Warehouse Pest Control Services

Warehouses are the backbone of any organization built solely for storing relevant materials. It is a nexus where all your appropriate crucial materials are stored when they are not being utilized. Given the previously mentioned definition, warehouses are extremely vulnerable to being a victim to pest infestation, which can severely impact the proper functioning of your organization. Considering the impact pests can have on your organization, proper pest control procedures become more of a necessity than an optional addition. The following details the importance and the impact of warehouse pest control.

Impact of Improper Pest Control in Warehouses

Proper warehouse pest control procedures play a significant role in ensuring the smooth functioning of an organization. To better understand the significance of the same, you need to acquaint yourself with proper warehouse pest control procedures.

Improper pest control procedures within a warehouse make it more vulnerable to being a victim to a pest infestation. A pest infestation can have the following negative impacts on the warehouse:

1. Unstable Structure

Termites are known to inhabit and feed off wooden materials. If your warehouse is majorly used to store building materials, then it is extremely vulnerable to termites dwelling within the wooden materials. A termite infestation can weaken or severely damage the infrastructure of a building. It also degrades the materials that are stored within the warehouse. An unstable infrastructure can lead to the building collapsing and damaging all the goods that are stored within it.

2. Diseases

Pests are known to be prime carriers of some of the most fatal diseases. Rats and mosquitoes are some examples of these disease-carrying pests. Mosquitoes are known to be the carriers of viruses that cause malaria and dengue which can prove life-threatening if not treated with appropriate medications and treatment.

3. Damaged Goods

If your organization makes revenue by selling goods to third parties, then a pest infestation can have severe effects on your business as a whole. Pests can damage the goods stored within your storehouse which can make them ineligible for further sale.

4. Infected Assets

If you use your warehouse to mostly store edible products, then a pest infestation can leave your entire goods basically worthless. Infected products can potentially carry harmful diseases which makes them entirely inedible. Infected food products also cannot be recycled or scavenged for by-products that can be utilized later, which makes pest-infested food products even more undesirable.

5. Damage to reputation

If a warehouse is facing the problem of a pest infestation, it can harm the reputation of the warehouse by spreading the word to other customers and employees. No customer would like to receive a product that is infested with pests that can damage their health. This can create a negative opinion about your warehouse in the public which can even lead to the closure of your business. So, make sure that you keep a control on the problem of a potential pest infestation at your warehouse.

6. Undesirable working environment

Pests in any warehouse can lower the morale of the employees as it creates an undesirable environment for work. It can be unpleasant working at a place where rodents, cockroaches, flies, and birds are swooping down. A good ambiance defines quality work. At a workplace bustling with pests, your employees would not be able to work with efficacy, and it can also affect their overall health.

Warehouse Pest Control Procedure

Pest control can be a challenging task in the warehouses. Here are the ways through which you can exude the pests out of your warehouse and mitigate the risks that they can cause.

Map Out Areas in the Warehouse Where Pests Are

While identifying the problem of pest infestation at your warehouse, you need to draft a summary of the present situation. This should include a site plan where you need to indicate the areas of concern and description regarding the pests that are causing the problem. While identifying pest infestation at your warehouse, don’t just look for the pests on your premises but have detailed data of the history regarding this problem. Look for any construction, layout, or neighboring properties that might attract pests to your warehouse. If the location of your warehouse is near a railway or amenity site, the pests might breed at your place also. Do a complete site mapping to evacuate any such area that can lead to a pest infestation in the future also. Remember your motto over here should not just be to eradicate the present problem but to refrain from facing any such problem in the future.

Contact A Professional Warehouse Pest Control Team

Once you have identified the problem area, contact a contractor service to remove the pests. If you are looking for the latest pest control methods, then you should hire a contractor. You can also choose an in-house solution if the problem has not spread on a massive scale and can be controlled through the in-house facility. While opting for any of these methods, you need to choose someone who is competent and skilled in dealing with the pests. Your employees can also play an important role in the warehouse operation if they know how to identify pests and understand the importance of preventing them. For in-house measures, follow these steps:

Action plan

Now it’s the time to choose the steps to eradicate the pests from your warehouse. You can either use trapping, poison, or other effective methods. You also need to document the time when you’ll implement the action plan so that rest of the activities can be on hold for that particular time of day.

Measure the effects

At this stage of the pest control procedure, you need to outline the effect of the pest control procedure on your consumers and employees. You also need to state the effect of the procedure you have selected to eradicate pests on the environment.

Quarantine zone

This step demands you to seal the areas where the pest control process will take place. If you have chosen the trapping process to eradicate the pests, make sure that it doesn’t occur in heavy human areas.

Safety confirmation

Once the procedure ends, you need to inform people that the area is safe for operation.

Record and report

The most important step of pest control for the Warehousing Industry is to report and record the entire process. You should monitor the pest control process because of these reasons:

• To monitor the efficacy and safety of your pest control effort
• To get an insight into the entire procedure being carried out, in the correct way
• To report to the concerning bodies that you have taken care of all the regulatory legislation while this procedure was carried out.
• It can also serve as evidence for third-party auditing.

These pest control for warehousing Industry steps can help you keep your warehouse pest free.

Key Preventive Measures

• Your warehouse should be designed in a way that ensures ventilation and air circulation in order to reduce the temperature of your warehouse and prevent moisture from building up.
• There should be an adequate number of water faucets that facilitate easy access to water.
• Use shelves or pallets so that the floor can be easily hosed down.
• Locate drains to get rid of the problem of water blockage.
• For swift water, runoff orients your floor’s grade toward the drain.
• Maintain healthy sanitary practices.
• Do not consume or store food in your warehouse.
• Throw trash in appropriate receptacles that facilitate proper disposal inside the warehouse.
• Empty shelves and clean floors daily for warehouse pest control.
• You must dust all the stored cartons on a regular basis.
• Ensure that the windows and the doors close properly.
• Keep your warehouse completely dry, as moisture encourages the penetration of pests.

How to Prevent Pests From Entering Your Warehouse

• Seal any holes or cracks that can allow pests to enter your warehouse. You can also use a galvanized net, cement, or steel wool as a screening material. It’s easy for the rodents to enter through even tiny crevices. So, make sure you seal all the holes and crevices.
• Always keep the windows and doors closed when they’re not in use.
• You can place a metal roof flashing up to the height of twelve inches from the base of the building. It acts as a good rodent barrier.
• It’s important to treat the wood frame facilities every two years with water sealing.
• Dust talcum powder near points that seem close to the access of the pests.
• Conduct a visual inspection monthly to check the penetration of pests on floors, walls, shelves, and ceilings.
• Inspect both the internal and external perimeters of your warehouse monthly to detect the presence of rodents, insects, and other pests.

These effective steps can help you fight the existing pest problem and will also keep control of them in the future. Follow these pest control for the warehousing industry steps and stay away from the risk of pest infestations that can harm your business.

Call in the Best Warehouse Pest Control Team in Virginia

If your pest infestation is too large to handle on your own, Bug Busters’ warehouse pest control team can help. There is no job too big or too small for us. Contact us today for a consultation.