Field Notes

Insights for your business

General Pest Control Articles

Topics: Services , Choosing A Provider

5 Signs Your Pest Control Partner Isn’t Cutting It

When you’ve already been through the process of comparing pest control providers, chosen one and invested months or years into a program, it’s tough to consider going back to the drawing board. But if part of your job has become making sure they do their job, you’re not saving …

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Topics: Services , Choosing A Provider

Interview Guide: 10 Questions To Ask a Potential Pest Control Partner

If you’re on the hunt for a new pest control company, it’s likely your last partnership didn’t work out the way you hoped. Whether they dropped a ball or broke a promise, you’re eager to find someone who will do better. While the proof is in working with a new partner, …

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Topics: Services , Choosing A Provider , Why Orkin

What It Means To Do Business With Orkin: Pest Control You Can Count On

You take your job seriously, and it shouldn’t be hard to find a pest control provider who does the same. You deserve a partner you can count on to get the job done right, even when you’re not looking. At Orkin, we commit to delivering just that. When you choose Orkin, you’ll …

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Topics: Bird Control , Fly Control , Mosquito Control , Sanitation

How to Deter Flying Summer Pests

Preparing your business for a post-pandemic climate? Don’t forget to plan for handling summer pests, especially those that fly. Flying insects are particularly active during the warmer months. Customers are looking to get back to some form of normalcy and will expect to feel safe when they …

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Topics: Food Safety , Research , Rodent Control , Sanitation

Roof Rat Populations on the Rise: What to Know

The year 2020 brought us many surprises, including an influx of rodent headlines. Throughout the year, rodents made an appearance across the U.S. in alarming ways, demonstrating aggressive behavior due to a lack of food sources during the coronavirus pandemic and transmitting rat Hepatitis E to …

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Topics: Bed Bug Control , Rodent Control , Cockroach Control , Mosquito Control , Sanitation , Services

Restart Your Pest Management Service with Confidence

As you reopen your business, there are several things you will want to consider when it comes to pest control—especially if you paused your pest management service during the pandemic. With lighter human foot traffic and, as a result, less access to food and water, certain pests may …

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Topics: Services

Orkin’s Pest Control Safety Measures During COVID-19

As an essential service, pest control has played a vital role in helping protect public health and the food supply during the COVID-19 pandemic. While there’s no evidence linking pests to the spread of COVID-19, pests still transmit a variety of diseases such as encephalitis, Lyme disease and …

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Topics: Rodent Control , Sanitation , Services

How to Deal With Rodent Risks in the Wake of COVID-19

Many businesses adapted to unusual circumstances during the global COVID-19 pandemic, including altered operating hours, unpredictable customer traffic and general uncertainty about the future. Even as things change all around us, pest threats remain a constant—which means your business is …

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Topics: Cockroach Control , Rodent Control

Top Pests Threatening Businesses During COVID-19

With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing your business and customers to adapt to shelter-in-place and social distancing orders, pest control may be tough for you to manage right now, alongside all your other concerns. But with the reduction of human activity at your business, a larger number of pests are …

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Topics: Logistics , FoodService , Services

Orkin® VitalClean™ Brings Customers A Powerful Disinfectant Treatment

At Orkin, we know that customers are the lifeblood of any business. With increased health concerns taking a toll on how many companies around the country and the world serve their customers, it’s crucial that we all step up to help in ways both large and small. Just as proper handwashing is a basic …

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Topics: FoodService

8 Diseases Mosquitoes and Ticks Can Spread at Businesses

Blood-sucking pests like ticks and mosquitoes are more than a nuisance — they can be a health risk. And they don’t just wreak havoc in your backyard; they can also affect your business. The truth of the matter is that mosquitoes and ticks can actually spread diseases to your employees and …

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Topics: Sustainability , Mosquito Control , Rodent Control , Fly Control

Can Your Pest Control Outlast the Storm?

The potential costs of just one extreme weather or climate event in the U.S. can exceed $1 billion. With nearly 13 of these extreme, costly events happening annually, many people—and businesses—are left to deal with the aftermath of Mother Nature’s damaging behavior. This threatening weather can …

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Topics: Sustainability

3 Tactics for Protecting Your Property from Spring Pests

Pests are always better out than in. And as spring sets in, so does your potential for pest problems ; these months bring pests out of dormancy, and they’ll soon try to wiggle their way into your building, stored products and supply chain. How can you help stop spring pests from paying your …

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Topics: Bed Bug Control

Orkin Bed Bug ProAct FAQ

Bed bugs are no stranger to the hospitality industry, which is why we’ve developed Orkin Bed Bug ProAct® with you in mind. To help you decide if this breakthrough bed bug solution is right for your business, we’ve answered the most commonly asked questions about bed bugs and our proactive bed bug …

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Topics: Sustainability

What Does Exclusion Include?

