Eliminating lockdown invaders
Pest prevention is vital especially when buildings are empty, says the experts from Cleankill Pest Control.
There are reports that some businesses don’t envisage employees returning to their offices to work until early 2021 due to the risk of contracting COVID-19, and the difficulties of putting social distancing measures in place.
This means there are many buildings that are being left empty, particularly in cities like London and Bristol, and offices are becoming ‘playgrounds’ for mice and other pests. With the recent warmer weather, flying insects will be invading the buildings and particularly areas such as rubbish storage bays.
Wasps can cause problems at this time of year even in built up areas, but flies cause more of a nuisance than most other flying insects and a small problem can rapidly increase due to the short breeding cycle.
There are vast numbers of different species of fly – each one having its own distinct life cycle and home. Fruit flies, sometimes called vinegar flies, are a common problem. They thrive on the fruit and vegetable remains in bins that, on a hot summer’s day, start to break down into a semi- liquid soup. The tiny yellowish-brown flies with bright red eyes will appear almost overnight and great clouds of them can erupt from unsealed bins.
Controlling flying insects is vital for any premises as they are a health hazard and a nuisance. A single housefly can pick up and transport disease-carrying bacteria from and to every surface, including food preparation areas.
UV fly killer units usually come with a maintenance contract which includes any repair services, as well as replacement tubes and parts. Regular maintenance is vital and electric fly units must be emptied and cleaned regularly – preferably by contractors. This task is important so that the fly killers are always working effectively and efficiently.
Naturally, businesses and/or premises owners will be looking at ways to reduce costs while their buildings are unoccupied. Cleankill strongly advise maintaining or even increasing regular pest control service visits while pests are enjoying the empty buildings.
When lockdown was announced there was very little time for staff to clear their desks of snacks and these have provided easy meals for rodents. Cleankill technicians have found mouse droppings on desks and half eaten bars of chocolate. This means any equipment in the vicinity could have been contaminated with mouse urine and will need disinfecting to avoid the risk of disease when workers return.
Cleankill is reporting a significant increase in the number of callouts from businesses as they reopen after the lockdown. Cleankill Managing Director, Paul Bates, said: “There is evidence that rodents have been running wild around properties without any hindrance for the last two months. Food that was left in drawers or on desks has been eaten
48 | PEST CONTROL and we are seeing plenty of mice and rat droppings.
“We were recently called to a site in London N1 that was fairly typical of the sort of damage we are seeing. In addition to food and droppings on desks and on surfaces, we also found evidence that the mice had been using below- floor cavities, causing a potentially bigger problem. They had been entering the property using pipework in a service cupboard that is near the reception.”
After calling in Cleankill, the problem at the offices in London N1 was quickly addressed. The building manager was offered an on-going preventative pest control contract to reduce the risk of future infestations. Pest control technicians have found other signs that hungry rodents are on the rampage including bait in bait boxes being completely eaten, which would not normally be the case.
Alongside continuing or even increasing pest control visits, work outside to keep vegetation cut back and sites clean and tidy is equally important, stresses Paul. This removes places where rodents can find food and safe harbourage.
Rubbish should be removed promptly and lids on containers should always be kept closed to stop rats from entering. Rats breed prolifically and quickly, and infestations that start in rubbish storage areas can easily spread to nearby buildings and even residential properties.
Undeterred by people, pigeons and gulls have also been taking up residence in and on buildings in cities and towns. Cleankill’s team of Harris Hawks and their handlers has been hard at work deterring pest birds from buildings, especially around London.
Paul explained: “Prevention is always better than cure. The cost of a pest control prevention contract with regular visits is quite minimal compared to other services business normally employed, such as window cleaners – and there could be serious consequences if you don’t have regular pest control checks made.
“If there isn’t a contract in place and a large infestation takes hold, the costs can be huge. Additional visits including emergency riddance treatments would be required to get rid of the pests and then make sure they are kept under control.
“Other costs could include damage to infrastructure such as wiring and pipework that has been gnawed by rats and mice, contaminated goods having to be disposed of, and an increased risk of fire from damaged electrical cables. Other factors you might have to consider include a delay in staff being able to resume working in the building while problems are being sorted out.”
It’s also worth considering that your insurance provider may decide not to pay out if you are considered to be negligent by not having a pest control contract in place which directly resulted in a fire or other damage.
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