Summertime Pests Your Business Is Better Off Without
Ahh, summer…
The warm months are the best time of year for people to really enjoy the outdoors, especially in areas like New England where a long winter makes locals especially excited to seize just about every moment in the sun possible. But for businesses owners looking to take advantage of this enthusiasm, outdoor pests can be among the most frustrating obstacles to successful summer evenings.
Experienced business owners know that summertime isn’t just the busiest season for outdoor enjoyment - it’s also one of the toughest times of year to deal with pests and wildlife. Keeping your open-air area clear for guests to enjoy takes a robust pest management strategy and the knowledge of just what you may be up against as the season progresses.
Here’s a look at some of the most persistent pests for businesses in the summer, and what you can do to keep these invaders from ruining your customers’ summer fun.
Raccoons
If there’s any animal that can arguably be described as a “professional burglar,” racoons may just win the title. These notorious thieves even come fully-equipped with paws that are especially adept at grabbing, meaning it’s easy for many raccoons to get into closed garbage cans, open unlocked doors, and climb over just about anything you may put in front of them. They love to steal food, and if given the opportunity they may even call over some friends to enjoy the spoils.
In the late spring and early summer months many racoons give birth to a litter of kits, which spend roughly the 8-10 weeks growing before they leave the nest. During that time, the mother will be extremely protective of her nest, meaning removing a raccoon family during the mid-summer months can be especially difficult - and dangerous. A qualified pest professional can help safely and humanely remove a raccoon family to somewhere they won’t be as tempted to make off with food or make a mess in front of your customers.
Bats
If you notice dark forms swooping around the air just after the sun goes down, chances are you’ve got bats. These flying invaders usually emerge from their hibernation sometime when the weather warms up in late spring, and by early summer there are plenty of pregnant female bats looking for a safe place to roost and raise her young. If your business has a high ceiling, an attic or an empty outdoor space that’s out of the way of traffic, it may just be the perfect hiding place for a bat and her young - and that can bring serious problems to your business.
Bat droppings (called guano) are notoriously dangerous to humans, sometimes containing viruses like Ebola and disease-causing bacteria like E. Coli. For a business with many customers looking to enjoy summer evenings, this can be a serious risk - not to mention that the image of bats diving down to catch mosquitos right over everyone’s heads may simply be more than your customers bargained for. In this case, it’s best to get in touch with a pest management professional to safely capture and remove the bats to somewhere they won’t cause as much trouble.
Moles
For businesses ranging from outdoor retail centers to restaurants with fresh air seating, the appearance of your outdoors space can be hugely important for making a good impression on guests. That’s why so many landlords and business owners spend the summer cringing at molehills crossing under otherwise beautifully-manicured lawns, and why so many look for an easy and effective way to keep moles away for the duration of the summer season.
While moles tend to be most active in the spring and autumn months, summer is still a highly active time of year for moles. Many extend and deepen their underground runs for easier access to food and water, and the early summer is usually when young moles first head out of the nest in search of their own territory. They can bring damage to your lawn and plants, and may also damage the foundation of your business if allowed to get too close to the exterior.
Trapping and humanely releasing moles in summer can be an especially tricky job, and often may require the assistance of a qualified pest management professional to track and trap any unwelcome moles before they become a serious problem.
Squirrels
Although basically ubiquitous in almost every part of the U.S., squirrels seem to surprise business owners each and every summer with just how much trouble they can cause. Crafty, amazingly fast, and built for foraging, squirrels have plenty of experience gathering food in densely-populated areas without getting caught. This makes getting rid of squirrels tough any time of year - and especially in early summer, when many squirrels are either leaving the nest for the first time or getting ready for a second ground of pregnancy for the year.
In most cases, squirrels will take refuge in a nest found in a particular tree or hideaway nearby a reliable food source. If your business has struggled to keep squirrels away from outdoor eating and recreation spaces, consider asking a qualified pest management professional to do a quick assessment of where they’re nesting. From there, it will be much easier to take action and keep squirrels from getting too comfy near your outdoor space.
Skunks
It only takes one whiff of that distinctive smell to know that a skunk’s been in the area - and if you’ve ever had that scent on yourself, you know that dealing with skunks are no joke regardless of the season. In the summer, however, many skunks are just getting into the swing of motherhood, with babies arriving sometime between late May and early July. In these months, skunks can become especially dangerous to deal with - and for business owners looking to keep outdoor spaces skunk-free, summer can be a challenging season.
Often, simply removing or excluding the mother skunk alone can be extremely hazardous, as her protective nature toward her babies can drive her to do serious damage to your building, your property, or yourself if provoked. Plus, leaving the babies to fend for themselves can be fatal for them, which can produce a terrible smell that can be tough to remove. And since skunks will often return to successful nests sites year after year, it does little good simply waiting until the breeding season is over for the skunks to leave.
Instead, it’s best to let a qualified pest management professional devise a safe and humane method of removing and relocating the entire skunk family - that way, you can keep your business going and get rid of skunks for good without causing serious harm.
Seize the Summer with The Security of Quality Pest Management
If your business has struggled to control outdoor pests and wildlife in the past, or if you’re starting to notice many of these issues for the first time, there’s no sense in waiting to take action. Get in touch with the professionals here at JP Pest Services and get your business ready to take on whatever summer may have in store - that way, you and your customers can enjoy those warm evenings in peace.