Got pests? It’s likely you could, since they don’t exactly ask your permission before they encroach on your business. Keeping them out requires exclusion tactics that help limit pest access into your building. Effective pest management starts with identifying signs of a pest infestation, monitoring …

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Topics: Sustainability , Bed Bug Control , Rodent Control , Fly Control , Bird Control , Services

Treatment 101: How Orkin’s Options Help You Stay Pest-Free

Along with bugging you, nuisance pests like rodents, cockroaches and flying and stinging pests have the potential to grow into a more serious problem. For some businesses, it only takes a sighting by the wrong person—an auditor, an inspector, a customer or even a patient—to have a financial impact …

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Topics: Sustainability , Fly Control , Odor Control , Services

The Nitty-Gritty on Sanitation: Products and Services That Help You Keep It Clean

The fast pace of your day-to-day responsibilities requires you to handle many things at once. And no matter what kind of facility you’re overseeing, a strong sanitation program is critical—if overlooked, it can have a domino effect on other areas of your business. While it may seem obvious that …

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Topics: Termite Control

Termites at Work: Could They Be Clocking in at Your Facility?

Termites are the ultimate workaholics. These “silent destroyers” toil around the clock and can hide in areas of your facility without any immediate signs of damage. Charged with causing more than $5 billion in damage each year, termites’ relentless chewing could create an expensive problem for you …

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Topics: Bed Bug Control

Free Hospitality Webinar— New Developments in the War Against Bed Bugs

Bed bugs have been living alongside mankind for thousands of years, but recently researchers have zeroed in on them to understand why they are so resilient and resistant to conventional treatment methods. These blood-sucking pests are experts at hitchhiking their way into …

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Topics: Sustainability

LEED and IPM: Stay on Track with Orkin’s USGBC Course

Location isn’t the only thing that matters in real estate. Discerning tenants search for space with an ever-growing list of amenities in mind. One of those sought-after qualities is the environmental sustainability of a building and its operations. This consumer expectation has resulted in more …

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Topics: Cockroach Control

Top 3 Ways Cockroaches Are Threatening Your Business

You may think cockroaches are common enough to be ignored, but the threats they pose can have significant business implications. Cockroaches possess intense survival skills that allow them to live headless for a week*, hold their breath underwater 15 times longer than the average human** and even …

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Topics: Cockroach Control

How to Prevent Cockroaches from Encroaching on Your Business

If you spot a cockroach in your facility, don’t turn a blind eye. Cockroaches are hide-and-seek champions (spending 75 percent of their life in hiding*), so the one you see is a likely indication of many more nearby that you don’t see. Prolific breeders, a female roach can hatch more than 300,000 …

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Topics: Cockroach Control

The 5 Most Common Cockroaches in Commercial Environments

With their claim to fame as the world’s most resilient pest, cockroaches are one of the most common and stubborn pests to manage. Once inside they can multiply quickly, spread dozens of pathogens and hide in virtually any area of your business. Before crossing cockroaches off your pest …

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Topics: Q & A

How to Choose a Pest Management Provider for Your Regional or National Operation

When it comes to the failure of your pest control program, the stakes can be high. Pest presence can result in customer complaints, poor reviews, damaged product or regulatory failures. The effects of a full-blown pest infestation can be even worse – lost business, shutdowns, litigation and a PR …

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Topics: Sustainability

Rate Your IPM Program’s Quality with This Self-Assessment

It doesn’t matter what industry you work in – pests do not discriminate when it comes to finding a new home. As long as your business offers food, water and shelter, they’ll happily take up residence. Once inside, they can spread diseases, cause structural damage, ruin products or supplies, and, …

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Topics: Odor Control

What’s That Smell? Controlling Odors Makes Scents

What’s That Smell? Controlling Odors Makes Scents When you think of Orkin, what immediately comes to mind? Most would say pests, and they’re right. However, we know about much more than pest control alone – the odor control solutions we offer aid in helping businesses keep pesky pests away, …

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Topics: Q & A

Can You Name The Most Harmful Pests?

The Most Un-Wanted List of pests that could be invading your business is quite long. From foul flies and ruthless rodents, to blood-sucking bed bugs and crafty cockroaches, these pests can be harmful and threatening to many commercial business environments. While there are no …

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Topics: Sustainability

Should You Outsource Your Pest Control Program?

