PEST CONTROL FOR OFFICE BUILDINGS

REST EASY PEST CONTROL | SERVICING LONG ISLAND AND NYC

Workplaces provide suitable conditions for bed bugs since the places have warm temperatures and humidity level that’s convenient for them to live. Not only bed bugs, we also can find a wide variety of pests in workplaces.

 MEETING AT AN OFFICE IN NYC

Is It Possible to Have Bed Bugs at Work?

Bed bugs get their name because they like to live in and near beds so that they’ll be close by their food source—the blood of sleeping humans. Since there are no beds in most workplaces, you might think that businesses—and the people who work there—might not need to worry about bed bugs at work.

We all believe that knowing how to detect bed bugs is a skill that’s only needed at home. But if you’re a business owner, manager, or employee that would be a mistake.

How Bed Bugs Come to Your Workplace

Although bed bugs don’t typically infest a business, they certainly can. And even if a workplace isn’t overrun by bed bugs, it’s an ideal place for bed bugs to be transported between employees and taken home to create new infestations. That’s why bed bugs are such a problem for travelers—their method is to hitchhike into people’s homes.

They very quickly could be brought to work on one employee’s clothes or belongings and then crawl onto another employee or into an employee’s briefcase, lunchbox, or other personal belonging.

 

“We all believe that knowing how to detect bed bugs is a skill that’s only needed at home. But if you’re a business owner, manager, or employee that would be a mistake.”

-Rest Easy Pest Control

So without an awareness of how to detect bed bugs, employees are sitting ducks for bed bugs in search of a new place to live. Employees who suspect they got bed bugs from work won’t be at all happy with the company, and unhappy workers are generally less productive.

And employees who have a bed bug problem at home are more likely to be tired and psychologically stressed. For these reasons, all businesses should instruct employees on how to detect bed bugs.

How to Detect Bed Bugs at Work

Bed bugs are reddish-brown, flat, and small enough to fit into cracks no thicker than a credit card. Bed bugs are masters at not being found, hiding in the remotest cracks and crevices they can find. However, they do leave behind signs—dark brown and black stains on sheets (bed bug excrement), discarded bed bug skins (they molt as they mature), and eggs.

Bed bug bites are also a sign that a home is infested, although some people do not react to the bites. The bites, when they do appear, are typically small, reddish welts that itch like crazy and are in rows of three. A smell of rotten raspberries can also indicate the presence of bed bugs in homes or businesses.

But because of the difficulty of determining if bed bugs or other insects cause these signs, it’s usually necessary to call a professional bed bug exterminator to determine if a home or business is infested.

Office Bugs That Pose Threats To Your Employees and Customers

Not only bed bugs, but we also can find a wide variety of pests in workplaces. Here are office bugs that can infest your office:

AntsCarpenter Ants can burrow through wood as they nest and damage the structural integrity of a building.

-Termites. It’s well-known that termites can devastate a building.

-Mosquitoes. These pests get in through opened doors and windows, and they not only harass employees and customers, but they also bite.

Wasps and Bees. These pests also come in from the outside, and of course, their stings are painful.

-Spiders. In addition to biting that can lead to allergic reactions, spiders creep out a lot of people, which is bad for employee morale and productivity.

Rodents. Rats and mice spread disease and chew through wiring, wood, and food packaging. And they are at the top of most people’s list of the pests that make them the most uncomfortable.

 

Related Article:

Why Commercial Pest Control Is Vital for Your Business

 

The Importance of Pest Control for Businesses

When running a business, it’s easy to neglect pest control. Businesses are focused on increasing productivity, lowering costs, and growing sales. Bed bugs, spiders, and rodents might not seem to have anything to do with that.

But that’s not the case—pests can hinder productivity and sales, and they can lead to significant costs, if not prevented and treated by pest control services. Consider the following three problems and their ramifications for your business.

woman questioning something

#1. Pests Are Bothering Your Employees

If employees come to work, and they’re accosted by mosquitoes on their way to the door and as they work. Or if they go to grab a cup of coffee and see mice droppings in the corner, or they open a cabinet in the company kitchen and see cockroaches scurrying away, they’re not going to feel very good about the place where they work.

When people come to work, they should be as comfortable as they are in their own homes. This comfort level helps productivity. Employees who are on edge because of pests, on the other hand, are distracted and demoralized. You can just imagine the thought process: “Ugh, I’ve got to go work in the nasty old place another day.”

Then there is the health issue to consider. Some pests spread disease. Others cause allergies. Employees who become sick aren’t productive, and they can cost the company in insurance costs.

#2. Pests Will Turn Off Customers

Every workplace differs of course, and some are removed from the customer site. But many workplaces are places where customers are served (e.g., restaurants, hotels, retail stores, hair salons, doctor’s offices). If you’re this type of business, and customers see pests, or signs of pests, that’s often enough to cause them to take their business elsewhere.

Even if your workplace is not used for direct customer service, you may have clients (or prospective clients) who occasionally visit you for a meeting or some other reason, and if they notice a pest infestation, it sends a message that your company has lax tendencies.

#3. Pests Can Cause Damage

Termites and carpenter ants can eat away at the wood structure of a building, causing significant and expensive structural damage. Rodents can chew through wiring, creating fire hazards. Pests aren’t just creepy–they can cause real harm.

Best Defense

You shouldn’t wait until you notice an infestation before calling for pest control to get rid of pests at the workplace. By then, your employees and customers have probably already noticed and formed negative impressions, and structural damage may have already occurred.

Effective business pest control requires constant vigilance. It’s wisest to hire a pest control specialist to inspect your premises for existing pests, remove those that they find, educate you on how to correct problem areas, and return on a set schedule for periodic pesticide treatments. If you want to know more about pest control prevention tips for offices and commercial buildings, read this blog post.  ***