Talking about Pest Control Techniques

3 Tips To Deal With Pests In Apartments

9 September 2014

Riley Baker

Pests in residential properties are not uncommon, but in multi-unit dwellings, any pest problem can create a unique situation that is more difficult to control. As a apartment owner, there are several tactics you can use to make pest control services more effective and to help tenants minimize future occurrences of pests.

Get Tenants Involved

Pest control and maintaining a pest-free environment is a joint effort when living in an apartment. Once you begin receiving complaints from tenants regarding pests, consider holding a meeting or circulating a letter that will inform them of how you plan to approach the problem. In addition to scheduled pest control services, you need to inform tenants of actions they can take to remedy the problem.

Although most tenants will not leave food out, there are other considerations that can exacerbate a pest problem. You want to inform them about leaving clutter around. Although clothes, paper, books and other non-food items do not attract pests, having clutter on the floor can give pests more places to hide and can make noticing the problem in the earlier stages more difficult.

Before meeting with your tenants, consult the exterminator to determine if there are any specific types of pest control products that are acceptable to use in conjunction with professional treatments, or if tenants should avoid using any products. Even the most effective pest control services may take time to work, and tenants may need to continue using products until the problem is under control.

Treat The Entire Property

Although treating unaffected or unoccupied apartments will raise your expenses for pest control, it is important for effective treatment. If treatments are used only in affected apartments, pests may simply move to another apartment or live outside until they can find a suitable, untreated location. Tenants who currently do not have pest problems may discover that pests are simply driven into their apartment.

Widespread treatment can help prevent the sudden influx of pests when the weather changes. Many times, there may not seem to be a problem with pests such as roaches or mice when the weather is warmer, which can lead to a false sense of security. As the outside temperature drops, pests will seek a warmer place to stay, which is usually indoors.

Furthermore, whether one apartment is warmer or cooler than the neighboring apartment can influence where the pest problem is located. Since pest infestations can quickly move from outside to inside, and from one apartment to the next, the best strategy is to stay one step ahead and treat the entire property.

Do Regular Ground Maintenance

As a property owner, it is your responsibility to make sure that trash removal occurs on a regular basis and that other maintenance such as cutting grass and removing debris is done. If your property has larger dumpsters, ideally they should not be located in close proximity to the apartments.

Dumpsters that are located several yards away from residences may help contain pests that are lured by the smell of garbage. If your property has a pest problem, it is not uncommon for pests to be seen around trash cans and dumpsters. Take the time to spray around the dumpster with a pest control product that is effective against various types of insects. If you see mice, and mouse traps can safely be left under large dumpsters, consider sliding a few traps under each dumpster.

Keep the grass cut to reduce hiding places for pests, especially during the warmer months. In addition to mowing larger areas of grass, ensure that grass around the perimeter of the building is adequately maintained. If there are trees or shrubs on the property, they should be inspected regularly for any signs of additional pests such as termites that could eventually cause a structural problem.

One of the major concerns when dealing with pests in multi-unit dwellings is that a few pests can cause an infestation for multiple tenants. Prompt action once pests are noticed can help prevent widespread problems that are harder to control. Contact ICE Pest Control and Wildlife Removal for more information. 

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