Healthcare facilities must be clean and sterile. There’s no way around it. So pest infestation is a big problem. Not only is it a public relations nightmare, but pests are dangerous for patients and staff alike. No healthcare facility is immune to pest problems in Salt Lake City. Hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, surgery centers, and doctors’ offices all can be at risk for a variety of pest problems.
Pests Common in Healthcare Facilities
While a healthcare facility can develop issues with any type of pest, some are more common than others.
- Rodents: Mice and rats pose huge problems for hospitals and healthcare facilities. Rodents are always looking for food and for a place to nest. Unfortunately, they can fit through just about any sized space, and for a facility as large as a hospital, there may be plenty of access points. When rodents get inside, they create health issues. Their droppings and urine can cause allergic reactions and asthma attacks. Plus, rodents can spread 35 illnesses, including Hantavirus, salmonella, dysentery, and leptospirosis. When rodents come into contact with food products, they can transfer these illnesses to humans who eat the food.
- Ants: Ants pose a significant pest control problem for healthcare facilities. Not only can ants spread bacteria into sensitive areas, but they are notoriously difficult to eliminate when using DIY methods and products. Ants can build nests in various places within a facility. Some prefer dry, warm conditions, while others – like pharaoh ants – like moist areas near heat ducts, furnaces, and hot water pipes. They can travel along pipes and electrical wiring on the hunt for food. Pharaoh ants are a big threat to healthcare facilities since they have been known to feed on wounds, specifically burns.
- Cockroaches: Cockroaches spread more than 33 kinds of bacteria, including E. coli and salmonella, six kinds of parasitic worms, and at least seven other kinds of human pathogens. Cockroaches can transfer the germs they pick up as they crawl through decaying matter or sewage. These germs are then transferred to any surface the bugs touch, including cooking surfaces and sterile healthcare equipment. Plus cockroaches can trigger asthma and allergy attacks, especially among children. Cockroaches eat decaying materials, including leaf litter, fermented foods, crumbs found in drains and under appliances, and food that’s left uncovered. While cockroaches do serve a purpose in the food chain, they’re the last thing you want in a healthcare facility. Cockroaches are some of the most difficult pests to eliminate from large, public facilities.
- Bed Bugs: Bed bugs create issues for all healthcare facilities, even those that don’t keep patients overnight. Bed bugs can spread via clothes, handbags, backpacks, and other personal items. Despite their name, bed bugs can live in chairs, sofas, carpets, and in other places where they stand to come into contact with a person. These tiny bugs’ only food source is blood. When they bite humans, they can cause irritating, itchy welts. It’s very difficult to control beg bugs as they reproduce very quickly. That’s why professional pest control is almost always required to treat bed bugs.
Professional Pest Control Prevents Pests
The best way to handle pest problems in your Salt Lake City healthcare facility is prevention. Take steps to seal entrances to keep rodents from entering. Launder linens on the highest temperature setting to kill bed bugs. Clean up food waste quickly to deter cockroaches and ants. Ultimately though, professional pest control in Salt Lake City is the best course of action for adequate control.
Let White Knight Pest Control Help!
Pest control is a difficult undertaking in a busy hospital or clinic. White Knight Pest Control stands ready to provide comprehensive professional pest control services to prevent problems from occurring. Call us today to learn about our customized pest control solutions.