The last thing you want your customers to see when they are shopping for their Friday night outfit or picking up the week’s groceries is rodents and insects scurrying about. Not only is it bad for your reputation, if a pest infestation takes hold they can damage your stock and equipment, or in the worst-case scenario, cause your customers to become ill.

The main threats are most commonly attracted by food spillages or uncovered waste. To minimise the risk of infestations, ensure that all spillages are cleared up straight away and bins are emptied at the end of the day into large bins outside the store, and then check that the lids are kept closed. If you spot any signs of insect or rodent activity, contact a specialised pest company who can stop the pests in their tracks.

Some of the common pests to look out for in retail outlets include:

Rodents, like rats or mice

If your store has a problem with rats or mice you will usually be able to spot signs like droppings and shredded packaging. These rodents are nocturnal, so you’re unlikely to see them throughout the day unless you disturb their nests. Brown rats are commonly found in cities and towns and tend to forage around outside bins on a regular basis, as they will eat just about anything. If rats have nested close to your shop or you find signs of rat infestation within your store, it’s important to call in professional pest control teams as rats can cause a number of health conditions, including Weil’s disease.

Ants

It’s common to have a staff kitchen or canteen, while many grocery stores keep considerable stocks of food in bags or packets. Crumbs, overflowing kitchen bins and food stores can all be attractive to ants. A colony of black ants can consist of up to 40,000 ants, as queens have a lifespan of up to 15 years. Treating any problem ant situation is, therefore, an important task to carry out as soon as ants are spotted within the store.

Wasps

Wasps are a common pest during warmer months and can cause annoyance to customers or even sting them, sometimes resulting in allergic reactions. Wasps tend to nest within the structure of buildings or in outside yards. Disturbing their nest can cause them to swarm and become a danger to customers or employees close by. If you constantly spot wasps in and around your store, it’s likely that a nest will be close by. It’s important to call in professionals to destroy any nest as soon as possible, because the newer and smaller the nest the easier the issue it to contain.

Cockroaches

Cockroach infestations can cause a number of health risks for customer’s and colleagues, so it’s vital to call for professional assistance if you spot them in your shop. They are renowned for their hardiness and some of the signs to watch out for include droppings in kitchens and areas where food is prepared or eaten, and smear marks on floors or worktops.

These are just some of the common pests that could cause havoc in a retail environment. Pests can cause a severe impact on any kind of retail business, not least the reputational damage which can linger for years. So, effective pest control is a vital consideration, just as soon as a problem is detected.

Atalian Servest offer professional and discreet pest control services to a variety of retail environments. Get in touch today for more information on how the team of expert technicians can help keep your retail stores free from pests.