Pests: How Do They Get In??

The first step to tackling a pest problem is to find out how they’re getting in in the first place.

There are steps you can take to prevent a pest infestation getting out of hand. Here’s our guide to how the most common pests find their way in and what you can do about it.  Our operatives have access to the most effective treatments and equipment to get rid of pests, so calling in professional pest control is the best way to ensure that your premises are left pest-free. 

Rats
Rats can enter a property through a structural fault like broken air bricks or holes where a toilet or sink has been installed and not fully sealed.

Mice
There are many ways that mice can enter a property. They can get in through airbricks and vents, and holes around pipes and cables. Damaged walls, floorboards and skirting boards are also common points of entry. 

Cockroaches
Cockroaches can access your premises through holes in the walls and floors, especially holes around waste pipes and cables, and they can be brought into premises in contaminated food or packaging from other businesses who have an infestation. 

Flies
Flies can get in through the tiniest gaps such as cracks in tiles and around window and door frames. They can also gain access to your premises by getting behind wall cladding.  

Ants
Ants don’t need much of a gap to get into your premises because they’re so small. They can get in through cracks in the foundations or walls, gaps under doors, or gaps in the seal around windows.

Rats 
Rats are persistent creatures who can chew through metal to gain access to premises, and when they do, they can spread diseases, damage fixtures and fittings, and contaminate food. 

Prevention and cure 
Seal any holes and replace
damaged floorboards. Rats need a regular food and water supply, so make sure there are no available sources for them like a dripping tap or food waste. 

Mice 
Mice infestations are more of a problem in autumn and winter because they seek shelter indoors. Unlike rats, they are not so attracted by food as they usually eat enough during the summer months to last them through the winter. This makes getting rid of them difficult, as many ways of catching them rely on the lure of food. 

Prevention and cure
Seal up any holes around pipes and check walls, skirting boards, and floorboards for signs of damage. 

Cockroaches
Cockroaches lay egg pouches in inaccessible areas. They are great climbers, so you might notice them walking on ceilings or on the undersides of cupboards. They love warm premises where food is available and once they get in, they breed fast. Cockroaches feed on food and waste, and they spread germs, so they’re a public health risk. Cockroach infestation is associated with a risk of contracting salmonella and E. Coli.

Prevention and cure 
Practice good hygiene in the workplace, store food in sealed containers and dispose of waste food as soon as possible. Seal any holes or cracks where cockroaches might gain access. 

Ants
Most people will have had to deal with an invasion of ants at some point. They live in huge colonies, and as spring approaches, worker ants start looking for food for the colony. Sugar attracts them, so a few crumbs of biscuit on the staff room floor can make your premises a target. The ants who scavenge for food leave a scent trail to help them find their way back to their nest and this attracts other ants. 

Prevention and cure 
Seal any cracks around door and window frames, and in the outer walls. Spray an insecticide around the outside of the premises and around the nest if you locate it. Most insecticides you can buy have low concentrations of active insecticide, so if you’re dealing with large numbers, it might not get rid of ants completely. 

Move your bins away from the outer walls of the building. 

Make sure that food is not left out uncovered and keep it in sealed boxes or containers.

Flies
Flies are one of the most common insects around. They’re a nuisance and they pick up bacteria and viruses, contaminate food and water, and spread diseases that are harmful to humans and animals. Because flies feed on rubbish, rotting food and animal waste, a lack of cleanliness will attract them.

Prevention and cure 
Seal any gaps around doors and windows. There are commercially available methods of getting rid of flies such as fly-papers and aerosols, though these will only get rid of the flies you can see, not the ones that might be hiding in the nooks and crannies. These methods are not suitable for controlling large numbers of flies. 

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