The average workspace is a mix of employees and customers coming and going. Depending on the nature of your workspace, people may even eat lunch on the premises. Whenever you add food to a space, there’s also an increased risk of pests.
It’s with this in mind that many local companies are turning to the pest control Melbourne businesses rely on to keep all types of nasty critters at bay. In addition to this, it’s also essential to keep a clean environment to minimise the risk of anything from cockroaches to rats.
Keeping Pests Out of the Office is Essential
Whether you have a simple office space with a few employees or a much larger factory environment, there’s always the risk of insects moving in. Fortunately, there are a few expert tips that you can implement in your work area to keep the bugs out. Here they are.
1. Office Hygiene is a Must
The number one rule in your workspace should be that everyone must adopt a clean environment. Whether your business has customers and guests visiting daily or not, the space should always be clean.
This includes ensuring that there are no cluttered areas where pests can live and washing surfaces and floors regularly. Ensure that there are adequate bins (with lids that close tightly) strategically placed around the site.
2. Create a Canteen or Kitchen Area
Workspaces that don’t deal with customers or external people coming into the space often have very relaxed policies about where lunch breaks take place. Having employees eating all over the work area leads to crumbs and food scraps that can attract cockroaches, rats, and mice.
Minimise this by creating a designated canteen, kitchen, or eating area. This space should be cleaned several times a day and the dustbin needs to be emptied every day. Set up a list of rules for the space that each employee must adhere to. Each employee should be responsible for cleaning up their own food scraps and empty containers and plates.
Ensure that there are adequate cleaning materials in this space. Any soaps and cleaning solutions that contain lemon, lavender, or eucalyptus will help keep pests off of counters and sink areas.
3. Ensure that Garbage Cans are Emptied Daily
Whether you have one garbage bin or several placed around the job site, it’s essential that these are emptied out daily. Food scraps that remain in the bin for too long start decomposing which attracts pests. This includes any bins and skips you may have outside.
4. Check the Outside Perimeter
Keeping pests at bay is about a lot more than just keeping your interior workspace clean. It’s also essential to check the space around your building. This is especially the case if you share a communal dustbin with other businesses or there’s a commercial kitchen in the area.
All of these factors can attract pests to your space, no matter how clean you keep it. Outdoor maintenance involves the following:
- Remove any plant overgrowth as pests can build nests in these
- Ensure that there’s no building rubble lying around
- Remove any rubbish or garbage bags that may be waiting to be collected
- Keep the areas around entrances clean
- Wash any paving areas weekly
- Check drains
- Repair any cracks and gaps in walls as insects can get in through these
5. Create Effective Storage for Admin
Despite many companies going digital, there can still be a significant amount of paper in your workspace. If this is the case, it’s essential to remember that these can attract pests such as bookworms. Rats and other rodents also make nests in boxes of paper.
Avoid this by sealing administration on sealed boxes that are neatly stored on shelves. Routinely review the admin and dispose of or recycle any that you don’t need to keep. Most documents only need to be kept for a specific time and can be destroyed afterwards. You can also speak to your pest control agent about special treatments for your administration room.
6. Choose the Right Indoor Plants
If you have added indoor plants to your workspace as part of the general décor, these will have to be maintained to ensure that insects aren’t building nests in them. Here are a few tips to consider in this regard:
- Don’t overwater plants as this makes an excellent breeding ground for gnats and fungus which attracts other pests.
- Remove dead foliage and keep the pots clean from broken leaves where pests can live.
- Use organic sprays such as solutions of peppermint oil to spray on the leaves of plants that show signs of insects.
- Routinely take indoor plants outside and gently rinse the leaves to ensure pests such as ants and cockroaches aren’t living there.
Final Thoughts
Pest control in your workspace should form part of your monthly and seasonal maintenance programs. Besides the measures that your pest controller adds to the space, you can also reduce the risk of insects by keeping a clean space and maintaining basic hygiene practices. Avoiding these insects from moving in is the best control!