Given the specialized knowledge Integrated Pest Management (IPM) requires and the potential risks for any pest-related downfalls, many businesses outsource their pest control programs. While in-house pest control programs may appear to be more cost-effective on the surface, they often cost more …

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Topics: Rodent Control

Rodent Round Up: Rats vs. Mice

Fall is the start to rodent season. With their quick reproductive habits, rodent sightings at your business can bring unwelcome consequences if not dealt with quickly. The first step in evicting these pests once they infiltrate your business is to identify them accurately. Rats and mice are …

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Topics: Rodent Control

Got a Mouse in Your Business? Five Most Common Rodents

We’re not the only ones that cozy up indoors when cold weather looms. Rats and mice also shack up inside during the winter months. By the time spring flowers bloom, these speedy breeders may have already taken over your business. Before you begin preparations for the fall and winter months, you …

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Topics: Rodent Control

Do’s and Don’ts of Rodent Control

Rats and mice are experts at sniffing out food and shelter. So, how do you keep these dirty and destructive pests from squeezing through the door? Instead of playing the same game of cat and mouse, it’s time to build a better mouse trap. (To find out why you should avoid rodents, download our free …

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Topics: Rodent Control

Six Facts to Help Prepare Your Rodent Defense

Rodents are some of the most disgusting and destructive pests, and they have a pretty impressive rap sheet to prove it. Extremely adaptable and quick to reproduce, rodents can be difficult to control, making them a nightmare for your business. (To learn why the Orkin Man recommends avoiding …

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Topics: Rodent Control

Do You Know the Rodent Red Flags?

Do you smell a rat? Don’t let these sneaky pests fool you. From stock rooms and break rooms to suspended ceilings and wall voids, rodents have no trouble finding sources of food, water and shelter at your business, property or school. And though they know how to keep to the shadows, just one …

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Topics: Rodent Control

Chew Over These Questions with Your Pest Management Provider

Rodents don’t waste any time when it comes to making your business their home. So, you shouldn’t waste any time when it comes to helping stop them. The best approach is a proactive one, and your pest management provider can help you create a plan that is customized to your business and property. …

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Topics: Rodent Control

Three Rodent Threats That Bite into Business

Rodents can scurry, climb, squeeze – and even swim! – into your business. Unlike Mickey Mouse, these pests aren’t here to cheer you up. From structural damage and product contamination to a ruined reputation, these dirty and resilient vermin can really take a bite into your bottom line. (To learn …

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Topics: Ant Control

7 BrilliANT Facts about Ants

Small but mighty may not describe anything more fittingly than ants. Often disregarded for their tiny size and perceived harmlessness, it’s hard to imagine ants as the number one pest problem in the United States*. But the reality is that they are the top pest problem – it takes guts, …

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Topics: Ant Control

Ant Hot Spots You Should Know

No matter where you’re located, there are ants that have carved out territory in your region. Despite their small size, these pests are difficult to control and can cause big problems for your business. When ants go marching into your facility, they can damage structures, transmit pathogens, cause …

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Topics: Ant Control

4 Steps to Help Identify Ants at Your Business

The last time you saw ants crawling around your business, you pulled out a magnifying glass to count their antennae and inspect their thorax, right? Probably not. (And we don’t blame you.) Even so, partnering with your pest management provider to identify the ant species at your facility is …

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Topics: Ant Control

Common Ants Invading Commercial Properties

With their massive colony size and sophisticated methods of communications, ants could be launching an attack on your business. As one of the most resourceful pests, they can sneak into buildings through the tiniest cracks, and once they find food, they don’t hesitate to share the directions with …

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Topics: Sustainability

3 Ways Ants Endeavor to Outsmart You

Ants can seem like a relatively small problem when it comes to operating your business, but don’t underestimate them due to their size. From transmitting pathogens to compromising structural integrity by building massive colonies within your facility, their tiny size is no indication of the great …

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Topics: Fly Control

Scrub Out Small Flies

Some of the smallest flies can cause the biggest problems for your business. These pests love eating and breeding in those hard-to-reach places like drains where food, grease and other organic matter build up. If you have a fly infestation, you could risk lost business, food contamination and …

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Topics: Fly Control

The Buzz on Why Flies are Bad for Business

A couple of flies is no big deal, right? Unfortunately, these pests are more than just a nuisance, and you shouldn’t let them fly under your radar. In business environments, flies can quickly evolve from an annoyance to a serious threat to your bottom line. Read our free Comprehensive Guide …

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Topics: Fly Control

Got Flies? 5 Questions to Ask Your Pest Control Provider

There’s more to fly control than you think. Inspection, exclusion, sanitation and mechanical control should make up the full package to help keep your facility fly-free. That’s why it’s important to work with your pest management provider to come up with a comprehensive plan for helping manage – …

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Topics: Fly Control

What Can You Do to Fend Off Flies?

