If pests weren’t enough of a nuisance in homes, their presence in commercial properties can have devastating consequences. Avoid disruptions to your day-to-day operations and risking the health and safety of customers and employees with our 7-point pest prevention checklist in today’s Hivemind blog.
What questions will this article answer?
Why your commercial property needs a pest prevention plan
The presence of pests negatively impacts daily business operations, harms your reputation, and breaches government regulations.
Point 1: Regular pest inspections
These are important because early detection is the best way to prevent a pest infestation.
Point 2: Property maintenance
We recommend removing access points and excess moisture, as well as regular yard maintenance.
Point 3: Practicing good hygiene
Staying compliant with government regulations means that your staff must maintain high levels of sanitation at all times.
Point 4: Practicing proper food storage
Without practicing safe food storage, pests will easily infiltrate your supplies and cause an outbreak.
Point 5: Waste management
Waste attracts pests from far and wide unless it is properly managed.
Point 6: Educating your staff
Employees play an important role in implementing pest prevention-friendly practices in the workplace.
Point 7: Integrated pest management for commercial properties
Our commercial pest control program is completely customised, compliant and easily accessed online.
Choose Allstate for targeted and effective commercial pest management
Our technicians are available 24/7 for urgent advice and premium commercial pest management in all suburbs of Adelaide.
Why your commercial property needs a pest prevention plan
With an abundance of shelter, food and water, commercial properties provide optimum conditions for the survival of many common pests, including rodents, cockroaches and ants.
Unfortunately, once these uninvited pests gain access inside your building, they can put staff and customers at risk by causing a range of problems. These include spreading disease, contamination, structural damage and creating a mess.
This can have a negative impact on not only your daily business operations but can also harm your reputation, and breaches to health and safety regulations can result in hefty penalties.
That’s why at Allstate, we believe that proactive pest prevention planning is the best way to protect your commercial property, whether you’re in Wayville or across Adelaide.
Point 1: Regular pest inspections
However, some pest outbreaks are easier to spot than others, which require special knowledge and equipment to identify. So, it’s best to bring in the experts.
At Allstate, our highly trained technicians will perform a comprehensive pest assessment of your property and note down all potential risk factors.
We understand the significant threat that pest activity can pose to your business, so we’ll recommend regular inspections, and initiate treatment if needed, to safeguard your property from potentially ongoing pest attacks.
Point 2: Property maintenance
With the ability to squeeze through tiny openings, pests won’t hesitate to seek food, water and shelter at your commercial property [insert link: https://allstatepest.com.au/pest-control-for-commercial-buildings/]. Once inside, they will easily find discreet nesting areas and it won’t take long for you to have a full-blown outbreak on your hands. Here are some ways to fortify your building from messy pests:
Remove access points
We recommend regularly inspecting your building, from the foundations to the roof, for holes, cracks, gaps or openings and fill them with sealant, caulk, silicone or foam.
Don’t forget to check window seals, door frames and install door sweeps and weather stripping where possible.
Ensure that vents and drains are covered with a fine mesh and chimneys are fitted with grates. Fix loose and dislodged roof tiles.
Yard maintenance
If you have an outdoor area with vegetation, keeping it tidy is key to reduce potential hiding spots for pests. Trim back trees and vegetation, remove piles of leaves, keep lawns mowed and dispose of fallen fruit.
Remove excess moisture
Like humans, pests need water to survive, and many thrive in humid environments. This means that you need to make sure that there are no leaks in your plumbing system, and that there is adequate drainage at your site. For areas that are prone to dampness, consider installing a dehumidifier.
Keep your property health and safety compliant. Speak to a pest expert today.
