3 Spring Pests to Keep From your Supply Chain
Spring pests are racing to invade your space get prepared. From spiders to sow bugs, which seasonal pests are most likely to make a pit stop at your facility? Read up on three of your pest opponents to help keep your facility from becoming the finish line.
Termites
Racking up a bill of $5 billion in damages annually to homes and businesses, termites can take a bite out of your profits. Termites are foragers that band together and search for wood as meals for their colony, branching out to every appealing area of your business to consume cellulose found in materials like flooring and cardboard. Wood material that may appear fine on the surface could be home to termite activity — many don’t realize the presence of these pests until it’s too late. Be wary, a building’s foundation can actually be the foundation of termite problems, so schedule regular checks of the soil line around your property.
Ants
Don’t underestimate these insects. Ants are capable of traveling long distances, so there’s not much stopping them from sifting through your property and your supply chain. Worldwide invaders, these small but mighty bugs outnumber humans 14,000 to 1, and they’re experts on sneaking through hidden cracks and crevices to find food sources for their colonies. What’s the best way to keep your business from becoming a buffet? Help prevent ants from crawling in by sealing off entry points around your facility. Inspect walls, floors, windows and doors for gaps and spaces that invite these tiny, unwanted guests.
Spiders
Prone to hiding out in dark secluded areas, your transportation vehicles are perfect places for spiders to set up shop. But why would spiders want to set up shop in the first place? Because they follow their prey — the more pests they find on your property, the more likely they are to spin a web and make a home for themselves. Yes, you’re reading this correctly: spiders indicate that you have a larger pest problem than you may have imagined. Stop spiders from building webs around your products and in the nooks and crannies of your facilities by conducting routine inspections and removing their webs. Also, you’ll want to step up your game when it comes to preventing conditions that attract the pests these spiders hunt.
Now that you’ve upped your spring pest knowledge, it may be time to examine your pest management program. Are you leaving yourself open to a potential pest invasion? A pest attack can affect every link of your supply chain, costing you valuable production hours and profits.