The office should be a productive and professional environment that makes every employee feel safe and content. Not even the world’s best boss can provide such a setting if bugs start outnumbering staff.

Pest infestations are a common problem in busy offices. They are not only a nasty distraction for your workers, but they are also a health and safety risk and could damage the reputation of your business.

Why Are Offices Prone to Pest Infestations?

Unfortunately, office spaces are one of the areas at most risk of a bug breakout- buy why? Busy offices are prime breeding grounds for many pests, including cockroaches, ants, flies, and the ever-dreaded bed bug.

The first step to knowing how to prevent an infestation is understanding why they happen in the first place. There are three main reasons why unwanted critters always wind up in the workplace:

1. Traffic and Close Contact

Even a small office can easily have 10 or 20 different people in and out throughout the day, with large corporate offices often surpassing the hundreds into the thousands by the time you include clients and visitors. It is nearly impossible to avoid the odd bug sneaking in unnoticed when you have that kind of traffic

Hitch-hiking bugs are not the only worry when you have lots of people in one place- things spread quickly, and you never know where they came from in the first place.

2. Spills and Crumbs

In the past, almost all pest control Reading call-outs were for problems in the break room. Understandably, the place where all the food is tends to be the hub for unwanted invaders. Nowadays, however, the problem is spreading.

The trend of eating at your desk has evolved from a necessity on a busy day to the norm in most modern offices. It is convenient, sure- but it is also attractive to ants, cockroaches, and flies. Because people now eat and drink almost wherever they want around the office, infestations tend to spread further and faster.

Additionally, spillages are often cleaned poorly or left completely unattended. Crumbs are one the biggest culprits for drawing out ants, and juice spills for attracting flies or wasps.

3. Perfect Overnight Conditions

Offices may be bright and busy during the day, but at night is a very different story. Most shut down for the day by 6pm at the latest and don’t reopen until after 8am. The 14 hours in between are a haven for bugs.

Dark cool spaces are where most pests thrive, and a closed-up office with the air vents running overnight is just the ticket.

Prevention and Control

Short of hermetically sealing the entire building, it is impossible to keep all of the bugs out all of the time. It is perfectly normal for the odd creepy crawly to find its way into the office, but that doesn’t mean you can just ignore it.

There are some simple steps you can take to limit the opportunities for an infestation to take hold.

1. Steer Clear of Clutter

Messy desks and cupboards offer places for pests to hide, breed, and spread. Ensuring the work area is kept clear and tidy at all times is a must if you want a bug-free office. Don’t let any litter build up anywhere, be it trash, stray papers, or other unnecessary mess.

2. House Keeping is Key

Tidying up is not enough- keep it clean. Avoid half-hearted attempts at wiping up coffee or brushing crumbs under the rug- the pest cannot be fooled. Keep sinks empty, surfaces disinfected, and floors spotless. The more effort that goes into cleaning and caring for your workspace, the less likely you are to suffer from an insect problem.

3. Have Dedicated Eating Areas

If you keep suffering recurring infestations, you may need to change things up. Limiting food to only the breakroom or another dedicated space helps contain the possible problem. Offices who are not managing to stick to suggestions one or two may have no other option.

4. Schedule Regular Check-ups with Pest Services

Reading offices can benefit from regular inspections from a reliable pest control provider. Prevention is always better than cure, and bugs are no exception.

Getting into a routine helps protect your office space and nip any brewing situations in the bud before they spin out of control. Although shop-bought deterrents and extermination products can help tide you over, they are more of a temporary band-aid than a long-term solution.

The Bottom Line

Our pest control services in Reading are the fastest and most effective way to rid your workspace of any infestation. Not only does our team eliminate the problem and control the possibility of another breakout, but they also share their expert knowledge with you so that you can keep pests at bay in the future.

Give us a call now for pest control in Reading that you can rely on. Discuss a plan for how your office can put pests in the past.