How to Combat the Top 5 Retail Store Pests
In the weeks and days leading up to Christmas, retail stores and shops both big and small will start to see an increase in traffic as everyone prepares for the Christmas holiday. More customers usually bring more business, which is great -- but those customers also bring along something else that’s not so jolly -- pests.
Where people go, pests are sure to follow, and that’s just as true during the most wonderful time of the year as any other. If you want to make sure your customer traffic stays strong -- especially the line to the register -- you’d be wise to stay ahead of any potential pest problems by taking steps to proactively keep them at bay.
To do that, you’ll need to know what to look for and what risk factors leave you more vulnerable to infestation, as well as what you can do to stop any pest problems before they start. Although a list of every creature, critter or bug that has the potential to cause issues in your store could fill volumes, there are five in particular that create the vast majority of pest problems for business owners: ants, spiders, flies, rodents and clothing moths.
The Retail Store Rundown: 5 Common Pests
Ants make for terrible customers. They usually make their way indoors while searching for food, so make sure you have proper sanitation and trash removal practices in place (if your store doesn’t sell food, this applies mostly to the employee break area). Ant traps can be effective, but avoid sprays -- they don’t work very well and can be dangerous.
Spiders inspire more fear than almost any other pest, and a fearful shopper is not a happy shopper. Pesticides aren’t very effective against spiders, so your best bet to get rid of them is to control their food source by eliminating the insects they like to eat.
Flies are among the most annoying of pests, and you want your customers’ experience to be frustration-free. Like most insects and other pests, flies are usually after food and water, so proper sanitation will cut down on most fly problems. For more severe problems, fly traps and sticky fly strips are safe methods to use.
Rodents are usually only an issue if there are empty department stores nearby, or if your business is located near a food court. Rodents carry more than 35 human diseases, so they’re among the more dangerous pests you could encounter. You’ll need a professional to set traps and identify and seal up entryways to fully eliminate them.
Clothing moths will hide when disturbed, so you often don’t even know you have a problem until it’s out of control. Regular cleaning of areas where clothes or textiles are stored, and routine rotation of stock will help identify and prevent clothing moths.
If this all seems like quite a bit of work to do just to keep your store free from pests, we have an alternative for you -- hire pest control professionals to handle it for you. We specialize in keeping the smallest shops to the biggest warehouses pest-free, giving you complete peace of mind.
Send us a message to request a free consultation with your local pest control services planner.
