Keeping nursing homes free of pests is important for both the health and safety of the residents. In addition to protecting the patients, nursing homes should also strive to keep pests out of their premises to protect their businesses. Pests in nursing homes can cause reputational harms and significant financial losses. Nursing homes are attractive to many types of pests. Because there is a lot of traffic in and out of multiple entry points along with large food preparation and storage areas, pests can easily invade. It is important for nursing homes to understand the pests that they need to prevent along with the vulnerabilities that they have.
Pests That Cause the Most Problems
Nursing homes should start by identifying the types of pests that can cause the most problems. In general, nursing homes should work to prevent infestations of ants, roaches, flies and rodents. All of these pests can spread diseases. Administrators should then identify all of the areas that are the most problematic. Residential rooms can be a problem if food is left sitting or if they are not properly cleaned. Food preparation areas and employee break rooms may also attract pests. Once the administrator has identified all of the problem areas, he or she will then need to determine the most appropriate pest control strategy.
Preventing Pests
Pests need access to water, food and shelter. In order to keep them away, you will need to implement different pest control techniques in different areas. For example, the pest control methods that you use in residential rooms may be much different than those that you use in your nursing home’s laundry facility. There are some other strategies that can make your nursing home less attractive. Your outdoor fluorescent lights should be mounted at least 100 feet away from the doors so that they attract flying insects to them instead of to your facility. For your entrances and exits, choose sodium vapor lights, which are not as attractive to bugs. Inspect all shipments when they come in for pests. Inspect the facility and seal any cracks with caulk. Make certain that the doors fit snugly. Keep the floors in the facility free from debris, and make certain that all residential rooms are kept clean.
Hire a Pest Control Company
It is important for nursing homes to take steps to prevent pests instead of waiting until they already have a problem. Presto Pest Control can help by identifying all of the access points and sealing them. We can complete regular service to keep pests from ever establishing a presence in your facility. If you are already dealing with a pest control issue, Presto can eradicate the pest populations before they cause serious problems. Contact us today to schedule your consultation.
