During the winter months, multiple year-end priorities could put pest control on the back burner. This is probably due to the fact that pest species do not come out during the colder months, right? Wrong answer. Pest species are opportunistic — when they see your employees enjoying the heat inside (and possibly holiday treats in the break room), you can be sure they’ll want to join the festivities.
What might seem at first like a small amount of harmless pest species can quickly turn into a major infestation if they sneak into your business or even worse, if your customers are faced with it. Here’s an overview of the most common pest species in winter and tips for detecting their presence in your workplace.
- Rodents
Rats can sneak into openings as small as a twenty-five penny, and mice need even less space. This is why it is imperative to:
- Seal all openings (even the smallest ones) to the outside, including cracks in the exterior cladding of your building, worn door and window seals, damaged mosquito nets, damaged areas on the roof or even ventilation openings without mosquito nets.
- Keep busy areas, such as waiting rooms, break rooms and washrooms clean and free of waste.
- Check for dark and uncrowded areas, as well as warehouses, electrical or mechanical rooms that are not often used to detect signs of rodents, such as feces or gnawing.
- Cockroaches
Cockroaches love the heat of summer. Unfortunately, they can’t go on the go to get grilled on the beaches during the winter months. As a result, they tend to sneak into more humid indoor areas, such as washrooms, break rooms, and kitchens. To stop cockroaches in their tracks:
- Seal all openings around windows, cracks and crevices on interior and exterior walls, and all openings around utility lines.
- Keep washrooms and kitchens as low as possible and be sure to check if your sinks and faucets are leaking.
- Make sure that all floor drains have a mesh and are in good condition, as drains and plumbing pipes are common entry points for cockroaches.
- Store food in airtight, sealed containers at a distance of at least 25 cm from the floor and exterior walls.
- Eliminate clutter that can provide places of refuge and do thorough and consistent waste management.
- Bed bugs
Do you believe that bed bugs only affect hotels? Think again! These sneaky pests can sneak into your establishment through your customers’ or employees’ clothes, backpacks and suitcases (it’s the holiday travel season). To keep them away, keep the laundry – including soiled towels used for cleaning – in sealed bags until it is washed and remember to vacuum regularly. When it comes to bed bug, you can never be too careful. It will be very useful to engage bed bug control services to prevent it from worsening or spreading to other parts of your house. Keep an eye out for:
- Dead or living insects (not to mention dead skin left behind)
- Tiny black or brown spots on upholstered furniture
- An unpleasant smell of withdrawn – similar to coriander – produced by the olfactory glands of bedbugs
- In non-hotel businesses, pay attention to places like changing rooms, fitting rooms, dining rooms, offices, and places where mechanical vehicles, such as forklifts, are operated.
- Try effective bed bug treatment tips or call pest control specialists.
- Wintering insects
Although they are not harmful to humans, insects such as wood bugs, pollenia flies and ground beetles are considered a nuisance. These pests are attracted to the indoor heat and look for places to winter and find refuge as temperatures drop. People are often surprised to find them near windows and other light sources on hot, sunny days, as they are attracted to places with direct sunlight. To prevent these pests from spoiling your indoor relaxation plans:
- Seal all openings around foundations, cracks and crevices near door and window frames, ventilation openings, and windows and doors without mosquito nets that can provide easy access for these pests.
- If your facility has a history of pest species or wintering insects, preventive measures should be implemented as soon as possible before the start of the internal migration of these insects by having a certified pest control professional perform residual treatments outdoors.
When it comes to keeping pests out of your business during the colder months, it’s essential to be proactive with prevention, but also take action immediately as soon as a problem is detected. For more information on identifying, habits and preventing pest species, contact termite control Singapore professionals today.