5 reasons why pest control is critical during COVID-19

There has been so much focus and activities around hand hygiene, air purification and surface disinfection. In addition, there is a rising surge in demands for hand sanitisers and hand soap dispensers supply during this novel coronavirus stage. In fact, protecting health and safety is a top priority among individuals and businesses.

However, while optimising the hygiene standards to protect against the current Wuhan coronavirus, Rentokil Singapore shares why it is as important to maintain pest control services to enhance health and safety.

Understand more about pathogens around us

Pathogens include bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. Particularly in bacteria, how much do we all understand about them? Firstly, they are categorised into shapes such as spherical, spiral or comma. Secondly, these single-celled microbes live on items such as animals. Thirdly, they can reproduce quite easily in the right condition and temperature. Finally, they cause harmful diseases such as dysentery, cholera and typhoid.

What is Salmonella?

What are bacteria and how do they come about?

There are 4 types of bacteria, namely

• Micrococcus
• Staphylococcus
• Bacillus
• Pseudomonas

Pests in particular, can cause bacterial diseases including cockroaches, flies and rats and the common diseases we are familiar with includes Salmonella, plague, Lyme disease and E.coli.

Salmonella can cause food contamination and people who contracted the disease show symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting. They transmit by inadequate food preparation hygiene or bacteria have contaminated surfaces and cooking tools.

Cockroaches, for example, likes to hang around filthy and unhygienic environments such as waste bins, drains and manhole. They pick up bacteria as they run along these surfaces and transfer them in contact with food preparation.

Important of pest control during COVID-19

Protect from vector-borne diseases such as dengue fever

Mosquito breeding can occur indoors and outdoors anytime. While there are mosquitoes’ preventive measures such as eliminating mosquito breeding source and protecting yourself from mosquito bites, there are neighbouring adult mosquitoes flying around uncontrollably.

Here is a summary of challenges around managing mozzies:

• Mosquitoes can enter into a home from outside
• There may have neighbouring mozzies from elsewhere
• We could have breed mosquitoes unknowingly due to lifestyle habits
• Inadequate housekeeping and facility maintenance that promotes breeding
• Outdoor activities that increase our exposure and risks to mosquito bites
• Mozzie resistance to chemicals and active ingredient

It is important to ensure you maintain adequate mosquito control in view of the rising dengue cases and dengue clusters in Singapore. Some of the services under mosquito pest control includes fogging, larviciding and placement of mosquito traps to get rid of mosquitoes.

Ensuring home structure stability and integrity

Some pests are less visible in terms of its physical appearance and their pest signs, such as termites. Do you know? Termites feed on your wood around your home for survival. They live within structures and below the soil, and build a strong and big colony to invade your home vertically and horizontally. We should not neglect termite control to ensure the safety of your family staying within the home.

It is challenging homeowners to get rid of termites for various reasons and engaging professional termite specialists can ensure treatment efficacy, peace of mind and convenience. Termite treatment services usually involve forming a protective barrier around the perimeter of your home and with yearly inspection to ensure all is in order.

Termites are capable in damaging wood

Rats can chew off wiring causing short circuit

Rats known for their gnawing habits and capabilities to chew off almost anything hard and concrete. Of the various health and safety damages rats can cause, perhaps one of the more detrimental risks would be short circuit and fire. For example, they hide in offices such as the IT server room, and start to chew these electrical wires, or electrical conduits along the walls, thus causing hazardous fire incidents. Start to get rid of rats before you turn your premise into a workplace safety issue.

Rat control is necessary because of the following reasons

• They cause harmful diseases such as Salmonella, Hantavirus and Leptospirosis
• Rats are smart pests that only comes out at night and hide really well
• Droppings and stains are left behind, causing odour and food contamination
• Increase risks of dangerous incidents
• They are capable of damaging packaging, goods and furnishing

Rats have high intelligence and agility, making them hard to control

Zero-tolerance to flies infestation in restaurants

According to the local regulatory compliance, fly control is mandatory at all food establishments and manufacturing businesses. Why is it important to get rid of flies within the premise? Firstly, businesses are subjected to financial penalties and demerit points. Secondly, brand image and reputation ruin on social media. Thirdly, operational disruption and downtime due to outlet closure. Fourthly, social media crisis and negative word of mouth. Finally, medical reimbursement or additional costs resulting from food poisoning. Above all, lesser patronage and trust over the business food safety.

Lumnia LED fly trap technology can help business control flies infestation while enjoy energy cost savings, thus keeping operating running costs at decent volume. In conclusion, it offers a wider coverage and higher catch rate, while looking aesthetically pleasant.

Introducing Lumnia, the LED Fly Control at Rentokil

Pest infestation can turn acute or out of control

There are unfortunate times where we face sudden and ad-hoc pest problems such as bed bugs that is cross-infestation by nature. For such pest conditions, they spread widely and produce quickly in a short period. Maintaining long-term pest management service can identify these early symptoms and take proactive actions to control the spread.

In some cases, pest monitoring and inspection can detect hidden root sources that is usually not within our visibility. Unless surveyed by the eyes of an expert, these pests would harbourage and result in serious infestation eventually. During a routine service, professional pest control specialist would inspect the premises, and give recommendations and advices to customers.

It is important to follow through the full schedule, particularly for bed bug control, that is required to carry out 3 treatments across an interval, to eliminate the full life cycle of bed bugs.

Integrating pest control and hygiene sanitisation

Rentokil Initial discusses how both pest control and maintaining hygiene standards go hand in hand.

• Pest tends to start off with poor hygiene and housekeeping, especially rats, ants and cockroaches
• Eliminates harmful presence of bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites
• Helps in active detection and quick remediation initiatives
• Promotes health and safety among users in an optimal manner
• Minimises food source and ideal condition for pests to strive

Compilation of commonly asked questions on pest control

For less active pest control users, perhaps there are clarifications required. We have compiled a list of FAQs to understand more about pest solutions. In addition, this will address questions around price of pest control, will DIY pest control home remedies work and pest control customer reviews.

• How often or frequent to schedule a pest control service?
• Identifying credible and best pest control company
• How much does pest control costs in Singapore?
• Reasons why we should not do our own pest control
• What does pest control service actually covers?

Call Rentokil Pest Control at (65) 6347 8138 for professional pest control services today.