If you are running a business, it is very important to run a clean and safe workspace. That helps workers be more productive and attracts customers and clients. And having an unclean and unsafe work space can damage morale and can make customers and clients turn on their heels. But finding the right service for you can be challenging – thankfully, you’re sure to find a great commercial exterminator in Phoenix, AZ.
Here are some of the most common pests you can find in commercial spaces and offices:
Rats And Mice
Rats and mice are the most commonly reported office pest by business owners. They can grow their numbers in such a short amount of time, and they are always chewing away making holes on walls and cutting electrical wirings – rats need to constantly wear their teeth down, otherwise they won’t be able to eat properly. That is why any building that has rats will always have holes and problems with their electrical wiring (rats love to chew on wires).
These not only mean costly repairs, but damaged wiring can mean a fire hazard. It doesn’t help that rats and mice also often use these wires as “highways” when they are busily traveling inside your walls.
But beyond property damage, rats and mice are notorious spreaders of diseases that can harm employees and customers alike.
Some of the diseases rats and mice spread are: salmonella, leptospirosis, hantavirus, lymphocytic choriomeningitis or LCMV.
Some signs that rats might be around:
• Sightings of live or dead rats or mice
• Droppings
• Smudge marks along the routes they take
• If you hear squeaks, scurrying sounds, and gnawing sounds
• Gnawing marks on walls, wiring, food packaging, and other materials in the office
• Urine stains
If you find rats and mice on your property, be sure to get rid of them right away (before their population balloons even more!).
Cockroaches
Cockroaches are especially problematic for businesses because they are small, can fit and hide in very tight spaces, they are very good at hiding, and only typically come out at night when the office is closed – so no one ever sees them.
They also have a varied diet, so even if there aren’t any readily available food sources for other pests left in the office, cockroaches can still continue to live there (they get most of the nutrients they need from the bacteria living on their body).
Like mice, cockroaches are also capable of multiplying rapidly, and when left unattended, they can quickly breed and spread diseases in the office without detection. Therefore, it is crucial to consider seeking the assistance of cockroach control services to address the issue effectively.
Some of the diseases cockroaches can spread are: Listeria, salmonella, E. coli, staphylococcus, dysentery, and poliomyelitis (which causes polio).
Some signs that you have cockroaches in building:
• Droppings
• Egg capsules
• Shed carcasses or skins
• Bodily secretions which leave stains or smear marks
• In heavily infected areas, there would be a foul, somewhat musty odor
Flies
Flies are a nuisance and are very annoying to deal with – but beyond that, they’re also a food safety and sanitation hazard, especially if they are found in businesses that deal with food (trying to eat while flies are buzzing around you would be a deal-breaker for most customers). They contaminate food products, which can cause customers to be ill. If you are a food-related business owner, then you are likely concerned about compensation claims from food-borne diseases (which flies can cause) too.
Some of the diseases that flies carry and spread are: dysentery, cholera, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, salmonellosis, and gastroenteritis.
Birds
Birds love roosting around buildings and commercial structures. These places also tend to have a lot food stores or waste storage areas, which they can easily take advantage of. The most common birds that are regarded as pests found in commercial areas are pigeons, house sparrows, starlings, and several gull species.
They can cause physical damage by dislodging roof tiles, blocking HVAC systems and gutters with their nests. They also produce a lot of droppings, which fall on pavements and parked vehicles in the area. These droppings are corrosive and may even damage a car’s paint.
When a bird nests or leaves droppings around an HVAC system, that would also be a sanitation issue for inside the building, and can contaminate surfaces and food products.
Some diseases birds can spread include salmonella and E. coli.
Some signs you have birds on your property:
• Sightings on roofs and ledges
• Concentrated droppings
• Debris from their nests
• Wayward feathers
• Bird cries or noises
Some ways you can dissuade birds from staying on your property would be to make sure your garbage containers are clean and have sturdy lids, so they don’t have easy access to anything they can eat inside of it, and remove standing water. If they don’t have easy access to food and water, they will move on elsewhere.
Spiders
Spiders have an unfortunate reputation – a lot of people are terrified of them, despite spiders doing their best to avoid people.
That said, they do have a painful bite. Some of the most common spiders in Arizona, after all, are also some of the most dangerous spiders in the United States. The black widow spider and the brown recluse spider have painful bites that need immediate medical attention. Other recluse spiders, though less infamous than the brown recluse, also have painful bites (and you can find many of these recluse spiders spread throughout the state).
Other spiders not considered dangerous can still have painful bites that can cause allergic reactions in people with compromised immune systems, or those that are very young, or very old.
If you have spiders or other pests in the office, keep your colleagues, employees, customers or clients happy by getting rid of them right away.
Pest-Free Space
Oftentimes, pests are dissuaded from living in clean environments – because when regular cleaning and maintenance is done, that means their immediate environments are constantly being interrupted. When food and waste is properly stored away, then they don’t have easy access to anything they can eat, making your space just a little bit more inhospitable for pests.
Finding the pest control company that is just right for you may be challenging, so be sure to ask questions so you can find the best deal for you.
