Pests enjoy the holiday season just like everyone else but your facility shouldn’t have cluster or fruit flies buzzing around the holiday display or bed bugs feasting on your guests during their long winter’s naps. The Sprague Pest Experts have identified a list of pests (and checked it twice) that are the equivalent of coal in your stocking.
- Bed Bugs – Bed bugs are highly mobile pests that travel well during the holiday season in luggage, on clothing and in packages. With family and friends coming and going, bed bugs can easily hitch a ride and infest a hotel or guest bedroom. Packing your clothes in sealed plastic bags and drying washed clothes on high temperature settings are ways to cancel a bed bug’s travel plans.
- Cockroaches – One of the most resilient pests known to man, cockroaches make a living in the dark, wet spaces that are prevalent in many commercial facilities. These disease-transmitting pests are drawn to food scraps, grease, garbage and other wastes that are often found in commercial kitchens and food prep areas. Good sanitation and food storage protocols are keys to preventing cockroach infestations.
- Flies – Flies are not just a nuisance, they can live and breed quite nicely indoors during the winter. Flies, like cockroaches, are attracted to leftover food, waste and garbage, and good sanitation practices are a must. Frequent cleaning of grease traps and drains to prevent fly infestations is also recommended.
- Rodents – Rodents are one of the most commonly encountered pests in hospitality, food processing, storage, and transportation facilities. Rodents are prime transmitters of harmful bacteria, can cause damage to structures and wiring with their gnawing, and often gain entry through incoming shipments.
- Stored Product Pests – From the confused flour beetle to the Indian meal moth to the granary weevil, stored product pests make their living infesting food ingredients such as cocoa powder, spices, flour, rice and other grains. Thorough inspections of incoming shipments and good storage practices are keys to eliminating stored product pests.