Nobody likes to admit it, but we all know it: new year’s resolutions never last. Whether you want to go to the gym more often, eat better, or spend more time on a hobby, life usually ends up getting in the way… often before February! Instead of a resolution, why not try something like a new year’s “calibration”?

By a new year’s “calibration,” we mean preparing yourself for the new year. Take some time early in the new year to get everything where you need it. Start by asking yourself a few critical questions: what do you need to do to feel prepared for your new year? If your goal is to keep pests out of your business, we have your calibrating questions covered. As the new year begins, ask and answer each of the following questions. You’ll be prepared for your pest-free new year in no time!

Which kinds of pests am I especially vulnerable to?

This is a good question to start with, because it’ll give you a good idea of what kinds of pest exclusion you should focus on. The types of pest you have to worry about will depend on your building, business, and several other considerations.

Older buildings and warehouses are particularly vulnerable to crawling insects and rodents. Food storage buildings have to watch out for pantry pests. Hospitality and lodging industries often deal with bed bug problems. Identify which pests you’re worried about, and you’ll know where to start.

How could these pests hurt my business or building?

After identifying the pests you’re worried about, think about why you’re worried about them. How will these pests make trouble for you, your tenants, or your business? Where will they go if they get inside? What will they damage, eat, soil, or otherwise ruin, and how will they ruin it?

Understanding how your problematic pests ruin vulnerable material will help make them easier to predict. Understanding that bed bugs make their way from luggage to beds, for instance, helps you remember to check baggage carefully. Figure out how pests could potentially inflict the most possible damage on your business and focus on preventing that damage.

Which parts of my building are most vulnerable to pest infestations?

The pests that sneak into your building come for a specific purpose and go to specific places once inside. Now that you’ve figured out what they want and what they’ll damage to get it, you’ll have a good idea of where they’ll go to get it. This is usually pretty obvious. Pantry pests seek out dry food. Bed bugs… look for beds. Rodents like rats and mice sneak into basements and crawl spaces to stay hidden.

By figuring out which parts of your building foster pest infestations, you’ll know where to focus on locating and preventing those infestations. If you’re worried about rodents, start in dark, secluded areas of the ground floor. If you think you may have moisture pests, check your bathrooms and laundry rooms. Pest proofing the vulnerable parts of your building will make you much more protected surprisingly quickly.

How are pests most likely to enter my building?

Unfortunately, the vulnerable parts of your building aren’t the only places you have to watch out for. After all, pests often enter buildings from different places than where they end up infesting. Every pest gets inside buildings by exploiting “access points.” Access points are vulnerabilities like cracks, gaps… or visitors that pests can use to get inside.

The single most important way to prevent pests in your building is to identify and seal off access points. This could mean several things, depending on the type of pest you’re trying to prevent. For rodent prevention, it means weatherproofing door and window frames and caulking around utility lines. For bed bugs, it could mean checking luggage and bags before unpacking them. Figure out which access points pests use to infiltrate your building and cut them off.

What are the most effective ways to make my business less vulnerable to pests?

This is the question that brings it all together. Which pests are you worried about? What do those pests want? How do they get inside? Where do they go once they’re inside? Once you have answers to all of these questions, you’ll be able to put together a comprehensive strategy for preventing your pest. The trick is to cut them off at every point.

Keep your problem pest from getting what it wants from your building by restricting access to it. Keep pantry foods in sealed containers. Take garbage out and clean your chute regularly. Patch up plumbing leaks and dehumidify. Make sure pests can’t get inside. Seal up cracks and gaps. Be careful about what you bring inside. Make your vulnerable rooms pestproof. Clean them regularly and keep them clear and open. Strategize! Once you “know thy enemy” and what you have to do to defeat them, defeating them becomes a matter of following the plan.

What should I do in case I do end up with a pest infestation?

Luckily, this particular question is easy to answer. If you ever end up with a pest infestation in 2020, you can always call Assured Environments. Whatever your pest, your vulnerabilities, and your particular concerns, we have the tools, knowhow, and experience to solve it for good.

Whether you have a problem you need solved now or you just want some help making your new year pest free, get in touch with Assured Environments today. We want to help you calibrate for a happy and successful 2020. Happy new year!