Opening a Business in Tradition? Here’s Your Pest Control Checklist

Add in the reality that commercial buildings under construction are rarely sealed tight. Gaps around plumbing penetrations, unsealed utility entries, open loading dock areas during build-out – pests don’t need an invitation. Fire ants, big-headed ants, and sugar ants can come to dominate commercial settings if left untreated. Fairly quickly, they can establish themselves inside your walls before you’ve even hung your “Coming Soon” banner.

Spiders and rodents are perhaps the most immediate issues business owners encounter when they move into a new commercial property in Port St Lucie. During construction, the lights inside the building are often left on overnight. This acts essentially as a bait to a whole host of insects. This would be bad enough in and of itself, but often more concerning to businesses is the onslaught of spiders that invade, looking to take advantage of the abundant prey brought on by the lights. Almost to a tee, new construction in Tradition will have Black and Brown Widow Spiders inside the building. This issue is easily treated, but it is a serious problem and a potential health hazard if not.
Rodents, particularly rats (sorry folks, it’s rarely mice), are the other major pest commercial property managers and business owners have to face. These animals aren’t just a problem for restaurants. Rats are extremely damaging if left to their own devices. One of the defining characteristics of rodents is that their teeth grow continuously throughout their life. For rats, this necessitates constant chewing. Rodents damage property by gnawing through wires, drywall, and wood. Additionally, their feces and urine can spoil a pristine new property over a weekend. Green Pest Services, a pest exterminator for businesses, is located on Tom Mackie Blvd in Tradition and stands ready to protect your business and livelihood.

1. Schedule a Pre-Occupancy Inspection
Before a single box gets unpacked, bring in a licensed pest control professional to inspect the space. We’re looking for:

• Gaps around doors, windows, and utility penetrations
• Areas where plumbing enters the building
• Structural cracks or openings in exterior walls
• Evidence of existing pest activity (droppings, nests, trails)

Ideally, an inspection and treatment should be done before moving into the property so that boxes and equipment don’t prevent the proper treatment of any areas of the property. On top of that, you and your workers don’t want to be bitten by any poisonous spiders. Eliminating biting and stinging insects first allows you to focus on your business without any painful distractions.

2. Establish Your Barrier Treatment
A perimeter barrier treatment creates a chemical zone around your building’s foundation that stops pests before they get inside. For businesses in Tradition, we’re primarily targeting:

• Ants — the #1 commercial pest in the 34987 area
• American & Australian cockroaches — Commonly known as Palmetto Bugs, these are a ubiquitous pest in South Florida, but to a potential client or customer, they can be viewed as a serious concern about your facility.
• Spiders — While likely to quickly become less of a problem after the initial few pest control services, when first moving into a new commercial property, spiders will unquestionably be your main pest issue.
• Rodents — With dumpsters around commercial buildings, rats quickly follow. You don’t need to have the unit next to a restaurant for this to quickly become a concern. No matter the businesses adjacent, employees eat lunch, and the smell of yesterday’s take-out will have the rats coming from far and wide in no time.

While one-time services can be helpful, for businesses, preventative maintenance is far cheaper than the cost of remediation. On top of that, the cost of one bad Google review because rodents got into a storage unit, or a mean Facebook post about a package from your facility that came with a Black Widow inside of it, can cost you money for years.