Get a free estimate
If you have questions about our services, plans, or pricing we are here for you. Fill out the form below and we will communicate with you by email (and of course provide you with a free estimate).
MARCH 17 2022 / PEST AND TERMITE
As a D.C. business owner, you have to constantly make decisions, juggle tasks, and delegate responsibilities to keep your business running successfully. Furthermore, you want to keep morale high by maintaining a happy and healthy workspace. Even a small problem can throw a wrench in the works that can be difficult to recover from. Pests are one such problem.
While many business owners don’t consider pest control until a pest infestation has occurred, you can save yourself untold amounts of stress, time, and money by taking a proactive approach to pest control. American Pest offers professional pest control services to Washington DC to keep your business pest-free.
Any pest that infests your house can also infest your business.
However, some pests tend to be bigger problems for businesses than others, either because they favor commercial locations or because they cause serious problems that jeopardize the health of your employees, the structural integrity of your building, and the reputation of your company. Below is just a small sampling of the pests you may experience in your business setting.
Rodents are dangerous pests to have in your business for a couple of reasons. First, they spread many serious illnesses, which can be especially harmful in a restaurant setting. Rodents will walk around on surfaces as they look for food.
If they get on your food prep areas or into your food supplies, they’ll contaminate these areas with their feces and with the harmful pathogens they carry around on their bodies. These can then be spread to your customers and employees.
Once inside, rodents are also destructive, dangerous pests. They chew constantly on anything they can get their mouths on. If they get into your business, they can damage thousands of dollars worth of inventory.
They can also cause severe damage to your facility by chewing on walls, insulation, wiring, pipework, and more, as well as by damaging your building with their waste and nest-building.
No one likes cockroaches and for good reason. If roaches get into your business, they will spread harmful diseases wherever they go. Cockroaches spend their time in warm, humid locations that are often extremely dirty, such as in dumpsters, on dead animals, and on pet feces.
Once they get into your business, they’ll spread the germs they’ve gathered on their bodies all around your facility.
A cockroach infestation grows and spreads rapidly, and once they are in your facility, they are not easy to get out. Cockroaches spend most of their time hiding, which makes them difficult to eliminate, and even if you can see them, roaches can be extremely difficult to kill.
They can live underwater for up to 30 minutes, they are resistant to many pesticides, and they can even survive for a little while after their heads have been cut off.
Birds aren’t usually a problem inside your facility, although they will sometimes get into your attic and cause damage where they nest.
Instead, birds tend to cause problems on the outside of your business. They often roost along your roofline, leaving droppings on the ground below. When customers enter your building, they are left with an unpleasant first impression, especially if the birds are aggressive. Birds can also build nests within your gutters, which causes water to back up and leads to roof damage.
Getting rid of birds can be difficult, since shooing them away is only a temporary fix to the problem and scarecrows rarely do their job. Instead, humane measures must be taken to deter birds from your property.
Not long ago, bed bugs were nearly eradicated from the United States. However, with an increase in international travel, their populations have surged, and bed bug infestations are a problem in homes and businesses all over the country.
While they can be found in any type of establishment, bed bugs are especially problematic for businesses in the hospitality sector. Guests expect to be provided with accommodations that are clean and pest-free. If they start waking up covered in bites, they won’t be inclined to return to your hotel or leave a good review of their stay.
Pests are bad for business; there's no doubt about it. If a pest that is simply a nuisance gets into your facility and is seen by your customers, it will undoubtedly leave them with a bad impression.
However, many pests that infest commercial facilities are more than a nuisance. They cause serious problems for your company that can lead to a large loss of money, and in extreme circumstances, even closure.
Pests threaten the health and wellbeing of your customers. This is a big problem. Although the types of health issues vary with the pest, a shortlist of illnesses you can contract from pests include:
Salmonellosis
E.coli
Hantavirus
Typhoid
Dysentery
West Nile Virus
Malaria
Eastern Equine Encephalitis
Lyme Disease
And Many More
While some of these illnesses result in a short period of sickness, others result in chronic illness or even death.
Furthermore, pests can be a problem for the health of your employees and customers by threatening their safety. Being bitten, stung, scratched, or otherwise attacked by a pest can lead to serious health conditions.
