Pest prevention is better than cure

When it comes to pest control, the theory prevention is better than cure has been around for a long time and suggests businesses need to be more proactive than reactive when it comes to the well-being of our businesses, our staff and our customers. In many industries, especially those that deal with food, one of the most dangerous and destructive things that could happen to your business, brand and customers is a pest infestation. 

Importance of Proactive Pest Prevention

Ineffective pest control can be incredibly damaging to businesses,  causing poor online reviews, shutdowns, negative media coverage, cancelled contracts, unhappy customers and a bad brand reputation.

Pests can damage many parts of buildings to gain access and get around buildings to find food and nesting places. Discovering pests in your business can be very distressing. Proactive preventative pest control stops pests from gaining access to your property or business facility by sealing potential entry points and proofing buildings.

Below are some practical ways you can prevent a pest infestation:
•               Clean up after preparing food
•               Wipe down benches
•               Store food in sealed containers
•               Dispose of rubbish promptly
•               Check the building for gaps/holes which pests may gain access
•               Keep areas free from debris
•               Have an integrated pest management (IPM) plan suited to your needs

Whilst prevention is always better than a cure, there will be times when one must resort to calling in the professionals.

Quality pest control is necessary in food processing environments, as pest infestations can place your product and business reputation at risk. Pest management in such environments is very sensitive, and special precautions must be taken to keep pest control treatments from threatening food safety. To better control pests while respecting a food plant’s sensitive environmental needs, businesses can benefit from having an integrated pest management (IPM) approach to eliminate and prevent a range of pests from encroaching on their premises.

What is Integrated Pest Management (IPM)?

Integrated pest management (IPM) is a systematic approach to pest management, focusing more on prevention than control, in order to provide commercial properties such as food processing and food retail facilities with a pest-free environment.

IPM provides a solid pest management solution by employing a combination of practices to eliminate the root causes of pest infestations. The program uses current, comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests, their behaviour, biology and interactions with the environment.

At Rentokil, this information is combined with our latest pest control methods and digital pest control solutions to effectively manage pest infestations through the most economical means and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment.

Taking proactive measures and engaging a pest control expert who will take the time to understand your specific needs makes good business sense. Rentokil works with customers to understand when and how pests pose a problem and sets action thresholds against factors such as the species of pest involved, individual business tolerance, building type and conditions conducive to pest activity.

Contact us today for more information on our integrated pest management systems.