7 Pest-Prevention Tips for Apartment Building Dwellers & Managers

Apartment residents and building managers are at a disadvantage when it comes to pest prevention and pest removal. The close proximity of apartment units that share not only walls and floors but also ducts and utility passages make it easy for pests to spread from one unit to another.

It’s more likely than not that if one apartment is plagued by termites, cockroaches, bedbugs, rodents, or flies, then other apartments are experiencing the same infestation.

Tips for Keeping Your Apartment a Pest-Free Zone

It’s worth knowing what residents and managers can do to help avoid an infestation in the first place:

1. Keep your kitchen clean: Maintaining counters free of crumbs, storing all food in air-tight plastic containers, and keeping your sink free of dirty dishes goes a long way toward leaving pests with no easy food source in your apartment.
2. Take the trash out regularly: To pests, your discarded food is just as tasty as fresh food. Keep a tight lid on your trash and always remove it from your apartment when full.
3. Get rid of clutter: It’s easy to collect stuff in an apartment as they are ordinarily smaller than a home, and storage space is at a premium. Pests love to hide out where they think they won’t be noticed.
4. Eliminate wet areas: Most bugs can live for weeks without food, but they must have water to survive. Wipe your sinks dry after you use them and report any leaky pipes to the manager right away.
5. Think twice about second-hand furniture: Upholstered furniture has the potential for harboring bedbugs. Check items carefully before bringing them into your apartment.
6. Check your package deliveries: We all love the convenience of ordering online, but bugs love a good cardboard box or bag. Check carefully when you unpack your purchases.
7. Seal all cracks and crevices: Pests thrive when they can travel from one unit to another to find abundant food and water sources. Have your building manager caulk cracks in your walls and add stripping to seal the bottom of your door.

Professional Pest Removal for Multi-Unit Buildings

Whether the building is an apartment or office complex, quick and effective pest removal is of the essence. Doing this with the least amount of family or business interruption is key.

Pest control is not a DIY project in multi-unit buildings. You might control the problem for a while, but when pests are pervasive throughout the building, they will reappear. The good news is that pest control companies such as Ecola have whole-building solutions that are friendlier than fumigation.
Call Ecola at 800-471-BUGS (2847) to learn more about their EcoSmart solutions to pest control. Free estimates cheerfully quoted over the phone!