Wherever you find people, pests aren’t far behind. Common office habits like eating at your desk and spilling sugar and cream near the coffee maker can attract bugs. Employees and clients have the potential to bring hitchhiking pests into your office. You may not think pests will make it onto the higher floors of your building, but they’ll go anywhere that has food, water and shelter. These are some of the most common pests you’ll find in an office space:

Ants

If you’ve ever accidentally left cookies or donuts in the office over the weekend, you’ve probably seen sugar ants. Ants love abandoned baked goods and fruit, but they’ll also eat from the trash if it’s not taken out in a timely manner. With their small size, these insects can find their way in through the tiniest cracks in a building. Ants are tasked with feeding their colony, so an ant problem can grow exponentially in a short amount of time. 

Cockroaches

Ants are annoying, but cockroaches present more of a risk to employees. They can spread disease by contaminating food or just by running around on counters and in sinks. All they need are good hiding spaces with access to food, water and shelter. They can come from just about anywhere. Cockroaches can move between offices through cracks in the walls, from outside, or even through the plumbing. 

Spiders

Having a couple spiders around can be nice. Since they eat other bugs, it’s almost like having free pest control! However, if you see more than one spider, it could be a sign of a larger infestation. Spiders won’t stick around in an area where they don’t have a consistent food supply. They’re great at hiding, but there are places you can look if you suspect that there’s an infestation. One easy way to find spiders is to check for webs in high places inside office storage closets or unused areas. 

Preventing Office Pests

Pests typically find their way into offices while on the hunt for food. To avoid attracting pests to the office, be mindful of your eating and drinking habits. Here are a few simple steps you can take:

• Clean up spills immediately, especially if they’re at your desk. 
• Avoid leaving dishes lying around. 
• Make sure the garbage is regularly taken out. 
• If there’s an office kitchen or break room, dispose of food waste there to make sure it gets taken out in a timely manner. 

Pests seeking food, water and shelter can thrive in a messy office space. Is your office infested with pests? The commercial Clive pest control experts at Pro-Staff can help. Give us a call at 515-279-7378 or contact us online to learn more.