The Greater Toronto Area is home to many pests that are most active during the warmer months of the year, causing businesses trouble. Sightings of summer pests in business premises can turn customers away for many reasons, which we’ll explore in this article.
Common Summer Pests in the GTA
As the most populated area in Canada, the GTA offers diverse habitats with ample sustenance for a wide array of insects. Here are some of the less desirable ones that your business might have to battle with this summer:
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are cold-blooded creatures incapable of regulating body heat, so their temperature is the same as their surroundings. These tiny insects tend to function best between 27 and 32 degrees Celsius, so they are most active in the summer. Despite their size, mosquitoes can be a menace as they reproduce easily. A few mosquitoes can turn into hundreds in just a few weeks, so mosquito control is necessary.
Ants
Like mosquitoes, ants are cold-blooded and only come out of their colonies during warmer, sunnier weather. Canada is home to roughly 100 species of ants, and three of them cause serious problems in the GTA. These species are pavement ants, carpenter ants, and European fire ants. Although not dangerous, pavement ants can be considered pests because they typically hunt for food and water inside buildings and can cause contamination. On the other hand, carpenter ants nest and burrow inside of wood and are notoriously hard to kill. European fire ants can spread invasive plants in gardens.
Wasps
Wasps are another type of pest that can threaten businesses during warmer months. Queen wasps establish their nests and lay eggs during early summer. If left unchecked, these nests can grow exponentially and become a real problem by late summer. As the wasp population grows, the likelihood of encounters increases.
Earwigs
Earwigs look quite eerie with their prominent pincers at the end of their abdomen. Despite their appearance, earwigs are relatively harmless. They don’t attack and bite humans or destroy structures. They help reduce the population of soft-bodied insects, such as spiders, mites, and aphids. However, they do eat plants, so they are considered garden pests. When you experience an abundance of earwigs outdoors, you should call for professional pest control on your lawn to minimize possible damage.
Termites
Termites are cellulose-eating insects that become more active as temperatures rise. They primarily feed on wood or wooden structures and chew on paper, books, and even filtration systems. They can also injure living shrubs and trees. Their ability to stay hidden for a long time and secretly damage your property makes them a force to reckon with.
If any of these summer pests appear on your business premises, don’t delay. Eliminate or control their population immediately. A pest infestation can have devastating health, operational, financial, and legal consequences.
Four Ways Summer Pests Turn Customers Away
Chances are, you’ve been doing your best to attract as many paying customers as possible. However, all your hard work can go out the window after a pest infestation or even a single pest sighting. No matter how great your marketing efforts are, the presence of pests can deter potential customers from approaching your shop and repeat customers from coming back.
1. Pests Scare and Disgust Customers
Some people are simply afraid of certain insects or animals. If that insect happens to be in your business space, you cannot expect such customers to stick around. Additionally, pest sightings can cause delusional parasitosis (DP), or the sensation of the insect crawling all over your skin. That alone could also keep customers away. And, if you’re in the business of serving food to customers, the sight of a bug landing on one’s plate or glass can render the experience over in no time.
2. Pests Bring Health Risks
Some summer pests are known for putting people’s health at risk. For example, mosquitoes can spread West Nile virus, dengue, and malaria. Government units even perform outdoor mosquito control when reported cases of mosquito-borne diseases occur. On the other hand, wasp stings can trigger allergic reactions that can be fatal for some. No customer would want to risk their health and life by going to a commercial establishment with an apparent infestation of pests.
3. Presence of Pests Can Indicate Poor Sanitation
Pests don’t fancy clean places because there is less food and shelter. Therefore, the presence of pests can mean your commercial establishment lacks cleanliness. There might be unemptied trash bins, spilled food, or moisture leakage. Sometimes, an overgrown lawn outside the store also contributes to pest infestations. Pests like mosquitoes tend to take refuge in overgrown grasses. The presence of other pests, like rodents, may get your business in hot water with regulatory agencies like the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), resulting in fines, temporary shut-downs, or permanent closures.
4. Pest Sightings Can Lead to Poor Online Reviews
People are likely to take to the web to write a negative review after seeing a pest in an establishment. This is bad for businesses since people tend to consider customer reviews when making buying decisions. Some customers even put as much weight on customer reviews as they do on recommendations from people they know. Many hesitate to do business with a company with many unfavorable customer reviews. It turns customers away and damages your reputation.
Customers turning away from your business because of a summer pest infestation can result in a loss of revenue. If the pest problem is severe, your business may even temporarily or permanently shut down. Aside from that, you will have to deal with pest damage to your commercial space.
How Do You Keep Summer Bugs Away?
A pest infestation can ruin your business reputation, decrease foot traffic, and result in financial consequences. Fortunately, you can keep summer bugs away with a few strategies.
Maintain Your Lawn
As previously mentioned, some pests hide in overgrown grasses. Don’t let these lawn pests thrive; keep your lawn well-maintained. Mow the lawn at the right height (not less than three inches), practice proper watering techniques, and hire an expert lawn care professional. Lawn care professionals can keep lawn pests under control and ensure your turf stays healthy and beautiful.
Keep Your Indoor and Outdoor Environment Clean
Proper food storage and waste management prevent pests from having an accessible food supply on your property. Regularly and thoroughly clean your floor and other surfaces. Ensure everything is organized in storage areas so pests won’t have hiding spots and nesting areas. You should also control moisture so as not to attract pests.
Check for stagnant water outdoors, as it could become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Ensure you remove water sources so adult mosquitoes won’t have a place to lay their eggs. Draining stagnant water is the main strategy for mosquito pest control.
Call a Professional
Building a business reputation takes time and effort, but pest infestation can easily ruin it. While you’ll find many DIY solutions online, it’s better to let professionals fix your pest problem. Commercial pest control companies can do more than address an active summer pest infestation. They can also provide prevention solutions for the summer pests that are rampant in your area. These professionals will assess your property for vulnerabilities and recommend prevention strategies to keep your business pest-free.
Keep Summer Pests, Rather Than Customers, Away From Your Business
Mosquitoes are one of the most prevalent pests in the GTA during summer, and you can count on LawnMart if you need help controlling their population. LawnMart offers mosquito control near you, and to make your outdoor area less inviting to pests, the team can also help maintain your lawn. Contact LawnMart today for a free quote.