Office Pest Management Best Practices — How to Avoid Common Office Pests

Office pests have a knack for instantly turning a good week into a bad one. Discovering an infestation in the workplace not only adds more responsibility on your plate as the head of the company, but is likely to have a negative impact on the office mood and morale too. Rather than focusing on how to get rid of pests once they are already there, it’s important to lay the right foundation for making sure they don’t enter the space in the first place. So how can you avoid some of the common office pests in South Africa? Here are a few of the best practices you can think about, including a way for you to get the problem solved without having to do all too much yourself. 

Common Office Pests in South Africa

Some of the most common office pests in the country include ants, birds, cockroaches, flies, mosquitos, rodents, termites and even snakes. Households typically have a couple of others to keep in mind (like bed bugs and silverfishes) on top of the ones we’ve mentioned. These pests all pose a risk to your own wellbeing, as well as those of your employees. Left to their own devices, many of these infestations can multiply in a heartbeat, causing bigger problems and often even leading to structural damage to the building. Whether you own or rent the space, you’ll have headaches to contend with either way. 

Regular Cleaning Matters

The first preventative measure you can take is to make sure that the office has a regular cleaning schedule, executed by a competent team that has all the products and equipment they need for the job. This lays the foundation for keeping pests out of the office, and targeting some of the areas that might be vulnerable spots. Experienced cleaners will know what to look out for, and getting some advice from a professional cleaning service about some of the key areas to clean regularly could also make a big difference to whether pests turn your office space into their new home, or they decide to go elsewhere.

Active Prevention Against Office Pests

When it comes to avoiding common office pests, active prevention makes all the difference. Although you might feel like it’s too late for prevention strategies if you’ve started spotting droppings or residue already, by acting quickly the problem can be dealt with before it becomes a larger risk to your employees. Important prevention methods include well sealed storage cupboards, keeping food in sealed containers at all times, and ensuring that dishes are effectively cleaned and not left out in the sink overnight. These are small things you can implement while communicating to the team that everyone has a role to play to keep the office safe and sparkling. 

Getting The Professionals In

If it feels too overwhelming to deal with active infestations in your office, one of the best things you can do is to invest in pest control services as soon as possible. At Bidvest Steiner, we offer this to offices around the country, and are able to get rid of twelve different common pests, alongside some of the more niche ones that are less prevalent in South Africa. Our team goes above and beyond to give you peace of mind about maintaining adequate pest control all year round. We are formally certified to provide these services, and pride ourselves on also being able to offer deep cleaning services, which are the ultimate preventative measure you can take to keep the office pest-free.