PRACTICAL TIPS FOR HOTEL PEST MANAGEMENT
Pest Management in Hotels
So what’s the best way for a Hotel business to manage their risk when it comes to pest control? I am talking about a Hotel without a pest issue that wants to reduce the risk, but not break the bank.
Lets start at the beginning. What are the pests they are commonly at risk at? There are three main ones
So here are few tips from a Qualified Urban Pest Controller on how Hotel businesses can reduce the risk of these three pests
Rodents- rats and mice
Firstly you have to ask yourself why are they interested in your business, you know what brings them around to you? Yes, you guessed it, your rubbish normally at the back of the business in bins/bags. Often hidden away from the public eye, making for idea conditions for rodents to dart in unseen and grab some food.
If you haven’t already, make sure you put your food waste in sealed plastic bins. An open bin is just asking the rats and mice to do a little climbing for their food, which they will happily do.
Is your used ( cooking) oil drum full and over flowing back there too? Please get this cleared away/exchanged as this is excellent food source for rodents.
While you are looking at this area it wouldn’t hurt to pop in a few controls around in locked stations. This can help manage the rodents, but also tell you when you have the sort of furry little guests around your business doesn’t want.
Lastly, stand outside the exterior rear door and close it. Try to put your little finger under the door. If the gap is this size or larger, it means mice and possibly rats can come into your business anytime. We don’t want that, so reduce the size of the gaps to less than that of your little finger.
German Cockroaches
You get these as an unwanted gift. Goods coming into your kitchen can have unseen visitors. Or more commonly a staff member has them at home and accidentally brings them into work.
You will mostly find them in the Kitchen. They need to be somewhere warm. So check warm areas, such as hot water cylinders, dish washers, kettle stands and electronics. Also get a torch and have a look underneath the benches and stove tops at the lower skirtings.
If you are using your own controls, these are the areas to start placing them. A NON chemical tool for Hotel managers are sticky traps. They tell you when the cockroaches are around and also catch a few at the same time.
Bed bugs
These can also hitchhike into your business. In a Hotel business where there is a mix of privately owned apartments and your room, they can also use the corridor to invade your hotel rooms.
Forewarned in forearmed. Get hold of some bed bug traps and place them around the head of the bed. These traps not only catch bed bugs, but they tell you when the bed bugs are present. There are also interceptor traps that be put under bed legs.
Traps are excellent NON chemical first step to make you aware that bed bugs are now an issue and you need to take further steps
Conclusion
Use these common sense steps to take control of the pest management yourself. This will reduce your risk of unwanted guests checking into you Hotel while you are unaware.
If you find yourself in the situation when you do have an established pest issue, it could be time to call a Qualified and experienced pest controller. Most pest control companies can offer either an acute service to resolve the issue quickly and also a regular service plan to reduce the risk of pests becoming an issue in your business.
By Owen Stobart
Qualified Urban Pest Controller
ACES pest control