A takeaway is shut down following a rat infestation, a restaurant owner is fined £13,000 after cockroaches are found on his premises and a fast food operator is sentenced to one month imprisonment (suspended) for a cockroach infestation.

These are just some of the health and safety infringement stories that come to mind when I think about businesses that ignore preventive pest control. Do you think you can really afford to ignore pest control?

Rats, mice, cockroaches, etc. are a real headache for businesses. I don’t just mean food businesses, all businesses. Every company has a duty of care to look after their employees, customers and those people who live and work around their business. If they fail to do this, they can be subject to large fines or worse.

The good news for business owners is that the cost of preventive pest control is often a lot less than they think, certainly far lower than a fine or a closed business, and it has multiple benefits for the business.

My top 5 benefits of pest control

1) Better reviews

Whether we like it or not, we live in a digital world. Online reviews are replacing word-of-mouth when it comes to referrals, and this can be a problem for businesses.

Research has shown negative news spreads more quickly than positive. On average, a person tells 9 to 15 people about a negative experience but, if they write that review online, its impact could be far greater number. The same research also found it takes roughly 40 positive reviews to expunge a negative one. On top of this, dealing with a negative review is time consuming and there is always the chance it won’t work. Yes, I accept a customer isn’t going to positively review your business because they don’t see a mouse or rat, but they are definitely going to give you a negative review if they do.

It’s also worth remembering that we all carry a near broadcast quality camera in our pockets these days and it is all too easy to post an image or video on social media that then goes viral, just like this restaurant in Rockefeller Center, New York. Just like a negative review, this content is always available and potential customers don’t necessarily know circumstances have changed and what they are seeing is now out of date.

Preventative pest control therefore helps you avoid having to deal with the consequences of negative occurrences.

2) Stay healthy

Pests spread a variety of bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases, including Lyme disease, salmonella and listeria. These can infect your employees, leading to staff absences.

Preventive pest control protects your employees and creates a positive work environment. It reduces staff absences and improves staff retention rates – would you work in a place where you are constantly getting ill?

3) Protect your property

Pests look for safe harbourage and something to eat. Very little will stop a determined pest, which may result in damage to your property, such as holes that allow water into the building, or gnawed wiring, roof joists, etc. They will also eat any foodstuffs that are improperly stored.

A pest control professional will identify entry points and harbourages and suggest effective countermeasures. During routine inspections they will identify any early signs of an infestation, allowing you to stop it before it becomes a problem. Finally, if they spot practices that might encourage pests, they will bring this to your attention. All of this will help you to protect your property.

4) Protects your finances

Damaged property, contaminated goods, fines and loss of reputation are all expensive problems for a business.

Preventive pest control will protect you from these issues, allowing you to budget for things that will help your business to grow.

5) Stay focused

If your employees are dealing with pests, they are not really doing their job. Reduced productivity among your staff will affect your bottom-line.

Preventive pest control removes this burden from your employees, allowing them to get on with their jobs and helping you to grow your business.

I understand the financial constraint businesses are under, especially at the moment, but it does frustrate me when business owners think they do without professional pest control.

I just want to sit these people down and explain to them that preventive pest control should be part of the foundations of any business management system. Without it, your business is under threat from a variety of pests and the repercussions could be catastrophic.

Preventive pest control is a part of any successful company’s risk mitigation strategy.

Contact us today to discuss your pest control needs: 020 8430 4133 or email here.