Why Your Healthcare Facility Needs Pest Control

As a healthcare professional or administrator, you are responsible for providing the best possible care to your patients. When pests are present in your facility, that becomes impossible. With their tendency to spread bacteria wherever they go, they’re a clear risk factor for sensitive patients. In places like hospitals, doctor offices, clinics, and hospice care facilities, they’re downright dangerous. In this blog, we’ll go into detail about why your healthcare facility needs pest control, and what you can do to protect your patients.

Here are the main reasons pest control is so important in healthcare settings:

• Preventing disease transmission: Many pests are carriers of diseases like salmonellosis, hantavirus, and other infections that can be transmitted to patients, staff, and visitors.
• Protecting sensitive equipment and supplies: Pests such as rodents and insects can cause damage to sensitive medical equipment and supplies, potentially leading to costly repairs or replacements and jeopardizing patient care.
• Compliance with regulations: Professional pest control ensures you’re in compliance with the strict health and safety standards that healthcare facilities are held to, helping you avoid legal and financial repercussions.
• Enhancing patient comfort and trust: When a patient sees a pest in your facility, you can bet it will make an impression. A pest-free environment ensures that patients feel safe and cared for, which is essential for their recovery and satisfaction.
• Avoiding allergic reactions: Pests like dust mites, cockroaches, and rodents can trigger allergic reactions and exacerbate respiratory conditions in both patients and staff, impacting overall health outcomes.

Common Pests in Healthcare Facilities That We Treat

All pests are unwelcome in a healthcare setting, but some pests are more common than others. Good news – we have extensive experience eliminating all of these pest threats in healthcare facilities:

• Cockroaches aren’t just an unwelcome sight and a sign of an unclean healthcare facility. They can exacerbate asthma symptoms. Cockroaches are known to spread disease and carry bacteria. By contaminating food and the sterile areas of a hospital or clinic, cockroaches can cause harm to your patients.
• Flies, like cockroaches, are a constant worry for healthcare facilities.  These insects contaminate food and spread diseases both on their feet and through their saliva, which they use to break down food. 
• Ants are disease spreaders that are known to produce both Salmonella and Streptococcus bacteria. Pharaoh ants’ propensity for hanging around IV units and open wounds make them a severe infection risk for patients.
• Rats and other rodents are among the most dangerous invaders for any healthcare facility. Not only are they able to spread pathogens through their droppings, but they can also enter facilities from almost anywhere. Their teeth—which never stop growing—require constant gnawing to file down. They’ll chew on anything—including wires, insulation, and structural supports—to manage that urge.
• Bed bugs are a rising problem in healthcare facilities. In fact, healthcare facilities rank as the second most likely place to find bed bugs, right after hotels.

How Do Pests Get into Healthcare Facilities?

• Entry doors left open too long can invite flying pests.
• Windows that aren’t properly sealed.
• Pests like bed bugs are often introduced by hitching a ride on a patient’s clothing.
• Exterior landscaping and trees are harborage areas for pests. As a bonus, keep trees clear of windows and rooflines to help keep rodents — from squirrels to roof rats — from making their way into your facility from the upper floors.
• Deliveries, especially food service deliveries. Before accepting, inspect the packaging to ensure there are no signs of pests. 
• Get rid of cardboard packaging ASAP. Cockroaches are notorious for hiding in and munching on flattened cardboard. 

Bed Bugs in Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Hospice Care, and Other Healthcare Settings

Bed bugs can strike anywhere at any time. And even though having them does not indicate that a place is dirty or unsanitary, if the public hears news that you have bed bugs, you can be sure they’ll see it that way. 

Bed bugs are not especially dangerous, but they are irritating – and they’re most dangerous to sensitive populations. They can still cause adverse reactions in patients., and some patients are also allergic to bed bug bites.

Over the last decade, bed bug activity has increased in all types of commercial enterprises. Outside of hotels, motels, and other hospitality businesses, the rate of increase has been faster in doctor offices, clinics, hospitals, and other healthcare settings.

What’s the Best Pest Control for Hospitals and Doctor Offices?

At Terminix Wil-Kil, we use a two-pronged approach to healthcare pest control that gives you the best possible results. Integrated Pest Management-focused strategies involve targeting areas of concern where pests are most commonly found. In addition, IPM tactics implement education of your staff on best practices for prevention. 

Terminix Wil-Kil Pest Control also uses the HealthGuard pest management program to help reduce the number of pests in your facility. HealthGuard is focused on control, discretion, and specialized services — including bed bug management — to make your facility as hostile to pests as possible. Our goal is to avoid disruption, so we’ll visit your facility when it’s convenient for you to avoid patient traffic. Our devices can also be made to blend in with your decor so pest management is as invisible as possible.

Call Wisconsin’s Healthcare Pest Control Leaders

Terminix Wil-Kil Pest Control has served our Wisconsin neighbors for almost 100 years. With decades of experience in pest management for healthcare providers, we can focus on reducing the number of pests in your facility so you can pay attention to what truly matters.

No matter what you’re dealing with, our healthcare pest control pros are trained and experienced to help keep your patients safe.  For more information about exterminators for healthcare facilities or to schedule your free consultation, contact us today.