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Point 3: Practicing good hygiene
Staying compliant with Food Safety Standard HACCP and Quality Standard ISO 9001
is an integral part of the day-to-day operations for many commercial properties such as restaurants and warehouses . Consider taking the following steps to keep your venue pest-free:
- Keep workspaces sanitised and regularly deep clean, remembering to check hard to reach areas
- Clean food preparation and dining areas often, wiping up spills and crumbs as soon as possible
- Hand wash regularly before handling food and if you suspect there is a risk of contamination
- Avoid leaving cooked food out to cool for more than an hour
- Use disposable gloves where possible and change them regularly
- Avoid cross-contamination of raw and cooked food
- Handle food with utensils that are sterilised
- Ensure that staff are trained in safe food handling and preparations
Point 4: Practicing proper food storage
With the ability to sniff out food from long distances, pests will infiltrate your supplies and cause an outbreak faster than you can imagine! Here are some tips for safe food storage and display:
- Keep all food covered and stored in airtight food-grade containers with tight fitting lids, plastic film or foil. Avoid using containers that are in poor condition, or opened cans
- Keep all food and supplies in designated food storage areas, such as pantries, refrigerators and cool rooms
- Ensure that food storage areas are kept well-organised, clean and dry
- Avoid keeping stock on the floor to limit access to pests
- Regularly audit your supplies and stock and remove spoiled or rotten foods that have passed their expiry dates, and use older items first
- Inspect supply deliveries for signs of potential pest contamination outside your venue
- Educate employees about cold and hot food storage temperatures
Point 5: Waste management
As expert scavengers, hungry pests are not shy about foraging through rubbish for food. Unfortunately, the large amounts of waste generated at most busy commercial properties can attract pests from far and wide unless it is properly managed.
Avoid unwanted pest outbreaks by establishing the following waste management guidelines for your facility:
- Keep all waste covered and tightly sealed
- Use sealed bins throughout venue, in all indoor and outdoor areas
- Regularly empty bins and keep them clean to reduce the buildup of rotten food and odours
- Consider implementing a recycling program
- Keep staff, employees and contractors up to date with waste management knowledge
Keep reputation-wrecking pests away from your business. Speak to an expert today.
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Point 6: Educating your staff
While bringing in an expert to install pest control barriers and recommendations is a key part to keeping your facility pest-free, your employees also play an important role in implementing pest prevention-friendly practices in the workplace.
At Allstate, we believe that ongoing education and training for your staff, employees and contractors can encourage and foster a culture of proactive, safe pest prevention practices at work.
Training programs for staff should provide information about how to report any suspected pest sightings immediately and identify early signs of pest problems, proper food and waste handling and hygiene practices, as well as relevant food and workplace safety standards.
Point 7: Integrated pest management for commercial properties
At Allstate, we understand that there are many aspects of smoothly running a busy commercial property that take up your time and energy. That’s why we’ve made commercial pest control hassle-free yet highly effective and reliable with our completely customised, safety compliant integrated pest management program.
Stored and easily retrieved through a 24/7 live online portal, your pest management plan will be created and overseen by a dedicated pest technician who will conduct an initial onsite inspection to identify all possible risks.
Besides its convenience, you’ll have many other benefits to using our innovative web-based commercial pest control platform, including instant global access to:
- Safety data sheets relating to all our services and treatments used on your site
- All inspection reports and findings
- Historical data on each area of your facility and pest types
- Accurate reporting logs
- Tracked records of all past and present pest concerns, recommendations, monitoring and applied treatments
- Your dedicated pest technician to raise any queries and provide feedback
Choose Allstate for targeted and effective commercial pest management
If you’re looking for a simplified, streamlined approach to keeping pests away from your commercial property, Allstate has the solution for you.
Since 1986, we’ve successfully managed pest outbreaks in homes and businesses in every suburb of Adelaide. No matter if you’re in a commercial, residential or industrial setting, our experienced team is available 24/7 for urgent advice and innovative, tailored treatments to all types of pest concerns.
Fully licensed, compliant and covered by competitive warranties, our premium commercial pest control services, including our Torrensville pest control services, will ensure that your business can stay pest-free and operate safely for many years to come.
