What Comes after the Flood: Protecting Your Business from Pests

With more than 24.5 trillion gallons of rain inundating the Houston region, Hurricane Harvey has devastated many homes and businesses. As the first pass of debris removal is to be completed in the first 30 days post flood, and businesses begin to reopen, the biggest priority is to tend to the physical damages and focus on recovery and reestablishment. Surrounding areas are also feeling the effects of the flood as water seeps in, bringing contamination, pollution, and disease carrying pests such as mosquitoes, roaches, and rats.

If you’re a business owner, you don’t need to have the problem of pest infestations that are carrying disease from dirty water on top of everything else. Here are a few measures you can take to help keep these pests away.

Mosquitoes

It comes as no surprise that increased water allows for mosquito breeding, and therefore an increased population that is more likely to travel downstream, into areas that have not been directly affected by Hurricane Harvey.

In order to keep these pests off your property, make sure that any areas that have filled in with water are quickly sealed. You may want to also look around to see if there are any objects that can easily collect water and removing them. For instance, make sure gutters are drained and removed of any wet debris. Taking these measures will help to prevent the mosquito population from growing around your establishment.

Cockroaches

The rising water is driving roaches out of the sewers and looking to find new homes. Many know that cockroaches prefer warm, humid spaces with a food source, and are often found in commercial buildings such as food processing plants, restaurants, and hospitals.

Like mosquitoes, keeping your facility moisture free will help to detract cockroaches. They also typically come in through pipes and holes in exterior walls – filling them in as best you can will help prevent them from entering. Keeping things like the garbage and kitchens clean will also keep cockroaches from invading and eliminates additional hiding spaces.

Rats

Like cockroaches, rats’ usual homes are in the sewers. Once they’re forced out, they’ll move into the closest housing they can find. They are most likely to infest basements and areas beneath buildings since they are a quick exit from the sewer. All your establishment needs to develop a rat problem is shelter, food, and water.

Rats are tricky because they live and hide in difficult to access parts of your building. This is why you’ll want to really crack down on potential openings. Caulk gaps found around doors and windows, keep tight fitting covers on vents, and replace loose or missing roof shingles. Make sure you also remove any potential food sources, and keep your garbage can as far from the exterior of your building as possible.

 Pest Solutions

If you’ve done everything you can to prevent pests brought in by the flood, and still suspect a problem, it may be time to seek outside help. At Holder’s, we understand that these pests are the last thing you want to worry about.

Contact us today if you need pest advice, or an expert to come investigate and identify where pests are finding their way in.