Spring and summer are seasons when everything comes back to life. We start noticing bees buzzing, birds nesting, and squirrels running around. Winter in Canada, on the other hand, feels dormant, like all those pesky bugs and pests are hibernating so that we can enjoy a gorgeous winter wonderland in peace. Pest control feels like a chore that is best left for the summer months. Sadly, this is a huge misconception. Contrary to popular belief, pests don’t simply disappear during winter, you may just not notice them as much. In fact, with so many people on holiday, commercial properties can turn into a playground for pests. Read on to learn why pest control should be a vital part of your property maintenance schedule over winter.
The Winter Pest Problem
Winter is a time to be vigilant about pests. It’s when pests seek shelter from the cold, turning human-inhabited properties into refuges from the harsh weather outside. Many pests, such as rodents, spiders, and certain insects, seek warmth and food sources, often finding these in commercial buildings. Pest problems can actually increase during winter. The warmth draws pests like mice and squirrels that usually divide their time between the outdoors and indoors and keep them there. Additionally, winter makes no difference to pests like ants and cockroaches that are already dwelling within your walls.
Commercial properties are no more immune to this influx of pests than residential ones and the pests can cause substantial property damage and health hazards.
Rodents
Mice are common winter pests in Canada. They can squeeze through tiny openings to enter properties, seeking warmth and food. Keeping them out is not easy without professional help – they can even get through openings as tiny as a nickel’s width. Once inside, they remain until the warm weather beckons. As prolific breeders, they can multiply in no time at all. Mice and other rodents damage your property by gnawing on wires, insulation, and even structural elements. They can also spread diseases putting your employees’ and customers’ health at risk.
Properties like restaurants, hotels, or even offices with kitchens and employee break rooms where food is stored need to be especially vigilant about attracting mice over winter, due to easy access to food.
Permanent Residents
Certain insects, like cockroaches, ants, and bed bugs thrive indoors regardless of the season. They may have entered your property way before the frost hit and have been dwelling quite happily in the walls ever since. The availability of food and the warm indoors help them to thrive, beating the harsh conditions outside. The health hazards caused by cockroaches are well known while ants like carpenter ants can eat through wooden flooring, furniture, and frames of the building. Having bed bugs in a commercial property like a hotel can seriously hamper its health and safety ratings and can make its reputation suffer.
Winter can drive even more of these pests inside making pest control a must before their populations get out of hand.
As you can see, pest control is not an activity that is only meant for the warmer months. In fact, there should be a regular, year-round schedule for it, as a part of your property maintenance plan.
A huge benefit of getting pest control professionals in over the winter is that pests that are already indoors have no place to escape to and can be exterminated more effectively. Additionally, having any entry or exit points sealed over winter means that your property is protected once spring rolls around.
Absolute Pest Control Services provides commercial pest control management services on a monthly, bi-monthly, and quarterly basis along with customized frequencies as necessary. Get in touch for a free, no-obligation quote today!
