How Can Pests Affect A Construction Site

By Hannah Crooks6 min readFeb 2021
How Can Pests Affect A Construction Site

When carrying out a construction project, the area you are building on can be home to many pests and rodents meaning that you are disrupting their habitat. This can then mean that a pest infestation can soon become a problem on your site which can encourage the spread of disease as well as damages to materials and new structures. If you find that your site has become a home to mice, rats or any other types of pests make sure that you take a look at the reliable pest control services that we provide.

Having a pest infestation problem on a construction site can not only expose buildings to damage but can also put workers and members of the public at risk from injury and illnesses. When a major construction project gets underway, particularly on greenfield sites, it can end up disturbing rats that may already have been present in that location or that tend to move through the watercourses in that particular area. Brownfield sites can also come with their own pest problems, especially when disturbing old existing buildings that may already be playing host to rodents. By disturbing their current habitats mice, rats and other rodents will look to move on elsewhere and with the addition of toilet blocks, site offices and canteens that will be placed on to a construction site, this offers the perfect alternative for pests to live in.

A building site offers many opportunities for rodents to take up residence, for example the materials that get stored on site can be the perfect new home for mice and rat populations. Rats will burrow under timber stacks, piles of rubbish and untended vegetations to shelter and build their nests and the increase in footfall from workers and other visitors on the site who bring food with them will increase the amount of litter which in turn will make the site even more attractive to mice and rats.

When undertaking a construction project, pests are something that should be considered from the start and preventative measures put in place to reduce the risk of a pest infestation on site. To minimise the effects that rodents and other pests can have on a building site it is important that developers and site managers are able to spot the signs of a pest infestation. By enlisting the help of a professional pest control company, you can get reliable preventative methods put in place because prevention is always better than a cure and it is better to be dealt with earlier on before they become a major issue.

Birds can also be a big problem on construction sites, especially pigeons and seagulls. Bird droppings can quickly turn a construction site into an unsafe workplace and can cause accidents which is why it is recommended to get bird nets and bird spikes put in place as soon as possible to keep the site safe and bird free.

Having a pest problem on site is not only an issue for the building work being carried out and the structural damage that can occur, but it can also carry huge health risks for those working on site. Infestations of mice and rats can lead to the spread of Weil's disease and leptospirosis to name a few so it is very important to ensure your worker's health and safety at all times by ensuring pest infestations can't occur at your site and, if they do, that it is dealt with efficiently yet properly.

It is very important to remain vigilant when dealing with construction site pest control to ensure the health and safety of the structures and your workforce. Here at Contego we offer a full construction pest control and bird proofing service to ensure your construction site remains safe at all times.