By Thorn Team • Jul 18th 2022
For anyone who finds themselves in need of pest control, we want you to know: Pest control shouldn't overtake your life!
Dealing with a pest infestation can be scary and stressful. With the wide array of information available today, it can be hard to know what's worth the effort and what's a waste of time (and money). This is especially true when it comes to commercial pest control.
Commercial properties have a knack for presenting some of the most perplexing pest issues possible. These sticky pest situations might be found in any number of locations and industries, including:
- Apartments and other multi-family dwellings
- Restaurants and food processing facilities
- Health-care facilities and hospitals
- Lodging and hotel industry
- Schools and colleges
- Office buildings
- Retail locations
If you have suddenly found yourself smack in the middle of a pest control problem in your commercial space, it's important that you react accordingly, or the problem could become more difficult to solve in the long run.
As a business owner or manager, you want to keep your customers happy, especially in the age of online reviews. The last thing you want is an upset customer blasting your business online for a pest nightmare that could have been avoided all along.
Be pro-active in keeping pests away so you can focus on what matters: running your business.
In order to protect your reputation, pest control information needs to be accessible, easy to understand and simple to implement. Nothing should hold you back from solving your pest problems the right way.
Historically, there's been lots of information on commercial pest control available for pest professionals, but there's not a lot of resources out there specifically for commercial pest control clients. Thorn Pest Solutions is here to change that.
Do you need more information about formulating a commercial pest control plan specific to your property or business? Not sure how to find the right pest control company? That's why we wrote "Here to Help", an easy-to-use quick reference commercial pest control guide.
While the book dives into all you need to know about solving pest issues in your commercial spaces, we don't overcomplicate things. Here to Help is a reliable source full of easy to apply information for tackling your commercial pest control needs. Interested in adding our book to your library? Buy it here.
If you find pests, don't panic! Address commercial pest problems with a methodical and calculated approach.
Think about the pest activity from several angles and seek to pinpoint and address the various factors that could be causing (or worsening) the issue. By responding to pest concerns this way, you'll increase the effectiveness of treatment while reducing the need for unnecessary chemical treatments. This process is called integrated pest management or IPM. IPM is a systematic and assessment-based approach to pest control that focuses on specific pest biology.
No matter the business you run, the key to success in your commercial pest control setting is your employees.
Many employees don't report pest activity. This is not a good thing! Make sure to keep the lines of communication open between you and your employees. Make sure they know what to look for and how to report it to you so you can stay on top of any problems that might come up.
Multi-family dwellings present their own unique set of pest control circumstances. Much to the delight of many pests, apartments and other multi-family living situations present several ideal conditions that aid in the spread of pests.
For starters, lots of people living in close proximity increases the chances of pests spreading. Factor in utility lines that allow pests to easily move from apartment to apartment as well as potential sanitary issues and tenant turnover and you have the perfect pest control storm brewing.
With so many potential challenges, it's very important to formulate a well-rounded pest control program that prevents pests from entering, detects them quickly, and controls them adequately.
If you own a multi-family dwelling, you may see some of the following pest issues:
- Cockroaches
- Bed bugs
- Rodents
- Ants
The presence of food is always a potential pest attractant. Restaurants provide a food-filled, moist environment where people are in and out and pests will happily multiply if given the chance. Even grease accumulating in a floor drain is enough to cause a pest issue, so don't overlook anything when considering what might be the source of your pest problem.
If you own or operate a restaurant, you may very well be dealing with:
- Flies
- Rodents
- Roaches
- Ants
Keep in mind that anywhere there's food, there very well could be pests. Food processing facilities are different than restaurants and more commonly deal with pantry pests and rodents. There is very little tolerance for pest presence in food processing plants meaning an effective regular pest control program is vitally important to keeping your food processing areas running in tip-top shape.
Anytime people are coming and going, they could be carrying and spreading pests and disease. Combine this with shared beds and the presence of food and the chances of a pest issue go up significantly.
In hospitals and healthcare, you're most likely to see the following pests causing headaches for staff and patients:
- Flies
- Ants
- Rodents
- Bed bugs
- Mice
- German cockroaches
As with any pest control plan, managing pests in a hospital or health-care facility should involve as little chemical application as possible. Depending on the circumstances, non-chemical control methods may include sanitation, vacuuming, heat treating or sealing out pests.
Like other commercial pest control scenarios, anytime you have regular customer turnover (and bed sharing) the possibility of spreading pests increases. Food could be left behind in rooms, leaky pipes can create moisture issues, and plumbing and electrical lines can become pest highways.
The following pests can cause serious problems in hotels:
- Mice and rats
- Ants
- Cockroaches
- Bed bugs
Finding the right company to work around the needs to your hotel or lodging business is important. In these situations, professionalism and discretion are of utmost importance, so make sure you're prepared to find the right pest pros to help with your issue.
Schools present some tricky pest control circumstances. With people (especially children) going in and out all day and large amounts of food on-site, you have the makings of a potential commercial pest issue.
Budget constraints are a concern when it comes to pest management in a school setting, meaning programs need to be designed well while keeping cost in mind.
In your school, you may be finding evidence of:
- Rodents
- Ants
- Bed bugs
- Cockroaches
- Flies
Don't panic but understand that the surrounding conditions must be handled in a way that will get the job done as fast as possible while also reducing any potential risks to your students.
Anywhere people are working and eating, there's a potential for pests. Attractive landscaping is also a welcome condition for pests who will happily take up residence in the vegetation surrounding your office building.
Each office building is different, meaning each office building needs its own specifically designed pest control program.
You might be seeing:
- Centipedes, millipedes or earwigs
- Flies
- Rodents (mice or rats)
- Bed bugs
- Ants
No matter the pest present, a well-designed and thorough pest control plan can do wonders for eliminating your office pest control woes so you and your employees can get back to the work you love.
Pests don't care if your store is big or small. They're just on the lookout for food, shelter and water and with deliveries and customers constantly coming and going, stores offer ample opportunities for pests to capitalize on.
While ants and mice create much of the pest issues for retail locations, other pests such as bed bugs and roaches have also been known to create problems.
Thorn Pest Solutions is all about bringing people peace of mind when it comes to pest control.
Whether you'd like to schedule a consultation in St. George for your business or you're located elsewhere and need to collaborate on an efficient pest control program, we're here to help!
We'd be happy to schedule a call with you to discuss the specifics of your pest problem, and don't forget to grab a copy of "Here to Help: Pest Management Solutions for Commercial Properties". We promise it will be a valuable resource for you during your pest control journey.
Thorn is a Utah local pest management company. We are a QualityPro certified company which is a prestigious accreditation awarded too less than 3% of the pest management companies in the US.
Thorn is a Utah local pest management company. We are a QualityPro certified company which is a prestigious accreditation awarded too less than 3% of the pest management companies in the US.