Have pests have taken over your workplace while you’ve been away?
With the summer holidays coming to an end and kids going back to school, for many it’s also time to head back to the office.
Unfortunately, while you and your team have been enjoying a much-needed break, sneaky pests like rats, mice, cockroaches and flies have had the chance to get into vacant office buildings while seeking shelter from the hot weather.
Once they’ve found a good hiding spot, they’ll usually multiply quickly and quietly – leaving you with an invisible pest outbreak just as you have returned to work.
Besides being a general nuisance, pests can destroy equipment and stock and deter customers from coming back. They have the potential to cause major health and safety issues, which in turn can lead to fines and damage your business reputation.
Fortunately, Allstate Pest Control’s Return to Work Pest Service can save the day. We will help you prevente any brewing pest outbreaks swiftly and effectively, setting up your workplace for a pleasantly pest-free year ahead.
Ensure a successful reopening with a Return to Work Pest Service
If you’ve just reopened, there’s an easy way make sure you’re pest free. Allstate’s Return to Work Pest Service is a straightforward inspection and managion program
so you can be confident your business is 100% safe and healthy.
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Termites
Ants
Cockroaches
Spiders
Birds
Bed Bugs
Bees & Wasps
Rats & Mice
Possums
Biting Insects
Disinfection Services
Pests you should look out for and why
Some pests pose more of a problem than others. These are the main ones to look out for:
Rats and mice
Notorious for carrying diseases and damaging walls and furniture, rats and mice are a major hygiene problem, particularly for food service businesses. And because they dwell in enclosed areas like corners and behind cupboards, it could be a while before you realise they’re there. Look out for:
- A strange, musky smell left by the rodents’ bodies, faeces and urine
- Dark droppings – mice droppings look like ground coffee, while rat droppings are slightly bigger and look like grains of rice
- Squeaking or scurrying sounds coming from the walls
- Greasy streak marks on walls or furniture, left by rodents’ fur
- Signs of gnawing, or tears to food packaging
Cockroaches
Like rats and mice, cockroaches are very unhygienic and fast breeders. They contaminate food, spread disease, and can cause asthma and other allergies. Keep an eye out for:
- An unusual musty smell
- Brown smear marks, usually seen on horizontal surfaces and where walls meet the floor
- Egg capsules, which are brown and oval-shaped
- Cockroach droppings, which look like ground coffee
- Live cockroaches – if you see one there are almost certainly many more out of sight
Flies
Flies are not only a nuisance, but pose a health risk to both customers and staff, thanks to their ability to spread diseases like Salmonella and E.coli. If you notice signs of flies, it’s important to nip a small outbreak in the bud before it becomes a major problem. Watch out for the following types of flies:
- House flies will be found hanging around rubbish bins, as this is where they lay their eggs
- Drain flies – a tiny tan-coloured fly which dwells around drains as the name suggests
- Fruit flies are found around drains, rubbish bins, and empty bottles and food containers