If you see flies in your facility, don’t turn a blind eye. These filthy pests not only disgust customers but can also contaminate food and other surfaces and cause illness. Our free, comprehensive guide to Flies & Fly Control Strategy breaks down the top concerns for the flies that are …

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Topics: Fly Control

6 Most Common Flies: Do You Know the Difference?

When you’re seeing flies, you’re seeing the signs of an underlying problem – and it’s not one you can just swat away. Knowing the type of fly you’re dealing with is half the battle. Different flies have different preferences for food and breeding sites, so identifying the species is critical to …

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Topics: Bed Bug Control

5 Pests Commonly Mistaken for Bed Bugs

If you saw the pests from the list below and had to identify which was a bed bug, what would you say? Harder than you think, right? If you’re stumped, you’re not alone. University of Kentucky research found that more than 2/3 of people in the U.S. could not correctly name a bed bug if they saw …

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Topics: Bed Bug Control

5 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are peculiar. It’s not surprising these creepy creatures sparked panic among their human hosts, who found themselves fed upon in the dark of the night while seemingly safe in their beds. For a time, people felt like they could escape the pests by the light of day. That’s until bed bugs …

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Most Read on Field Notes in 2016

A new year means a fresh start. But before 2017 gets rolling, here are the three most read stories on Field Notes from 2016. See how you can work these helpful tips into your pest management plan this year. Fight the Fly 5 Reasons Summer is the Season for Pests 5 Ways to Prepare for Pest …

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Topics: Rodent Control , Cockroach Control , Spider Control

5 Ways to Prepare for Pest Intruders This Fall and Winter

With the days getting shorter and temperatures dropping, you’ve probably noticed increased pest activity. That’s right, we aren’t the only ones looking for relief from the cold! Pests like rodents, cockroaches and spiders are looking for a warm place with a ready food source to spend the winter. …

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5 Reasons Summer is the Season for Pests

With summer in full swing, it’s likely you’ve noticed increased pest activity. Why is it that most pests like the summer season best? Orkin’s Dr. Ron Harrison dives into the top five reasons why pests like ants, cockroaches, mosquitoes and spiders thrive during summer months: 1. …

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Topics: Research , Fly Control

Fight the Fly

This time of year, flies are a frequent sight at commercial establishments. And like many other pests, flies are more than just a nuisance — they are a symptom of a greater problem. Left unchecked, they can damage your reputation and potentially threaten the health of your customers and guests, …

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Topics: Research , Mosquito Control

Southeast Region Leads the Pack of Orkin’s 2016 Top Mosquito Cities

Sure, summer is fun. But remember that warmer temperatures and afternoon thundershowers mean it’s not only beach season, but also mosquito season. Once again, we’ve ranked the top mosquito cities in the U.S. based on the number of mosquito customers served in 2015, and the Southeast has dominated …

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Topics: Bird Control , Rodent Control , Cockroach Control , Spider Control

4 Pest Problems You May Not Expect at the Big Football Game

Getting ready for the big game? No matter where you’re watching the game, the last thing you’re likely to think about is who is tackling pests and pest control at the stadium. Well, the reality is that stadiums all around the country have their fair share of pest issues. In fact, stadiums present …

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Topics: Bed Bug Control , Mosquito Control , Fly Control

The Best in Pests: In Case You Missed It In 2015

We’ve seen a lot of things happen in commercial pest control over the past year. And while the Orkin Man is usually thinking several steps ahead of pests, sometimes it’s helpful to look back. Here are our top three pest management resources from 2015. Orkin delivered up to date information on …

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Topics: Sustainability

LEED Your Pest Management Program By Example

“It’s not easy being green.” While Jim Henson’s lovable Muppet character may be right, it is possible to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credits using “green” pest management practices. But earning this nationally accepted benchmark for sustainable building practices …

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Topics: Q & A

How can I get my staff on board with our company’s pest control program?

Question: How can I get my staff on board with our company’s pest control program? Answer: Employee participation is an essential part of any business’s pest control efforts. Your staff members see and hear things on a daily basis that you may not notice. Equipping them with some basic pest …

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Topics: Q & A , Bed Bug Control

Bed Bugs and Dogs

Question: What types of dogs can be used to detect bed bugs? Answer: The dog’s breed is actually less important than his or her drive and ability to learn. Training typically starts when a dog reaches a year and a half to two years old, and it takes between six and eight weeks to complete. …

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Topics: Q & A

Outsourcing Pest Control

Question: My company previously handled pest control in house, but now we are looking to outsource it. How can I make sure I choose the right provider for my pest control program? Answer: Choosing the right pest management provider is critical to protecting your business and ensuring the …

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Field Notes

Field Notes