If pests are destructive, they can cause problems that result in someone getting injured. For example, if a chipmunk creates tunnels under your lawn, and one collapses as someone walks over it, they could break an ankle or end up injured in some other way.
When pests get into your business, they also cause serious problems because of the damage they cause to your facility. Disease-spreading pests contaminate everything they come in contact with, which requires either serious sanitation practices or the disposal of the items that the pests touched.
Many pests cause damage by their incessant need to chew as they file down their ever-growing teeth. Rodents chew on things all the time, which will damage your inventory beyond repair and cause costly damage to your facility.
Some damage rodents cause is also a safety concern. They’ll chew through wiring, which can lead to fires. They chew through pipe and ductwork, which can cause water leaks and mold problems. Over time, this will lead to respiratory issues for some employees.
Rodents aren’t the only pests that damage your property. Many pests, even tiny ones, will eat what they can find in your facility. If your goods become damaged due to pests, they can no longer be sold, costing you untold amounts of money. Some pests eat away at the building itself, and if left alone, can make your building unsafe for employees and customers.
Not all problems that pests cause can be seen by the human eye, but the ramifications are just as serious. When pests get into your business, they will cause severe damage to your business’s reputation. Whether you cater to customers directly or indirectly, when word gets out that your facility has experienced a pest infestation, customers will react.
They’ll either stop buying your products or stop frequenting your location. It can take years to recover from a damaged reputation, and as we all know, many businesses can't afford to spend that kind of time rebuilding their reputation within the community.
At American Pest, we are committed to providing your business with the pest control services it needs to protect it from the many problems that result from a pest infestation. We offer our services to all of the following industries, as well as many others.
If you don’t see your business industry listed below, we can probably still help. Reach out to us today with your unique situation, and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.
Large venues are at constant risk for pest infestations. With thousands of people entering these facilities daily and a steady stream of food particles left behind, it’s no wonder that pests love living in arenas and stadiums. Protect your facility from the problems pests cause with the help of American Pest’s commercial pest control services.
Restaurants must maintain the highest standards of cleanliness to remain in operation. One bad grade from the health inspector can be disastrous for your business.
If pests get into your restaurant, they’ll threaten the health of your customers and the reputation of your business. American Pest can keep your restaurant pest-free with our commercial pest control services.
Whether you manage an inn, hotel, rental, or resort, your guests expect to arrive at your lodging establishment to find a clean and comfortable room awaiting them.
If pests have gotten into your facility, they can threaten the health and safety of your customers, and they’ll almost certainly ensure that those guests never return. Protect your guests and your reputation with commercial pest control from American Pest.
With a store full of merchandise and additional inventory stored in a backroom, the last thing you need is a pest infestation in your retail location.
Pests can damage your goods, costing you thousands of dollars in damages and lost revenue. Protect your store with the help of American Pest’s commercial pest control services.
Adherence to sanitary practices is vital in a food processing plant. One small problem can lead to thousands of dollars in wasted food. If pests get into your food processing facility, they’ll not only waste your inventory, but they can also damage your equipment. Avoid a shutdown by staying pest-free with the help of American Pest.
When you work with a population of people who have compromised health, you understand how important it is to provide them with a safe and sanitary environment. Many pests spread dangerous illnesses that can compound your patients’ already fragile health.
Protect the wellbeing of your patients and employees by keeping your healthcare facility pest-free with American Pest.
Many business owners take a “wait and see” approach when it comes to pest control. They either don’t think about the possibility of a pest problem, or they assume they don’t need to take action until pests become a problem in their business. However, most business owners know that avoiding problems before they occur always pays off in the end.
When you think about the possibility of a pest infestation before it occurs, you can take proactive, preventative action to avoid ever having a pest infestation in your business. Although there is a cost associated with on-going pest control, it is much cheaper than having to fix a pest problem after its out of control.
Once pests invade, you not only have the cost of pest control, but also the cost of repairing damage to your building, the cost of replacing damaged merchandise, the cost of lost revenue, and the cost of rebuilding your reputation.
With on-going preventative commercial pest control from American Pest, you can avoid all of these costly problems. Furthermore, you’ll avoid the stress that comes with worrying about and dealing with a pest infestation.
American Pest will work with you to develop a pest control plan that meets the needs and budget of your DC business. Contact us to learn more.
