The real estate market booms when the weather warms and the end of another school year approaches. Any rental property manager can tell you that as the buds bloom their jobs get much busier, and all that move in and move out activity, keeps our work at Northwest Pest Control growing as well.
When a tenant leaves there is always something left behind — old furniture, crayon marks on the wall, cardboard boxes — the list is endless and unpredictable. But what we can predict is that just as there will be dirt to clean and crumbs to sweep, you can be assured ants, roaches, or even mice will not be far behind. In the same way a professional cleaning team is hired to disinfect and make the premises shine, pest control should also be brought in to inspect every crevice, from behind the refrigerator, to the attic, to under the bathroom sink. Creepy crawlies can hide anywhere, but we can hunt them down and treat every inch to wipe them out and help prevent them from returning.
At any time, apartments are prime locations for bed bugs, cockroaches, and rodents. The problem is that with many people living in close proximity, once one apartment has bugs, they are sure to spread to neighboring units. That one resident who only washes dishes when they are overflowing in the sink, or who leaves pizza boxes and half-empty milkshake cups lying around is providing a buffet for pests who then move on to the next apartment to find more. In the case of bed bugs, a traveler may unwittingly bring them home from a hotel stay, and soon every resident on the hall might be itchy. Being a haven for bugs and mice is not the review an apartment wants to receive.
At Northwest Pest Control our services include a complete visual inspection covering every inch in every room with a focus on kitchens and bathrooms since these food-collecting, warm, moist areas are attractive to all pests. We don’t miss the vents, back of closets, or behind the refrigerator either. While we are looking for pests, we are also checking on the soundness of the property as we believe preventing pests from entering is better than having to eradicate them once they have taken up residence. Any gap around a window or door, an unsealed pipe or wire entry, or a small crack in the floor can be a wide-open entry for all types of bugs and rodents. We recommend sealing all cracks and crevices, installing items such as door sweeps or air curtains, and generally making sure every apartment is sealed tight.
Performing our inspections and eradicating pests is simplest to do when the apartment is empty which is also the best time for maintenance to close off potential pest entryways. So take advantage of the annual spring tradition of apartment turnover by addressing any pest problems and assuring a clean and pest-free space for whoever moves in next. And because bugs don’t take any season of the year off from prowling, we recommend setting up a regular schedule for inspection and treatment, both inside and outside your buildings. We’re sure you’d prefer to prevent infestations than to have your residents call about a bug problem. Contact us to find out how we can help.