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Facility Maintenance to Prevent Pests
by Ron Harrison
Entomologist, Ph.D. Training Director
Orkin, Inc.
The holiday season is now in full swing, and your resort is beginning to buzz with people escaping the hustle and bustle of working life and the never-ending shopping mall traffic. Because the holidays can be hectic, your guests expect their time with you to be relaxing and re-energizing. But nothing can ruin that experience more than the sight of furry, multi-legged friends – and we’re not talking about reindeer.
Rodents, cockroaches and other pests can ruin your guests’ stay. They can damage your reputation and bottom line by turning off customers, as well as carry diseases and threaten food safety and health. Rodents in particular can carry serious pathogens, including Salmonella or Hantavirus.
Regular facility maintenance can play a large part in helping to prevent unwanted pests from ever entering your resort. Facility maintenance is one of the hallmarks of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which employs a variety of control methods to proactively prevent and manage pest problems.
Work with your pest management professional to incorporate the following tips into your IPM program:
Shut out pests.
Even a small opening from a loose tile or faulty gutter on the exterior of your resort can be an open invitation to pests looking for entrance. In fact, mice can squeeze through holes the size of a dime, and rats can penetrate a crevice the size of a quarter. Monitor your building for any openings on the exterior and seal all cracks and crevices with a weather-resistant sealant. Ask your pest management professional to incorporate copper mesh or steel wool into the sealant to help prevent rodents from gnawing through the caulk.
Remember that pests can just as easily enter through doors and windows, so make sure they close properly. Door sweeps can seal openings along the bottom, sides and tops of doors, and #16 mesh screens can ensure that even the tiniest pests can’t enter through windows. By blocking all possible entry points, you can stop pests from accessing, breeding in and ultimately infesting your resort.
Create positive airflow.
One of the most effective ways to prevent pest entry is to literally blow pests out. Make sure your resort has positive airflow (air travels out, not in) at each door to push out flying pests when staff members and guests come and go through main entrances. Also, consider installing air curtains or fans in areas where doors often remain open, such as loading and receiving docks. To test airflow, hold a lighter or match near the door and see if the flame blows out or in. Work with your maintenance professional to make any necessary changes to the heating and air systems.
Don’t miss the pests for the trees.
The presence of vegetation in and around your resort also can be a pest’s ticket to a new winter home. Mice and rats can access a building by trees hanging low to the roof or exterior walls. Since they prefer not to be in the open, rodents may use plants and flowers surrounding your resort as cover, while crawling insects may use foliage as a bridge to the inside world. Trim all vegetation at least two feet from the façade of your building to discourage pests.
During the holiday season, consider artificial trees, wreaths, poinsettias and holly as an alternative to live vegetation, which attracts multiple types of insects and mites. Smart landscaping and strategic placement of vegetation in and around your facility can make all the difference.
Shed some light on pest management.
Although lights are an inviting holiday tradition, pests also see them as a sign of welcome to your facility. To minimize infestation, substitute sodium vapor lights, which are less attractive to flying insects, for fluorescent lights in fixtures on your building. To draw flying pests away from your grounds, strategically place fluorescent lights 100 feet away from your facility.
Your resort should be a warm, cozy getaway, but not for pests. Work with your pest management professional to monitor for pest-conducive conditions and signs of unwanted visitors, such as live or dead pests, exoskeletons, droppings, and gnaw or bite marks. Pay extra attention to entry points and areas around water and food sources.
Regularly inspect your property in-between visits from your pest management professional and keep up with maintenance repairs year-round. These simple measures will ensure that only welcomed guests enjoy your hospitality.