How your business can be affected by pest control problems

Advice About
How Pest Problems Can
Adversely Affect Your
Local Business
Step By Step Guide
1. RODENTS...
• Rats and mice can infest and contaminate foodstuffs and sterile areas around your
restaurant or hotel with droppings. This means it will not reach health and safety
standards.
• Rodents carry serious diseases and chew things. Throwing away any contaminated
food stocks or products can be expensive.
• Customers will be put off and alarmed if your restaurant or hotel is infested with
rodents. They won’t return in the future.
• Badly compromised health and hygiene standards can lead to lost trading revenue
and will damage your reputation within the community.
• Mice and rats and even squirrels pose a health risk to staff and customers. They also
pose a fire and structural damage risk from chewing through wires and timbers.

2. BED BUGS…
• Customers will complain, and not give you any repeat custom if you own a hotel
or guest house.
• An infestation will cause extensive damage to your brand and reputation with
your visitors, which may take years to correct.
• With few customers coming because of the infestation, you will consistently lose
profits, amounting to a substantial loss of earnings.
• Possible legal proceedings could be bought against you, particularly when you
should be providing a healthy environment for guests to stay
in.
• Treating an entire hotel or guest house will be costly and time consuming if not
acted on immediately, especially if you have a big infestation to get rid of.
3. COCKROACHES…
• Cockroaches contaminate foodstuffs, having a detrimental effect on the health of
your staff and customers visiting your restaurant or food service venue.
• They cause damage to goods such as leather, books, pictures, furnishings etc.
and will eat almost anything in their path. This is particularly dangerous if you own
a furniture store, or have a restaurant.
• If spotted by a customer in a restaurant or diner, they will immediately raise the
alarm, causing loss of customer trust through word of mouth.
• They will damage your health and hygiene reputation irreparably, especially if
you own a hotel, private hospital or restaurant.
• The cost of damages caused by cockroaches is extensive, and you may have to
temporarily close your business for treatment meaning a loss in revenue.
4. FLIES…
• Flies will damage your restaurant or hotel’s reputation through very bad hygiene
standards and health and safety concerns.
• Some flies can bite people, a major source of annoyance and are a huge health
concern for staff and customers.
• Flies contaminate food, and carry diseases. This has huge implications to a
restaurant or food preparation service’s reputation, and may lead to legal
proceedings.
• A severe fly problem will create a very bad impression of your business. People
will think it’s dirty and neglected. This is particularly damaging if you own a food
outlet.
• Non­compliance with UK legislation on hygiene standards can lead to fines, and
your income will be reduced from fewer customers.

5. WASPS…
• Customers at outdoor dining venues will become uncomfortable and
leave your premises, or not enter at all, if they see that wasps are present.
The same goes for any outdoor based business.
• If your shop, restaurant or pub is losing customers due to wasps, it
reflects negatively on your reputation and results in a big loss of income.
• Fear amongst staff of getting stung when collecting glasses or empty
plates can lead to loss of staff, and make hiring new employees difficult.
• Many people are allergic to wasp stings, so people will avoid your
premises if they know you have a wasp infestation. No one wants to eat,
or buy things from, a place that has wasps buzzing around constantly.
If you have a wasps’ nest on your business property it needs to be
removed professionally. The added danger to your customers of
swarming is a very real threat.
6. FLEAS...
• If fleas bite your employees and customers, it immediately negatively
impacts their trust. It is even worse if you have a hotel and your guests are
covered in flea bites.
• If spotted in any branch of the leisure industry or retail outlet, they will
cause serious damage to your health and safety and hygiene reputation.
• Customers will leave immediately if they know your hotel, hostel or guest
house has fleas, losing you revenue and repeat custom in the future.
• If fleas cause harm to your employees, they may decide to take long
absences or resign completely from their jobs.
• Fleas are very likely to be a recurring problem in a dog or cat grooming
parlour once one infestation has been experienced if it’s not treated properly.
0800 633 5220
EMPIRE PEST CONTROL
www.empirepestcontrol.co.uk
0203 633 2143