Like homes, businesses require pest control services to keep infestations to a minimum. Prevention and management are crucial to maintaining a healthy and safe environment for employees. Arizona’s summer temperatures draw insects and critters out of their homes as they search for food, water and shelter.
Although insects don’t discriminate, there are five places of business that bugs are drawn to: restaurants, fast-food chains, convenience stores, hotels and offices. Each has its own “draw” to insects but every one of them needs regular commercial pest control services.
Restaurants are probably the most common type of business that people associate with pests and critters. Due to the copious amounts of food, restaurants become a hotbed for ants, cockroaches, flies and rats. Although many restaurants maintain cleaning standards and exceed health code regulations, trash can attract pests that find their way into the establishment. The same can be said about fast-food chains. The combination of food, kitchen waste, small spaces and inner-city locations attract pests and critters alike. These establishments need to ensure surfaces are wiped down daily, floors are swept and mopped, and dishes are washed and put away daily. Food should be stored away appropriately and there should be no standing water left in sinks.
Like restaurants and fast-food chains, convenience stores can be seen as an all-you-can-eat buffet for insects. The junk foods that are high in sugar are delicious food sources for bugs, and restrooms that aren’t maintained and cleaned on a regular basis create the perfect, yet filthy, environment where cockroaches thrive. Taking the trash out regularly and keeping a strict cleaning schedule are helpful preventive measures to keep bugs away.
Hotels have many hiding spaces for bugs to make a home. Bed bugs are the most common problem hotels face. As one of the hardest pests to get rid of due to their ability to multiply quickly, it takes only one person to bring in a bedbug on their bags or clothes to start finding more than one room infested with the little bugs. Vacuuming and changing the linens regularly can help prevent bedbugs, as can wiping down all surfaces, including headboards, bed frames and bedside tables.
Our standard business office is also prone to insect problems. Employees can leave food particles and trash behind on counters or desks. Cluttered storage closets or desks create perfect hiding spaces for cockroaches and mice. It’s important to make sure all trash is picked up, food is stored away and storage closets are organized neatly. A regularly scheduled custodian can help control pests.
Ultimately, incorporating pest control into your spring cleaning is critical for the growth of your business. A pest-free workplace environment is essential for the health and safety of employees, the protection of property and equipment, the reputation of the business and compliance with legal regulations. Hiring a professional to come into your business regularly is an easy way to get a jump start on spring cleaning and will only positively impact your business.
Ben and Jenny McAvoy are co-founders of Insectek Pest Solutions, a locally owned and operated pest control company serving the Metropolitan Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, and Gilbert areas. With two decades of combined experience, the Insectek team knows a thing or two about the rodents and insects that invade Valley homes and businesses. Offering an integrated pest management process that is customized for every home or business, Insectek serves customers through its Insectek 365 Pest Prevention Program offering monthly, bimonthly or quarterly services.
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