Keeping Patio Pests Away From Your Business This Summer
Warm nights and sunny days make the perfect setting for outdoor seating, and businesses know it. Whether your customers are basking in the sunshine all day or gathered around a campfire in the evening, the patio often becomes a much-beloved gathering point for many summer evenings - and that’s why the presence of pests near your patio can pose a serious problems for your summer fun.
When you’re outside, the barriers between your guests and the pests who want to intrude are greatly reduced: food is often exposed, guests are gathered in one spot, and stray crumbs or spilled sodas can easily draw out unwanted invaders looking for a bite to eat. From there, it’s only a step or two until they’re inside - and then your patio problem will have evolved into a much more serious ordeal.
Instead, knowing how to keep patio pests at bay can actually bring a serious boon to any outdoor plans your business might have for the summer ahead. Here’s a look at some of the most common outdoor pests you may encounter, as well as a look at what to do to keep them away from your events and off your patio through till the first frost.
Flying Foes - Flies and Gnats
Much like the nosy neighbors who invite themselves over whenever food makes an appearance, flying outdoor pests like flies and gnats are naturally drawn to any eating event you may have on your patio. Gnats and flies can detect food scents - especially sweet scents, like fruit and soda - from quite some distance away, and they don’t usually come alone.
Diseases and pathogens like salmonella and typhoid can easily be carried and spread by flying pests who land on food to chow down. To prevent flies from coming:
- Make sure your eating area is thoroughly cleaned of any spills or crumbs as soon as your gathering is over
- Try to limit the amount of exposed food at any one time during the event itself
- Empty trash cans regularly, clean plates and tables after eating
- Consider talking to a pest professional if the problem does not resolve itself once food is removed from the area.
Stingers - Bees, Wasps, & Hornets
Many party hosts and business owners have seen it before - everything is going great until someone lets out a scream, and you know the bees have arrived. Notoriously attracted by bright colors and sweet scents from sodas, fruit, and other sugary substances, bees, wasps, and hornets are really not all that different from your average fly - only they come ready to fight back.
Fortunately, keeping these stinging invaders from ruining your patio gathering is easier than you may think. The best way to keep bees and other stingers away is to:
- Keep colors relatively neutral around your patio, from flowers to decorations
- Clean any spills of sweet and sugary liquids as quickly as possible
- Don’t leave fruit or food sitting unattended for bees to find
- Remove any standing water that may attract bees as a good source of fluids
- Have a pest management professional search for and take out any nests in the area
Creepy Crawlers - Ants & Roaches
Looking for an easy way to ruin a picnic or outdoor gathering? All you need to do is invite over some ants - they’ll crawl all over food, take some back to the nest, and even help spread around disease to you and your guests. Plus, they’re just gross - a great way to force the party inside and out of the sun, not to mention a recipe for some angry customers.
If you’d rather enjoy your picnic in peace, take these simple steps to keep ants away:
- Wash your patio thoroughly (consider pressure washing) to ensure all food and spills are completely clean
- Empty trash and keep the area clear of any debris or garbage
- Have a pest management pro search for and destroy any nests in the area
- Consider regular pest control tactics to prevent ants from coming by in the first place
Blood-Suckers - Mosquitos
Maybe the most iconically-despised pest at any patio party is the dreaded bloodsucker: the mosquito. Mosquitos are attracted by smells - not the food, but the people themselves. Not only do mosquitos physically attack your guests looking for a fresh meal of their own, but they carry disease and pathogens aplenty.
Gather enough people in a group outdoors in the summer and you’re almost guaranteed to attract mosquitos - but that doesn’t mean you can’t fight back. Take these basic steps and your patio can remain mosquito free:
- Keep puddles of standing water around your patio away and at a minimum - mosquitoes only need a few ounces to breed successfully
- Consider utilizing DEET-based bug spray to conceal the scent and keep mosquitos in the dark
- Talk to a pest management professional about regular treatments to keep mosquito populations at a minimum.
Take Back The Patio Party This Summer
By the time autumn rolls around, we’ll all be missing the warm weather - which means there’s no better time than now to get out there and enjoy the beauty of summer. But when pests are hanging around cramping your style, those sunny days can feel a lot less inviting. Instead, get in touch with a JP Pest Services qualified pest management professionals to keep the worst offenders away - and get ready to keep on partying until sunset.
