Pests can invade a home or business at any time of year, but summer is their favourite time for attacking. Pest control is more important in summer because the warm weather can attract more nasties than usual, and heavy rain can also cause an increase in pest activity. Of course, household pests can arrive at any time but it’s always best to be prepared.

Which critters can you expect?

As the seasons change, so do the pests which can inhabit your office. The good news is that mice and rats are not common pests at this time of year, you’re more likely to see these critters from September onwards. Common summer pests are stinging insects such as wasps, bees, ants and mosquitoes. You’re also at risk of hornets, cockroaches and termites during the warmer months. Depending on the location of your business, you may also have other animals to deal with such as urban foxes or sea gulls.

Tips for prevention

Preventing pests from entering your building is very difficult during the summer when you often leave windows and doors open. This provides a very easy entry for flying insects! Even if you keep them shut, tiny pests such as ants can still find a way in.

In terms of pest prevention, the best thing to do is to cut off sources of food and water. Animals and insects will be entering a building in search of these two things, so make sure you aren’t putting on a buffet for pests.

• Never leave food or crumbs around, and keep food in airtight boxes
• Check pipes for any leaks, remove any standing water whether it’s inside or outside
• Empty bins daily
• Ensure outdoor trash bins have secured lids
• Consider installing mesh ventilation covers on air vents
• Increase the frequency and level of cleaning around the office, especially in the kitchen

Fighting summer pests

If you are unfortunate enough to experience pest activity, you should call in the professionals straight away. It’s not just a matter of cleanliness – seemingly harmless critters such as flies and cockroaches can actually cause damage to buildings and furnishings. Of course, wasp nests need removing as soon as possible and other similar pests can be a health and safety issue for staff and visitors in the building.

If you have trouble with office pest control then find your local pest control service who can take care of the problem and offer advice to prevent it happening again.