A cockroach infestation presents health risks to your customers and your employees. Cockroaches can contaminate product, spread diseases and allergens, and reproduce with an extremely high frequency. Their presence also puts your brand at risk, as the sight of a single cockroach can be detrimental to your reputation. The best way to prevent an infestation is to keep them from entering your business in the first place.
How Cockroaches Gain Entry
There are multiple ways cockroaches can get into your business. Some come in through open doors or cracks or crevices in the building. In some locations, plants, leaf litter, and mulch near the building can further encourage pest attraction and entry. Others travel among product shipments, either inside the boxes and materials or the products themselves. Once inside, they look for warm, humid places, such as in appliances, underneath sinks, inside drains, above ceiling panels and more.
Ways to Lessen the Attraction
- Inspect all delivers and process quickly. If you don’t see any cockroaches, still be sure to remove any cardboard boxes or corrugated materials. German cockroaches, and other pests, love to hide in these materials and other clutter.
- Use pest monitors. These tools will help identify infestations early, so they are easily to control.
- Remove the exterior dumpster garbage every couple of days. When the weather is warmer, make sure the garbage is removed more frequently.
- Because mulch and plants can aid in pest activity around buildings, it is important to clear any potential harborage materials from around the exterior.
- Keep the facility clean.
The Importance of Sanitation
Sanitation and cleaning are critical components of cockroach prevention. The responsibility of making sure there is no food or water for cockroaches falls on every employee. Here are a few specific cleaning tasks that will help reduce the attraction to your business:
- Sweep up crumbs in employee break rooms
- Wipe up any spills immediately
- Do not leave wet or dirty mops out
- Clean drains thoroughly, and use stiff brushes to reach places where liquid cleaners do not flow
We recommend setting a regular cleaning schedule, and ensuring that deep cleaning is done in addition to the regular tasks.
Contact Copesan for Effective Cockroach Prevention and Treatment
If you have questions or would like to learn more about cockroach prevention in your business, reach out to us!
Still have questions about cockroaches? Read this guide to the different breeds of cockroach or check out this video on preventing an infestation!