bait station or monitor point that gets checked the moment it's saved, not just stored
2. A team chat message with Poppi's reason the moment pest activity is found in the photo
3. The manager stops being the only person who ever looks at the photos

Why it works: The check happens in the seconds between the photo being taken and the team leaving the area. That's the only moment the problem is still cheap to fix. A manager reviewing photos later can only record that there was activity; Poppi catching it at 6am gets it addressed before opening.

Steps included:

• 1 checklist (7 pest activity checks)
• 1 notes field
• 1 photo of a bait station or monitor point
• 1 Poppi decision (judges the photo against your question)
• 1 Poppi action (posts to the team chat if signs of pest activity are found)

#6 - With a team alert if the check runs late

Who it's for: Kitchens where daily pest checks must be done by opening time. Sites in shared buildings or chains where a missed check risks an EHO fine, and places where opening-time pressure causes the check to get skipped.

What it is: A late-check alert is the simple check plus a Poppi (AI) action set to the workflow's end time. If the pest checks aren't finished by opening time, Poppi posts a message in the Pilla team chat so the outstanding checks get done before service starts. It watches the end time, so it catches the check that quietly got skipped in the morning rush, not just the one that never started.

In practice: A 12-site hotel group does daily pest checks before kitchen opening at 6am. On a busy Monday the team is setting up and it's easy to skip the checks or leave them half-done. With this version, if the check isn't completed by 6am, the team chat gets a message, so the shift lead catches the unfinished checks that morning rather than an EHO finding them in an inspection.

What it adds to the simple check:

1. A message in the team chat if the check isn't finished on time
2. A catch for the check that got abandoned in the opening rush, not just the one that was skipped
3. A record of when the check should have been done, next to when it was
4. The manager finds out that morning, not from a compliance review

Why it works: The alert is tied to opening time, so an unfinished check raises its own hand. Nobody has to notice it's missing; the deadline does.

Steps included:

• 1 checklist (7 pest activity checks)
• 1 notes field
• 1 Poppi action (posts to the team chat if the check isn't finished by opening time)

How to pick the right version

You don't need to know our product to choose. Every version here is the simple check plus one addition, so pick the additions your kitchen actually needs.

Do other people run the check?

If you check yourself and know the signs, the plain list is enough: #1. The moment rota staff check, the signs need to be on the screen: #2.

Does the check need a name against it?

If knowing it was done is enough, skip this one. If you want who signed it off on the record, #3 adds a signature.

Do you need photo proof?

A ticked checklist says the work was done; a photo shows it. If you want visual evidence of a bait station or monitor, #4 adds a photo.

Does anyone actually look at the photos?

If a manager genuinely reviews every photo, #4's record is enough. If photos get taken and filed unseen, #5 has Poppi (AI) check each one as it's saved and tell the team chat when something's wrong.

Does the check have to be finished by opening time?

If a tired morning team sometimes leaves the check incomplete or skipped, #6 posts a message to the team chat when the deadline passes with the check unfinished.

Need more than one addition? Open the version with the addition that matters most in the playground and add the others as steps. That's how the product works anyway: every option here is one step added to the same list.

Related workflows

• Waste management training - the waste handling that keeps pests away
• Workplace safety walk - the wider walk-round the pest check fits into
• Food safety audit - where pest control is one of the audited areas

Conclusion

Pests are one of the fastest ways to lose your rating or close your doors. Daily recorded checks catch activity early and show an EHO you monitor between contractor visits. Every version above is the same simple check plus one addition: guidance, a signature, a photo, Poppi (AI) checking the photo, or an opening-time alert. Pick the ones your kitchen needs and combine them in the playground.

→ Build your own pest control check on Pilla.