What is The Best Way To Prevent Pest Infestations?

Pest infestations are never nice, but for businesses, they can be detrimental. With safety, stock, finances and reputation on the line, knowing what is the best way to prevent pest infestations could save your business thousands.

This guide will cover what is the best way to prevent pest infestations and how maintaining high standards and best practices contribute to a pest-free environment.

Why is pest prevention crucial for businesses?

Pest infestations put your business at risk of violating health acts, including the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and The Food Safety Act 1990. Failure to meet health standards risks fines, closure of your business and even prison time.

So, like anything, prevention is better than a cure. Maintaining high standards and keeping on top of preventative measures will reduce the risk of a pest problem.

Common pests in commercial properties

The most common pests found in commercial spaces are rodents, birds, insects, flies, and stored product pests. Rodents are most common in urban areas, especially where food is present. As well as contaminating spaces, they can chew through wires and create fire hazards. Insects like cockroaches and ants thrive in dirtier and humid environments and are known to spread bacteria making them especially dangerous in food-handling environments.

Pests spread disease, contaminate products, and cause damage to your property and reputation. If your business deals with food commercially, then a pest issue could shut you down for good.

Maintain a clean environment

One of the easiest ways to prevent pest infestations is to maintain a clean environment. Pests are attracted to the easy access of food and waste. Ensure surfaces are kept clean, bins are emptied regularly and access to food is avoided or limited.

Waste management

It is essential that all businesses have a waste management system to maintain hygiene standards and reduce the risk of pest infestations in commercial properties. That means adhering to best practices for disposing of waste, using secure rubbish bins and bags, and outsourcing cleaning and waste removal when you do not have the facilities to do so.

Regular cleaning

To prevent pest infestations, you should also prioritise the regular cleaning of high-traffic areas. Cleaning common, busy areas such as kitchens, bathrooms, and break areas frequently throughout the day prevents the build-up of dirt, waste, and rubbish that attracts pests.

Reduce pest entry opportunities

It is important to assess possible entry risks in your building the same way you would conduct any health & safety risk assessment. This means thoroughly inspecting your building and taking active measures to minimise entry opportunities. For example, you can reduce pest entry risks by:

Identifying holes, gaps, and cracks in your building that pests could enter from.
Repairing any damage to your building as soon as it is identified.
Maintaining the landscape that could serve to assist pest entry into your property, such as overhanging trees or overgrown bushes.
Removing or monitoring standing water that could attract pests and insects.
Conducting regular inspections of at-risk areas as part of your building maintenance.

Identify warning signs

By conducting regular inspections of your property, you’ll be able to identify the warning signs that you may have an unwanted visitor before it becomes a serious problem.

Actively look for signs of pests and infestation, such as droppings, odours, gnaw marks and nesting materials in small spaces. Ensure that spaces such as cupboards, storerooms, drains and ventilation systems are proactively cleaned and checked on a regular basis.

Educate staff

Preventing pests in the workplace is a team effort. Employees should be trained and educated on how they can contribute to workplace hygiene and waste management practices. Employees can also be trained to identify warning signs of pests and should be encouraged to report possible sightings immediately.

Invest in quality pest control

The best way to prevent pest infestations in your commercial property is to partner with a specialised pest control partner like Samsic. Commercial pest control companies have specialised equipment and expertise to clean and inspect areas that you can’t reach.

Samsic

Samsic’s pest control services are designed to tailor proactive and reactive pest control measures to your business’ needs. Samsic’s pest control specialists identify the cause, eliminate the problem and work to reduce the risk of recurrence. Trusted by organisations such as Clarion Housing Group, and London’s Broadgate Estate, Samsic delivers reliable and comprehensive pest management solutions.

As your pest control partner, Samsic’s innovative pest control technology helps to protect your company’s health and reputation.