Fall means school days, cooler weather, changing leaves, pumpkin spice, football and . . . pests? Much like people, when the temperatures drop, some pests look for warmer, cozier places to hang out. This means that pests could be looking to creep into your place of business when you aren’t looking.

Fall Pests That May Try to Enter Your Business

Rodents

Rats and mice look for warm places to feed and breed when cold weather hits. T hey can get into commercial spaces through surprisingly small cracks and holes. The problem with that is that rodents can carry pathogens that may cause disease, and they can leave behind unsanitary droppings, which can contaminate products or equipment. These droppings can also threaten the health and safety of workers, customers and visitors. What’s more, rodents can cause dam age and potential profit loss by gnawing on merchandise, packaging, equipment, electrical wiring and even structures.  Fortunately, a commercial pest control partner can help with proper application of snap traps designed to catch rodents, baits to monitor and kill populations, and make recommendations to improve structural defects to help prevent entry into the structure.

Cockroaches

Since cockroaches largely live in the dark, you may not notice their increased numbers this fall until they’ve established a large infestation. In fact, they can be present in populations of hundreds and even thousands, crawling under cracks and crevices. Cockroaches can be vectors for harmful bacteria, including E. coli a nd Salmonella, and they can trigger allergens and allergy symptoms in some people. They often live and breed in and around natural materials that are found in many commercial environments, including wood and cardboard. In addition to entering through tiny spaces, cockroaches can hitchhike into businesses through shipments and deliveries. Terminix® Commercial offers an effective 5-Step Commercial Cockroach Control System that includes:

  1. Removing accessible cockroaches by vacuum to reduce populations
  2. Treating hard-to-reach areas where cockroaches live
  3. Preemptively treating the cracks and crevices where cockroaches often hide
  4. Using bait to kill all stages of cockroaches still present
  5. Applying insect growth regulators for long-term control 

Wildlife

Rats and mice aren’t the only small critters that may seek warmth and comfort at your establishment during fall months. Many commercial properties can attract nuisance pests, like raccoons, squirrels, bats and other small animals. Wildlife can damage your property and their droppings can contaminate your storage or living spaces. Terminix Commercial Wildlife and Exclusion services can help by:

  1. Finding entry points and making recommendations for exclusion
  2. Catching offenders by using proper traps and bait stations

Make It Your Business to Keep Fall Pests Out

You don’t have to put up with pests disrupting your business this fall. Here are some pest control tips to help keep pests from bugging your customers and employees:

  1. Look for signs of pest activity. Just because you don’t see the actual pest doesn’t mean you don’t have an infestation. Keep an eye out for droppings and gnawing damage to merchandise and structures, among other signs that a commercial pest control partner can help you identify.
  2. Seal gaps, cracks and holes in building s. Check weather stripping for breakage and deterioration.
  3. Keep the exterior of your property free of debris, including dead leaves and wood. Keep grass around structures mowed, have trees and shrubbery trimmed back and have your gutters cleared often.
  4. Keep food storage areas, dining areas and break rooms clean. Wipe up spills and leaks immediately to remove water and food sources. Make sure all trash receptacles stay covered with properly fitting lids.
  5. Get a free estimate from a licensed commercial pest control company. Without proper knowledge and training, pest infestations can be tricky for business owners to try to control and prevent themselves. By the time a business owner becomes aware of a pest problem, the infestation may be large and difficult to completely remove.

DIY pest control solutions can be time consuming to apply and are often unsuccessful. In addition to addressing current problems, commercial pest control companies, like Terminix Commercial, also use barriers and address ways to discourage future infestations from establishing, including education and pest prevention tips.

 

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