Different pests that are attracted to your workplace

Different Pests That Are Attracted To Your Workplace
December 14, 2020 Cure All Pest Control

Pest infestation is just as much of a risk in the workplace as it is at home! Actually, it can be worse since no one is there at night to spot the early signs of pest activity.

Depending on what industry you’re in, pests can have a range of adverse effects, from food contamination, disease spreading or structural damage. 

If you have the early stages of a pest infestation, you may not even notice until it spirals into a severe problem. Commercial pest control is the best choice to eradicate pests at any stage of infestation and prevent them from returning in the future. 

These are the types of pests which pose a risk to your workplace:

Common Workplace Pests

Pantry Pests – They’re small, resilient and once they spread they can be tough to get rid of. The main three pantry bugs in Australia are Indian Meal Moths, Weevils and Grain Beetles. While they pose little to no risk of transferring disease, having a cupboard full of droppings, eggs and worms is not an appetising thought. All it takes is one egg or bug, and then within weeks, your cupboard can be infested again. 

Cockroaches Cockroaches are mostly nocturnally active, meaning they’re scampering around your workplace when the lights are out and no one is there. These bugs carry harmful bacteria and diseases and can contaminate any open food source in the workplace. This pest is a master of hiding and can create multiple nests in places you wouldn’t even think to look. 

Spiders – Unlike most of these other pests, spiders won’t infest your workplace to eat open food sources. But having an infestation of one type of insect could attract this arachnid pest. A spider’s ideal living space is a dark, secluded area. These potentially venomous arachnids pose a risk to workers’ health if they are bitten. 

Ants & TermitesAnts are foragers and will come in colonies seeking food or shelter. Once one ant finds a food source it will leave a pheromone trail so the colony can track it. Carpenter ants can cause severe structural damage if left untreated. They burrow into wooden supports to nest. Termites do a similar thing but to a much more extreme scale. 

RodentsRodents are used to sneaking around while people are around, so they’re extremely hard to detect. Rats cause structural damage by gnawing on building structures and even electrical wires. They are vectors of disease and can cause serious health problems if your staff are sharing the same food source as them.  

Snakes – The last thing you want to find under your desk when you return to work is a slithery friend. Around the warmer months, reptiles become more active and depending on how close to your business is to the bush, they can creep into your office for shelter. 

Birds – You may not see birds as a pest, but if they decide to use your roof to nest, you will quickly change your mind. Invasive species like pigeons, Indian Mynas or starlings and other species can cause expensive structural damage to solar panels, air-condition units, antennas and any roof-mounted items. Some species of bird, like pidgeon, carry disease, and their droppings are acidic, which can cause paint damage as well as making the workplace unhygienic. 

Silverfish – Those old book archives you have, or the old note pads lying around are an all-you-can-eat buffet for silverfish. These tiny insects love to eat old paper and the glue in book bindings. While they have little health risks, they can destroy precious resources. 

How To Prevent This

Every business should have a cleanliness protocol to prevent pests from making a home in the workplace. The main thing that will attract pests, and give them the resources to spread is accessible food. 

Each office should follow these guides to make an unfavourable environment for pests: 

  • Empty bins regularly (preferably each night)
  • Don’t leave any food containers open (pests will be able to access rolled bags, so opt to transfer food to an airtight container once opened) 
  • Clean any spillages or dropped foods instantly 
  • Make sure sinks and benchtops are wiped down in the afternoon to remove grime or crumbs
  • Clean all dishes and don’t leave used plates or cups on the desk overnight 
  • Don’t leave fruit in the open – either refrigerate it or take it home. 
  • Minimise clutter wherever possible
  • Don’t overwater plants, so pests don’t find a suitable water source. 

Preventive steps are the best way to make sure your workplace stays pest-free. Once you start noticing an infestation, it’s likely too late to try and stop it yourself. At this stage, your safest option is to call in a pest control expert. 

At Cure All we have been keeping South-East Queensland homes pest-free since 1966. With our decades of experience, we are experts at routing pests promise that you will be 100% satisfied with our service.