Pest control is a high priority for all sorts of businesses. It is especially important in hospitality, food service, and healthcare. But keeping pests like cockroaches and rats away isn’t the exclusive domain of the pest control industry. The cleaning industry has a role to play as well.
There is a definite link between pest control and cleanliness. When business owners understand that link, they can potentially spend less on pest control without any loss of effectiveness. It boils down to a simple equation: do a better job with cleaning and you will also improve your pest control.
This is yet another reason we recommend commercial cleaning services to businesses of all types. From industrial to business and simple office cleaning, a clean environment is less conducive to pests. And a non-conducive environment makes the pest control company’s job a lot easier.
What Pests Are Attracted To
Pests are no different than any other kind of animal in that they are always on the lookout for food, water, and shelter. They will go wherever access is easiest. This is why food service and hospitality businesses tend to have the biggest problem with pests. Pests are attracted to environments that make their survival easier.
Restaurants with pest problems tend to see most of those problems in the kitchen area. But pests can also be found in walk-in coolers, in the dishwashing area, and even out in the dining room. In a hospitality environment – think hotel or motel – different types of pests show up in different locations. Certain pests will hang out in the kitchen while others are more likely to infest guest rooms.
Even offices can have pest problems. Anywhere a pest can find a hospitable environment is open to infestation. Regular cleaning changes the game by making otherwise hospitable environments inhospitable.
How Regular Cleaning Helps
All Pro Cleaning Systems is a commercial cleaning services provider rather than a pest control company. That being the case, it is time to talk about how regular cleaning can help control pests. The broadest view is that of regular cleaning eliminating a pest’s access to food and water. But we can be a bit more specific.
One of the things we always recommend is starting with high-risk zones. At a hotel, for example, the kitchen is a high-risk area for cockroaches, rodents, and other pests. It could be the most critical area in the hotel. In an office, the biggest high-risk area tends to be the break room. A warehouse could be a high-risk area in an industrial building.
Targeting the high-risk areas makes those areas less attractive to pests. The more frequently they are cleaned, the less likely they are to accumulate the types of things pests are looking for. High-risk areas need both:
- Routine Cleaning – Routine cleaning is critical to pest control for the simple fact that it prevents accumulation of dirt, debris, and food sources. It also reduces the buildup of any sorts of residues that could invite pests to investigate further.
- Deep Cleaning – Although deep cleaning doesn’t occur as frequently, it should still be scheduled on a regular basis as a compliment to routine cleaning. Deep cleaning gets behind furniture, under appliances, inside cabinets, etc.
There is plenty more we could say on this topic, but we think the point is well made. If your company relies exclusively on a pest control partner to keep pests at bay, we encourage you to reconsider how your property is cleaned. Professional cleaning services can help enhance your pest control efforts significantly. Feel free to contact us if you have questions.
