Pests hit every major industry in Southern California, including tourism, education, food service, and retail. No matter what kind of business you own, you don’t want critters getting in the way of your operations. We get that, and we’d like to help you stay on track without them.

Pests and Businesses: A Perfect (and Problematic) Match

Each year, pests cause nearly $10 billion in damage to businesses worldwide. This number is massive, and it doesn’t even include the loss of revenues that results from infestations – this amount hovers around $20 billion a year. Who would’ve ever thought such tiny creatures could wreak so much havoc? But as they infest buildings in large groups, their strength (and devastation) comes in numbers.

It makes sense, then, why the costs are so high in businesses. Almost every building-invading pest has what it takes to cause problems in such environments, as they:

• are small enough to get through ducts, cracks, and openings
• only need small amounts of food and water each day
• reproduce at extremely high rates

Rats, for instance, only need three weeks to give birth, often to as many as 16 pups. Smaller pests, like flies and moths, reproduce at an even faster rate. But as long as your business environment offers them what they need to survive, they’ll continue to be a problem – and a costly one at that. In addition to their potential for damage, think about their possible negative effects on employee morale and social media publicity.

The Pests Most Likely to Strike

1. Rats: Rats’ fast reproduction cycle wouldn’t be as big of a deal if it wasn’t for their chewing abilities. In fact, rats have a physiological need to chew. They come indoors to seek food and shelter, and they may end up costing your business a lot of money as they chew through walls, wiring, and inventory. To keep rats under control, cut off their entry points and food sources.

2. Cockroaches: Like rats, cockroaches are often found scurrying across floors, as they slip through openings in buildings and seek out food. Most of the time, though, they tend to inhabit dark, moist spaces where they’re difficult to detect. The popular German cockroach specifically loves warm spaces. To keep cockroaches under control, cut off their entry points and clean up food sources.

3. Flies: We typically associate buzzing flies with unsanitary conditions, as all species are attracted to decayed organic material. But the pesky fruit fly causes a lot of problems for businesses in California because it craves sweet substances. It’s a major threat for restaurants, who constantly have sugars, syrups, fruits, and vegetables sitting around. To keep flies under control, take care of spills, take out the trash, and maintain a clean workplace.

4. Bed bugs: Bed bugs are usually a problem in homes, but outbreaks in hotels are common as well. They’re prevalent in our beds, as they feed on human blood while we sleep. But they’re also hitchhikers, which is how they get from one guest’s suitcase to your hotel’s clean linens. To keep bed bugs under control, check for signs of them regularly (otherwise, you won’t notice them until they bite) and call in an experienced pest control company if you see any.

5. Stored product insects: A variety of insects are known specifically to infest containers of stored food, called “stored product insects.” Common types of this pest in the region include cigarette beetles, drug store beetles, and Indian meal moths. Ranging by the species, they seek out nuts, cereal, and more. Most infestations occur before food gets to a restaurant shelf, but they can occur if containers sit around for too long. To keep stored product insects under control, rotate through stored food consistently.

How Your Food Business May Be Affected

It’s obvious why businesses like restaurants, grocery stores, and food manufacturers are prone to pest invasions. The presence of food and water brings rats and cockroaches indoors, and it also attracts flies and stored product insects. Not only would the replacement costs for food be large, but so would the potential health risks if the problem isn’t noticed in time. A customer getting sick from your specialty dish would spell catastrophe for your restaurant.

How Your Non-Food Business May Be Affected

Businesses that don’t prepare or serve food are popular spots for pests as well. Southern California is a diverse economic sector; in the region, several industries thrive – yet, they’re also at risk of pest problems. The following types of non-food businesses are notable pest hangouts:

• Manufacturers
• Offices
• Hotels/motels
• Event venues
• Popular attractions
• Retail stores
• Schools

As you can see, virtually every industry is at risk. A big reason insects and rodents do so much damage in the aforementioned industries is because companies are often unprepared. In fact, only 28 percent of non-food businesses are worried about an infestation harming their reputation. This lack of concern allows pests to work undetected, or without effective treatment even after detection.

What many business owners forget is that even if you’re not making or serving food, you still probably have food or water around. Your employees may prepare or store meals, leaving break rooms and kitchens vulnerable. Also, all businesses feature a variety of areas (walls, ducts, vents, etc.) where pests can nest out of sight. Many species of flies seek out office drains and become hard to detect, and cockroaches and rats tend to hide in tight spaces.

Professional Pest Control Gives Businesses the Best

Pests are highly destructive to businesses of all kinds. Whether it’s in your restaurant’s kitchen, your office’s break room, or your hotel’s suites, infestations pop up wherever there’s food or shelter. But there’s only so much you can do on your own to combat them. With the help of professional pest control, you’ll get your business covered more extensively.

