COVID-19’s impact on numerous business sectors is a cause for alarm for establishments shifting to online platforms. During this time, a common response of facility managers is to limit the usage of physical facilities. This is in line with safety protocols to avoid mass gatherings and the demand for businesses to cut down on expenses with the expected decrease of face-to-face transactions. Although doing these practices may seem practical at first glance, it can be a considerable threat to pest control in your properties.

Property maintenance and COVID-19

Remote work setups are becoming more common to accommodate the at-home workforce instead of office employees. It’s an organisational structure that allows employees to stay at home and create their home-based setups. Some are on the fence about the pros and cons of having the same work environment as your resting spaces. It’s undeniable that it forces people to tidy up their homes for several reasons, like video conferencing and separating their makeshift office from other areas of the home. Unfortunately, offices are facing the opposite effect.

Since establishments had to exceed the stay-at-home guidelines, it’s common for office spaces to still have or develop dirty workstations. Due to people rushing to lock up their on-site properties, unwashed coffee cups, full trash bins and greasy kitchen spaces may still be there at this very moment. This poses a pest concern for companies who have yet to come back to their office spaces.

Pests’ opportunity for free real estate during COVID-19

Pests mainly go to properties that don’t have people, are safe from the outdoors and contain food sources. This is the description of a majority of establishments that are still unusable due to COVID-19. Besides causing a mess all over the place, pests can cause extensive structural damage to your facilities. If left unchecked, rats, cockroaches and other harmful critters can rip your property’s insulation and even cause electrical fires.

Restaurants and manufacturing are the most at risk of pest infestations during COVID-19. Mice and rats tend to flock to these workplaces to steal your goods. They can also multiply at a high rate, increasing the state of damage to your property. On the other hand, German cockroaches can be more deadly with their growth rate and potential of contaminating your workstations. The females can lay 40 eggs that will rapidly reach maturity in two months. These are just two of the kinds of pests you should worry about, with COVID-19 preventing you from maintaining your establishment’s cleanliness regularly.

Routine inspections and disinfection for unused facilities

Even though your business is already using digital platforms to operate, it’s best to maintain your on-site facilities’ cleanliness. You wouldn’t want to return to a post-COVID market with a pest infestation at your hands. For this reason, you must observe proper cleaning and disinfection of your properties, even if they’re not in use. Since you won’t be using them daily, it’s best only to hire cleaning companies monthly or weekly. Doing so will keep your property safe from any potential unchecked infestations that may be hiding under your floorboards.

Conclusion

It’s important to note that COVID-19 doesn’t just affect humans; it also positively impacts other living creatures. This is why it’s necessary to understand how pests can respond during the coronavirus pandemic. It’s best to work with your property managers and a pest control provider to ensure that your facilities are safe. Doing so will ensure that you have an office space to come back to after this healthcare crisis ends.

If you need pest control in Sydney Northern Beaches, our trained pest removal experts can help. We offer effective pest removal services for different pest issues, from possums to cockroaches. Call us today to receive a quote of our services on your particular pest situation.