Overcoming Warehouse Pest Woes: Tips For Combatting The Most Common Critters
by Luke Fields
When it comes to protecting your business from pest infestations, the loading dock and warehouse space are likely the most difficult areas to manage. Folding dock covers, inflatable cushions and metal flashing can help you combat many pests, but knowing the most common pests and issues can help you keep them at bay. Here's a look at the most common pest infestations for commercial loading docks and what you can do about them.
Rodents
Rats and other rodents see loading docks as an open invitation, especially if you operate a food processing and shipping facility. Whether chewing through boxes or damaging wiring, these creatures can prove highly destructive to your work space. Additionally, rodents of all kinds carry a host of diseases that spread easily through their excrement.
To keep rats at bay, you'll want to keep the floor space as open as possible. Consider setting up shelving to store all of your boxes, crates and other materials off the ground level. Fill in any holes, cracks or other openings around the doors and clear out your loading dock space so that there's nothing there to attract them.
Discourage their presence alongside the building by installing a gravel perimeter around the building. Many pest control specialists will also suggest placing baits, traps and glue boards around the problem areas.
Cockroaches
Of the many pests that you could find in your loading area and warehouse, cockroaches are probably one of the most disliked. Cockroaches have a terrible reputation that is not without cause. These creatures can carry dozens of bacteria and pathogens that can make you sick, including cholera, salmonella and staph germs. Since they frequently travel through dumpsters and sewage, they can pick up even more pathogens that they can then transfer to any surface inside your loading area as they walk around.
Keeping cockroaches out of your warehouse requires a solid commitment to keeping things clean, sealed and organized. You'll want to make sure that your loading dock is secure and free of any gaps or cracks that can permit access from the outside. You'll also want to get rid of any stacked cardboard, as roaches will nest inside cardboard. They reproduce rapidly, so battling an infestation means having a pest control professional make repeated visits to treat for them.
Beetles and Moths
Although they may seem to be harmless, beetles and moths that can grow inside your equipment and storage containers are highly problematic. They can contaminate food supplies by leaving waste, wings and other debris behind. Additionally, they may end up in materials that get shipped to grocery stores and consumers. Since their presence isn't always easy to detect until you open a product and find them, prevention is key.
You'll want to make sure that you keep your warehouse and loading docks as clean as possible. Establish a cleaning routine that requires your staff to sweep, dust and organize everything regularly. The more you are rotating stock, the less likely you'll be to have anything get infested by these creatures. If you have concerns, a pest control specialist can set up pheromone traps to help you keep them out.
The goal is to keep your entire work area pest-free. If insects like these find safe harbor in your loading dock, it's only a matter of time before the infestation spreads throughout the building, putting your staff health at risk and leaving you potentially facing failed inspections and production line shutdowns. The cost of routine pest control treatment is minimal in comparison to the reputation damage that your business can suffer from infestations or failed inspections. Consider working with a local pest control professional for to learn more about preventative treatments to help you avoid these hazards.
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About Me
Welcome to my website. My name is Larry Silva, and I want to talk a bit about private mortgage insurance. You may have heard the term PMI mentioned when you were in the process of purchasing real estate. When I first heard my lender talking about PMI, I was very confused. It was my realtor who sat me down and explained what private mortgage insurance was and when someone is required to purchase it. He told me that PMI is not lifelong insurance; it can be cancelled when the mortgage principal balance reaches a certain point. Once it was explained to me, private mortgage insurance was no longer a mystery or a confusing concept. I would like to pass on what I learned and hope that you find it to be of value.