Prepare Your Business For a Change in Lockdown Restrictions

Listed Under: News/Blogs

Hospitality businesses will be welcoming back their clients over the next few weeks.  Premises that have been left empty or where footfall has decreased during the Covid-19 lockdown, could be a hot spot for pests – including rats and mice.

Pests have thrived during lockdown and businesses need to check for signs of pest infestations when they return to their premises.  The risks associated with public health pests going unchecked in a business could have a disastrous effect on your staff and client’s health if you don’t take pest management seriously.

Rodents not only damage food products & packaging but also gnaw through other materials such wood, cables and some soft metals.  This behaviour can cause serious damage such as burst water pipes, faulty electrics and, in rare circumstances, pose a fire risk.

If you kept up with regular pest management visits, then you should be in a good position to re-open safely.  If you stopped them, then you may discover a pest infestation that has been given months of free time and space to feed, breed and damage your premises and its contents.

Hinton Pest Control Ltd has six tips for being ‘pest ready’ when premises re-open:

  1. Check the exterior of the premises – are there any gaps for pests to enter?  Mice only need a gap of 5mm to gain entry (roughly the diameter of the eraser end of a pencil) and rats only need a gap of 15mm to gain entry to a structure,
  2. Safely secure all food sources from pests,
  3. Perform thorough cleaning and hygiene process,
  4. Check condition of pest management equipment, eg electronic fly killers,
  5. Visit site to perform routine building & facilities maintenance, and;
  6. Conduct a back-to-work pest inspection with your pest management company.


Hinton Pest Control Ltd are offering free pest control site surveys for businesses coming out of lockdown restrictions.  Call our office on 01386 41762 to book a commercial site survey.

When returning to empty premises or welcoming back your clientele, it is not just pest control issues that need to be considered:

  • Plumbing and toilet facilities that have been unused need to be signed off as safe by plumbers.
  • Electrics and/or electrical appliances need to be signed off as safe by electricians.
  • Commercial cleaning may be required.
  • Food safety and food hygiene issues may need to be addressed.
  • Signwriting or Perspex barriers may be required.

Over the years, Hinton Pest Control Ltd has worked with many local trades people that are able to support businesses within the hospitality sector.  If you need some advice or a trade referral about returning to premises, call us on 01386 41762 and we will be happy to help.