You might be familiar with pests at home or have even encountered a pest infestation in the past.
But when it comes to pests on commercial property, the thought can be quite shuddering. Imagine seeing cockroaches and rodents in restaurants and hospitals or ants and mosquitoes in schools. It’s not a pretty picture at all.
Unfortunately, the risk for an infestation in commercial areas is high.
However, there’s hope where there’s pest infestation. The presence of the pest control industry – a vital factor in people’s health and safety – will effectively exterminate and prevent pest infestation in commercial areas. Its importance is well established in business and is quite significant that the industry in the United States grew by 4.6% from 2016 to 2021.
Common Pests in the Commercial Property
Even when you don’t see it, pests in commercial establishments abound.
Yes, there are rodents, microbial pests, and more troublesome creatures scurrying about in your favorite mall, restaurant, and even in hospitals and schools. The abundance of food and water, plus warmth and dark spaces in buildings, make a good formula for pest infestation.
So, what are the most common pests that you might or might not see in commercial places?
- Rodents. Rodents may be the top pest you don’t want to deal with. They contaminate food and everything they touch easily, causing a number of serious diseases. Moreover, they reproduce quickly and can damage commercial property severely. They love hiding in areas you don’t frequently check, such as storage areas and inside the walls, so you might not easily see them.
- Roaches. Like rodents, roaches are also disease carriers. And they mass reproduce as well. These reasons make them a top pest to steer clear of. Unfortunately, they love dark and moist places in business establishments – the perfect breeding place for vermin.
- Ants. Where there’s food, there are ants. Thus, they are prevalent in restaurants, hospital kitchens, patient rooms, and school cafeterias. Unfortunately, their small size makes it easy to overlook them. But when they come in hoards, they can be unstoppable. Not only will they go for your food, but they can also bite you and cause localized urticaria.
- Birds. Many may not call them pests, but when birds cause damage to roofs, they are considered vermin to commercial properties. This damage may come from flying through the roof or creating nests on rooftops, which leads to the accumulation of corrosive droppings on the building.
- Flies. Flies are not just a nuisance; they also pose a risk to human health. Unfortunately, food attracts them. And food is quite abundant in business establishments like restaurants and commercial properties’ kitchens.
- Termites. Termites are no strangers to buildings, and they are pretty destructive. They will feed on wood and other materials that contain cellulose for years without being detected. Thus, they can cause extensive damage to commercial properties. So, it is essential to identify their presence and use adequate measures to eliminate them and keep them out.
The entry points for these pests are through windows, doors, vents, pipes, walls and ceilings of commercial spaces. Therefore, it is crucial to keep these parts of the building clean and secure.
Thankfully, the health sector is strict in implementing sanitary regulations in the commercial industry for the general public’s safety. If you don’t get rid of pests, you will receive sanctions.
Thus, you need to immediately call the best pest control company and let them handle the problem at the first sign of pests.
Commercial Pest Control Services
With the variety of pests found in commercial buildings, professional pest control services use a customized approach to get to the root of the problem and solve the infestation.
The process is tailored specifically for the type of business in the building and the kind of pest involved. After consultation and inspection, extermination and treatment are scheduled as soon as possible at the most convenient time, usually at night when business hours are over.
And what are the services that expert exterminators use in commercial buildings? These pest control services include the following:
Structural Treatment
Using hot water or products to kill pests on surfaces is one way of dealing with the problem on a structural level. Other methods are fogging and topical treatments. Exterminators will also recommend deep cleaning carpets in the presence of pests, such as carpet beetles.
Baiting
When the problem is rodents, professionals use bait to lure them away from the commercial establishment. It is more effective than traps since rodents are more attracted to the bait and will follow it outside the building premises. Then, it will die in its home and deter others from coming back to the establishment.
Heat Treatment
High heat is an effective pest control method for vermin that are not very mobile, such as termites and bed bugs. In this method, exterminators will use heaters to increase the temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit and kill pests within the day. However, before heat treatment starts, furniture needs to be removed from the area, so they don’t get damaged.
Electromagnetic and ultrasonic treatment
Exterminators can use electromagnetic and ultrasonic treatment if you don’t want to kill insects or animals that have infested your commercial establishment. They will use a device that emits high frequencies, thereby forcing pests out of the building.
Preventive Measures
Using insecticides or pesticides is an effective preventative measure for controlling pests. However, it is vital to catch pest activity before they can enter and settle in the building. In this process, the pest control professional will put products or chemicals in entry points, such as windows and walls, to prevent vermin from getting inside and keep them out.
These methods and more treatment options are guaranteed to solve your pest woes. However, some of the more extensive ways can take several sessions to remove vermin altogether and keep them from coming back.
But rest assured that with the best pest control team, you can keep your commercial space clean and pest-free.
When to Call an Exterminator
It’s easy to solve pest problems at home, where you can quickly see an infestation.
However, commercial properties are a different matter. While these establishments are ideal places for pests, identifying them is not easy.
Thus, you need to be observant and conduct regular inspections to detect their entry. And when you do notice them, it’s time to call a professional exterminator.
But why call a professional when you can do it yourself?
Taking pest matters into your hands is easy when the problem is at home. But it is pretty hard in commercial places, where the space is bigger, and people come and go.
In this situation, you need the assistance of experts. And professional pest control services are what you need.
But how will you know it’s time to call one? Here are three signs.
Urine or feces
Pest droppings, which are usually small, dark, and strong-smelling, and trails or puddles of pungent urine in your commercial establishment are clear signs of pest infestation. Seeing such signs on your property can be disheartening, but it makes you aware of the situation early on. Then, you can call for professional services to get rid of pests and keep them away for good.
Pest nests
While pests can be hard to spot, nests are easy to identify upon inspection. Thus, you must conduct regular assessments in and around your building and check for nests that pests create. They may also leave a trail of nest materials, such as leaves, grass, twigs, and fabric, leading you to their nest.
Structural damage
Nests are not the only signs you need to look for during regular building inspections. You also need to check for damage, especially on the walls and other wood structures, which pests bite through or use for their nests. Additionally, they may chew on electrical wires, so watch out for broken wires.
Seeing pests in the area
There is no better sign of a pest infestation than seeing vermin on your commercial property. Be alert to their presence when you arrive in the area and upon turning on the lights. Chances are you might see one or two scurrying around and trying to hide. This situation is even more possible when you have already dealt with pests in the past. So, the problem might be a recurrence.
When you notice the above signs, call an exterminator right away so pests can’t cause further damage to your property. More importantly, doing so will effectively solve the problem and remove the risk of your business shutting down due to violation of health and sanitation regulations.
Pest control experts will quickly identify the problem upon consultation and inspection and choose the most effective treatment method for your property.
So, call Lakewood Exterminating at 216-466-2486 immediately whenever you suspect a pest infestation in your business area. Our expert team will determine the problem and develop a customized solution that will eliminate the problem in the soonest time possible.