FMJ.CO.UK PEST CONTROL FOCUS
JULY 2020 29
populations to survive the colder months
which usually curtail population numbers,
and the warmer weather is also meaning
rats and mice are potentially producing
more litters in a season.
The residential enquiry figures
are a warning sign to many of those
responsible for commercial premises
that have remained unoccupied during
the government’s lockdown measures.
Empty buildings can be a haven for rodents
to flourish unchecked, providing safe
harbourage and o en a source of food as
well. Facilities managers may be wise to
re-think their preventative pest control
strategies, whether they are partially
operational or are in the process of
reopening, as the lockdown is eased.”
As more businesses look to resume
operations, social distancing and hygiene
in their premises need to be prioritised.
Facilities managers, particularly those
responsible for hygiene and maintenance
in o ice buildings that have been vacant for
the past few months, will want to ensure
that pests haven’t moved in while their
occupants have been working from home.
Rodents are opportunistic creatures
and will always be attracted to buildings
as they typically provide shelter, an
abundance of water and food, and many
small, convenient spaces for them to hide.
Fortunately, there are steps businesses can
take to prevent rats and mice from taking up
residence in the first place.
USING TECHNOLOGY TO FIGHT RODENT
INFESTATIONS REMOTELY
Businesses are increasingly turning to
digital technologies to address pest
issues as they provide continuous site
surveillance to help inform pest prevention
strategies. Connected and fully integrated
pest control solutions can act like rodent
burglar alarms that provide more insight
into rodent activity than ever before.
Connected devices send an alert to a
technician when a rodent is detected. It
can also determine exactly where in the
building, and when, a pest has triggered
an alarm. The technician can then visit the
premises to dispose of the pest and address
the root cause of the pest problem.
With a digital pest control system
operating as your eyes and ears on the
ground 24/7, there is no need to schedule
unnecessary additional visits from a
technician. The deployment of digital
technologies enables businesses and pest
control teams to monitor rodent activity
remotely, reducing the risk of a rodent
infestation occurring and safeguarding
premises, ready for when employees begin
to return to the workplace.
UNPRECEDENTED INFORMATION ON
PEST BEHAVIOUR
Rodents are nocturnal creatures who
come out of their hiding places at night
in search of food and water. We analysed
the trigger information from over 7,000
of our PestConnect systems(iii)
deployed across the country
and found that the
most common time
a rodent activated
the digital pest
management
system in an
o ice setting
was 0.36am – a
time when
even the most
dedicated worker
is unlikely to be in
the premises.
While it is useful to
know when rats and mice
are most active in the o ice,
the system can also accurately tell you
where in the building rodent activity has
occurred. This can help facilities managers
to find those hidden entrances and
hiding places that may not otherwise be
discovered without the insights provided
by this digital technology. From there,
they can adjust their course of action
and become really targeted with their
pest prevention strategies. For example,
analysis of data found that 30 per cent
of rodent infestations in warehouses
and distribution centres originate in the
loading bay area. The likely explanation
is that the rodents enter the premises
while the loading bay is open, but not
in frequent use. This intelligence can be
used by a facilities manager to institute a
policy to close the loading bay entrances
in o -peak periods or install further pest
proofing solutions.
For example if there are concerns that
the loading bay area is the source of a
pest problem, there are products that can
prevent rodents accessing a site through
dock levellers.
Harnessing the latest technological
breakthroughs and innovations, digital
pest management solutions can help
businesses manage and prevent
infestations without causing harm to the
environment, and with a level of e iciency
and visibility not possible without
connected solutions.
While deploying digital technologies
on premises is now widely considered an
integral part of a building’s pest control
strategy, it is also important that the right
protective measures are put in place to
stop rodents entering the building in the
first place. Once rodents gain access to a
facility, they can be very di icult to control.
For example, a mouse can survive on as
little as three grams of food per day and
eat from up to 70 di erent sources of food
within 24 hours. So it’s important to make
sure any food stored onsite is properly
sealed in containers, or is thrown away in
tightly sealed bins as rodents can easily
tear through bin bags.
Mice can also fit through a hole as
small as the width of a biro, and
rats have been known to enter
buildings through damaged
drains. Building and facilities
managers should ensure gaps
around the building’s exterior
are sealed with wire wool,
caulk, metal kick plates or
cement.
It’s always far easier to prevent
rodent populations becoming
established in the first place as
Rodents are opportunistic
creatures and will always be
attracted to buildings as they
typically provide shelter, an
abundance of water and food, and
many small, convenient spaces
opposed to dealing with an infestation,
and a proactive, digital pest management
strategy will mean that costly infestations
are much less likely to disrupt your
business.
Digital pest control solutions provide
an unprecedented level of insight for
facilities managers, so they can create a
for them to hide.”