When running a business, the last thing you want to deal with on top of all of your other responsibilities is a pest issue.
There is no other way out than to tackle this menace with an iron hand because pests are one of the biggest nuisances that you encounter while moving into a new place and while the pest control service can be hired to take care of them, there are still many of them out there thereby making it a never ending issue but still, let’s see where this article goes.
While a pest management service provider can easily help you manage any pest issues you may have, it’s also important to be able to identify when you have an actual pest problem. In today’s blog, we look at some of the warning signs to look out for that could mean you’re facing a pest infestation.
Termites
If your business premises has any wood in its main structure, then you have the potential of being vulnerable to termites. However, termites also tend to leave behind some clear signs, which means if you look out for them, you should be able to assess an infestation issue fairly easily.
First and foremost, consider checking the foundations of your premises. Termites tend to start from the bottom and work their way upwards. Along with foundations, also look around your flooring and around window-sills.
What you should be looking out for are things such as signs of damage to wood (it’ll typically look brittle and hollowed), lumps of sawdust, termite wings and any dead termites themselves. If you see any of these, then it’s highly likely you have a termite issue and will need to have it addressed ASAP by a pest management professional.
Rodents
Rodents can be a true concern for both commercial properties and residential properties this time of year. In fact, the majority of rodent infestations tend to occur during autumn and winter, when rats and mice are seeking shelter from the cooler conditions outside.
Like many pests, rodents will aim to avoid contact with humans where possible. Because of this, they frequently set up home in both the roofs and walls of buildings. As they’re active at night, this is when they will move out of their abode and potentially scavenge for food inside your property. This means that if they can climb up somewhere, they’ll do it, which could lead to them leaving bacteria and droppings across your floors, tables, benches, etc. – provided they can reach them.
Rodents can also cause damage to your property, unafraid of gnawing and scratching away at doors, plaster and electrical wires. As a result, the damage they’re responsible for can go beyond cosmetic. If they manage to gnaw through a number of electrical wires, this could severely damage equipment that is essential to your business operations.
To identify a rodent issue, keep an eye out for rat droppings, damage to doors and electrical wires (especially keep an eye on the bottom of doors) and listen out for sounds in your roofs/walls both during the day and at night. Last but not least, if you actually see a rodent scurrying around your premises, then it’s time to call in the professionals.
Ants and cockroaches
Ants and cockroaches are two commonly dreaded pests that tend to infest both businesses and homes. The issue with both is that it can be hard to identify an infestation. With cockroaches, for example, for each one you see, there’s the potential that hundreds more could be living in the inside of your walls – it’s simply that you’ll rarely ever see any of them.
Similarly, ants can be fairly stealthy with their behaviour. The main times you’ll be able to easily identify them is when you see them in groups, potentially looking for food on your premises. That said, ants can also hide in walls and even build nests in there. Like cockroaches, even if they are living in your walls, there may not be any obvious signs that otherwise indicate this.
For the most part, both ants and cockroaches tend to enjoy moist dark places. Ants will also enjoy garbage bins and cockroaches tend to hide underneath/behind heavy furniture or even live in tiny cracks in your premises and wait until nightfall to head out and search for food.
As it can be harder to identify and infestation of either kind, it’s a good idea to have an pest inspection performed regardless, just in case they are living in hard-to-spot places.
