As a retail business owner, you already know how important it is to keep your store clean and welcoming, especially as warmer weather brings in more foot traffic. But with spring and summer also come pests, and one tends to make people uneasy: spiders.
Even if you don’t have a full-blown infestation, the sight of a single spider in your store can be enough to make a customer uncomfortable, or worse, walk out.
Understanding Spider Behaviour
There are many different types of spiders, ranging from completely harmless to those with venomous bites. Thankfully, most spiders found indoors aren’t dangerous. They’re usually common house spiders that sneak inside looking for food, which for them means other insects.
While spiders can be helpful by keeping bug populations down, they’re not something customers want to see while shopping. And as the weather warms up, insects become more active, giving spiders plenty of reasons to follow them inside.
Keeping Spiders Out of Your Store
The key to keeping spiders out is cutting off their food source. That means staying on top of insect control and keeping your store clean and clutter-free. Regular vacuuming, trash removal, and tidying up stockrooms and storage areas can go a long way.
Make sure to seal up any cracks or gaps around doors and windows where bugs (and spiders) might sneak in. It’s also a good idea to monitor lighting around entrances; many insects are drawn to bright lights, which can attract spiders too.
When to Take Further Action
If you’re spotting more spiders than usual or notice webs in hard-to-reach areas, it might be time for a deeper look. Spiders often hide out in storage rooms, behind displays, or in corners that don’t get much attention.
In that case, consider a full inspection of the space. Having a professional check for signs of pests before your store gets busy can help you stay ahead of the problem and avoid unpleasant surprises during peak shopping season.
You probably already know that most people are repulsed by the simple sight of cockroaches. If you are personally dealing with a cockroach infestation, the feelings of disgust are probably even more intense. Unfortunately, the cold winter weather tends to be one of the reasons this pest ends up in your home in the first place, according to Any Pest. While you may know that you don't want to share your home with cockroaches this winter, there are a number of interesting facts about this pest that you've probably never heard.
Because of the high amount of traffic and the versatility of the facilities, pests are naturally attracted to long-term care institutions. Many nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and other care facilities include on-site kitchens and cafeterias as well as private rooms and common spaces. All of these places are susceptible to attracting pests because of the presence of food, water and viable habitats.
During the summer months, some people love to go camping with family and friends. Yet this fun trip can be ruined with a few unwanted visitors, most notably different types of bugs. Crawling spiders, hungry mosquitoes and buzzing flies can become annoying quickly. How can you avoid these pests when you're outdoors? Consider these tips to keep bugs out of your campsite.
Carpenter ants can chew through the strongest studs and stringers in a house as they hollow the wooden beams out for nesting. The resulting damage can weaken the home's structural support and require expensive repairs. Professional pest control workers can remove a colony of ants, but the best practice for homeowners is to learn the best ways to keep out an ant colony and prevent the problem before it begins.
As the weather cools, you'll probably see fewer pests than you did during the warmer months, but that doesn't mean they're all gone just yet. Some insects can actually come out in full force during the autumn, while others might seek refuge in your warm home. Here are some key tips to keep in mind as fall gets underway:
As the middle of summer approaches, you need to be vigilant about keeping your garden free of pests. Many insects breed during the summertime, which means they're on the lookout for great places to lay their eggs. For many bugs, that means near a source of food. In fact, some species of insects will lay their eggs inside budding vegetables and fruit so their larvae have something to eat as soon as they hatch. That's why you have to keep harmful bugs out without damaging the bugs that could help you, such as bumble bees.
You might have noticed that, with the exception of the kitchen, you find more pests in your bathroom than in the rest of your home. This is because insects and rodents see the bathroom as a convenient watering hole. Pests love leaky pipes and standing water because these offer them a hydrating oasis in the otherwise dry biome that is your house or apartment. And if your bathroom develops mold, all the better for pests, who may eat fungus or use it to lay their eggs.
The kitchen is largest gathering place for pests in a residential home. The reason is simple: pests can grab a bite to eat and take a sip of water while they're here. And when they find such a bountiful place, they will return home to their nests and report the finding - before you know it, your whole pantry is a buffet for ants! The problem could get even worse if a piece of food falls somewhere and begins to rot. Similarly, fruit and vegetables you bring into your home may be harboring unseen pests waiting to hatch.