At Lloyd Pest Control, we offer commercial services to treat a variety of businesses in Southern California. With our help, you’ll receive not only top-notch extermination, but also education on how to stop pests from showing up in the first place. With our help, you’ll be able to focus on running your business, as you have better things to think about than the presence of pests. If you need pest services for your business, contact us today and get a free quote.

The post Pests: A Big Burden on California Businesses first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

Cockroaches and Health Department Inspections

As if the spread of news about roaches at your restaurant weren’t enough, a report of an infestation could result in a temporary shutdown. If local health inspectors find proof, you’ll lose revenue and suffer an even greater blow to your reputation when diners see your most recent health department report. You may also have to pay hefty fines and pass a follow-up inspection. Although it’s possible to restore your reputation after receiving a clean bill of health, the process can be slow and expensive.

Health Risks From Cockroaches

Although the price you pay for a few roaches can seem harsh, it’s easy to see why these penalties are in place. Cockroaches carry bacteria that can cause disease and even food poisoning as they walk across counters and exposed food. Roach exoskeletons and fecal-matter trails often cause problems for those with allergies or asthma.

Preventing Roach Infestations in Restaurants

Even if you strive to maintain a clean establishment, a few slip-ups and undetected entry points can make way for a full-fledged roach infestation. From skin cells to beer – a particular roach favorite – the lowly cockroach will consume most anything in its path. A roach can enter through cracks and gaps in any unprotected structure, and will stay as long as food and water are available. These hardy creatures can live without food for a month but can only go without water for a week. You could be unwittingly keeping a roach population alive with a leaky sink or water spills left behind.

Prevent cockroach infestations in your Southern California restaurant with help from Lloyd Pest Control. With us, you’ll not only get a comprehensive service that covers interior and exterior solutions, but a money back guarantee. And for our restaurant-specific services, we have a “We’ll Pick Up the Check” guarantee, too. So, if a guest ever spots a crawling pest in the dining area, we’ll pick up that table’s check and send a gift card to your restaurant accompanied by an apology from us that accepts full responsibility. That way, they’ll come back and see you at your best. Protect your Yelp reviews! Contact us today.

The post Don’t Let Roaches Ruin Your Rep first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.

Insects are always going to be in San Diego, California, but that doesn’t mean they need to establish a presence in YOUR commercial space. Whether you run a school, office, or restaurant, keeping pests to a minimum is crucial for the continued success of your business.

In the old days, a customer who saw a rat in your hallway or a cockroach in your kitchen might tell a few friends about it. Today, hundreds of people can read full reports and reviews on Yelp or Google. Don’t take that chance! Get rid of pests today with commercial pest control in San Diego to keep your reputation standing.

DIY Pest Control Mistakes Business Owners Make

Pest control issues affect some companies more than others, but every business has unique problems that deserve a targeted solution. Unfortunately, in the rush to get rid of unwanted pests, many owners make strategic mistakes in exterminating them, including:

• Difficulty locating pest harborage areas
• Wasting money on the wrong products and potentially endangering the health of clients.
• Failing to see the bigger problem, which may include a pest control prevention plan to keep the building pest-free and ready to pass health inspections.

Maintaining a pest-free commercial space year-round is imperative to your company’s bottom line, including your employees’ health, customer satisfaction, and maintaining uncontaminated products or supplies.

Commercial Pests in San Diego

There are a plethora of commercial pests in San Diego that can ruin your rep, including:

Roof Rats

The roof rat prefers gutters, power lines, and beams, but if necessary, they will also burrow. Cold weather will drive these rodents indoors, where they may live for several years. Dark gray or black in color, these rats can grow up to eight inches in length and are recognizable by their worm-like tails that trail behind them. Known to bite, roof rats can easily infest your commercial space and contaminate your supplies with bacteria and disease.

Cockroaches

Another pest that can carry disease is the cockroach. Roaches can live in any home or business for years without protection from professional pest control. They carry streptococcus, salmonella, dysentery, E. coli, hepatitis B, cholera, and plague. The most common roach species in Southern California are the American and Oriental roaches, and the smaller Brown-banded and German roaches.

Termites, Ants, and Beetles

Powderpost beetles and carpenter ants can cause damage to structures, but termites are the biggest threat to property owners in warm climates like San Diego. Termites—both drywood termites and subterranean termites—cause billions of dollars worth of damage to properties in Southern California each year, making them a bigger threat than wildfires, earthquakes, and floods combined. What’s worse is that these wood-eating insects can easily go undetected until considerable damage has been done.

Get Rid of Commercial Pests in San Diego Today with Lloyd

Get rid of these pests before they have a chance to establish themselves and eat their way through your building and furnishings as the weather warms up. If you are in San Diego, California and are needing a professional exterminator, call Lloyd Pest Control today.

The post Commercial Pest Control Solutions in San Diego, CA first appeared on Lloyd Pest Control.