Do you ever wonder what crawls over your desk when you aren’t there? Have you seen a cockroach at work? Do you avoid the work kitchen because you saw a mouse there once?
Working in an office has great perks but also comes with the responsibility to maintain a neat, pest-free workplace. Commercial pest control service companies may regularly come to your office and spray but employees need to do their part to avoid attracting bugs and rodents.
Here is a quick and easy list you can tackle to keep your office rodent-free.
- Avoid eating at your desk
Most of us are guilty of at least occasionally eating at our desk, and while it’s sometimes efficient when we are in a time crunch, this new year is a great time to create better habits. There are many reasons to avoid eating at your desk, including attracting mice and bugs. The crumbs you leave may be so small you can’t see them, but to mice and rats they are a full meal.
- Don’t leave standing liquids
Late at night when you are home nestled in your bed, cockroaches are in search of water. They can live without food, but not without water. Make sure you don’t leave cups of water on your desk or pools of water in the bathroom sink or kitchen sink. Flies and other pests are attracted to sweet so be sure the cap is on the soda or sweet tea or you could be drinking more than you bargained for. These will help cut down the attraction to your desk and office space.
- Remove dirty dishes from the sink
Leaving piles of dirty dishes overnight for the cleaning people to manage in the morning attracts bugs. Keep your sink area clean.
- Throw your food out in a covered garbage can
Do you have a garbage can at your desk? If so, it’s likely it doesn’t have a lid. If you’ve bypassed the first best practice on this list and eat at your desk, be sure to take a little walk after lunch (its good for digestion) and head to a trash receptacle that has a lid to throw away your food. Bugs and rodents have excellent senses of smell and can track down your garbage from far away.
- Don’t leave shoes or clothes in the office
In addition to food and water, pests are also looking for nesting opportunities and materials to build a nest. That includes shoes you leave at your desk and coats! Just…don’t.
The next time you see a pest in your office, check your own habits and practices. Are there ways you can help reduce the likeliness of seeing another?
