Establishing an integrated pest management (IPM) program in retail properties, especially those that offer groceries or contain quick service restaurants options, is more critical than ever.
What do property managers and business owners need to know about the pest threats that exist in the retail environment? Here are some common pest issues to be aware of and discuss with your pest management service provider.
Retail establishments have unique service needs and require programs that are innovative, effective and in many cases delivered discreetly or at non-traditional hours. Rottler Pest Solutions has extensive experience working with retail clients in strip malls or conventional shopping malls, sprawling mixed-use “lifestyle” centers, and stand-alone big box outlets.
Establishing an integrated pest management (IPM) program in retail properties, especially those that offer groceries or contain quick service restaurant options, is more critical than ever.
What do property managers and business owners need to know about the pest threats that exist in the retail environment? Here are some common pest issues to be aware of and discuss with your pest management service provider.
Be Aware of the Pest Next Door
Retail clients need to be aware of pest threats that can exist in adjacent stores. Just because your store doesn’t have pests means you’re in the clear. In one instance, a retail tenant was hearing animal noises in their overhead drop ceiling. Upon investigation, a family of raccoons was discovered. The raccoons were entering on the opposite end of the building that had a common ceiling void above all the tenants. To add a degree of difficulty (and frustration) to the situation, it was discovered another tenant was putting out food at night for the animals.
Your pest management partner should thoroughly inspect not just your unit but (with permission of the other tenants or property manager) adjacent units and the surrounding area to identify conditions that are conducive to attract pests and provide them access.
Gaining Access: Trojan Horse Style
The supply chain contains numerous opportunities for insects and rodents to gain access to products and “Trojan Horse” their way inside retail facilities. Retail establishments receive numerous deliveries of incoming goods. Information on how, when, and where deliveries are coming from should be shared with your pest management service partner. This information can prove valuable in helping identify the source and location of the issue.
A careful and thorough inspection of incoming shipments for evidence of pests (gnawed packaging, rodent droppings, live insect sightings, etc.) should be standard protocol. Employees should be properly trained on what to look for and be empowered to reject a shipment they suspect is infested.
Change Behaviors
For as much as we try not to, human behavior often contributes to issues with pests.
A good example was a retail outlet that was experiencing a problem with birds getting inside their store. The pest management professional interviewed employees and learned it was a common practice to open the overhead loading dock door in anticipation of a scheduled delivery. This gave the birds as well as other pests a clear pathway inside. Identifying this behavior and changing the practice reduced the risk of having birds and pests enter the store.
First In, First Out Inventory Management
Another factor that impacts pest activity in a retail facility is stock movement and rotation. The longer an item sits in a warehouse, stock room, or on a retail display shelf, the higher the potential that pests may gain access.
In many retail locations, there are certain products that are more susceptible to pest infestation than others. Good examples are birdseed in a big box, a hardware store, or grocery areas in a convenience store. Both are prime targets for a variety of pests.
It is important for the client and pest management service provider to identify potent ‘hot spot’ areas within the store and note the type of displays and shelving used. Certain types of shelving systems create more potential pest harborages and are harder to gain access for cleaning, inspection and treatment.
In retail establishments, it is very common to have a secondary point of infestation for stored product pests, such as Indian meal moths, that provide points of re-infestation. On one occasion, birdseed had spilled under a shelving display and was causing a continual re-infestation. All the bags of seed had to be removed from the shelves and the “kick plates” removed to allow access to clean up and remove the spilled seed.
If your business is looking for a pest management partner that goes the extra mile to design and deliver comprehensive integrated pest management programs, call Rottler Pest Solutions at [phone-number] for a free QA inspection, consultation, or training for your staff.
