Pest Prevention Measures for Student Housing
Managing a college student housing property is not an easy task. Your tenants are at an important phase of their life. If they face any problems on your property, it affects their education as well as their health. When things start getting bad, even their parents might engage in the discussion. That is why as the property owner, you must take good care of the place.
One important part of managing a student housing property is making sure that it is free of pests. Besides adopting measures for pest prevention, you should educate your teenager and young adult residents about how they can do their part. If you suspect an infestation, it can interfere with your business. Call Stride Pest Control today.
Pest prevention measures for student housing
- Make proper food storage mandatory.
While it is wrong to generalize, most college kids tend to be disorganized, especially with their food. They love to keep their snacks here and there out in the open. Instead, they must always be told to keep food items in airtight storage containers. Unswept crumbs, unsecured dry goods, and unmopped spills can draw potential pests. You cannot force teenagers to follow sanitation rules, but you can keep reminding them of its importance from time to time.
- Request residents to inspect their belongings.
The best way to prevent pests such as bed bugs from entering your property is by asking your tenants to inspect their luggage on their first day. People can carry bed bugs from anywhere, be it at a bus stop or a classroom. Spiders and cockroaches can travel with students inside their boxes and furniture. Before they enter your property and unpack, ask them to thoroughly check their bags to ensure they are free of pests.
- Incentivize better trash management.
One thing that pests absolutely love and are attracted to is trash. They love the stinky, gross, and unkempt garbage cans you keep inside and outside your property. These are also found in student housing rooms. Again, you cannot force students to follow cleanliness measures, but you can incentivize them. The incentives could be as simple as awarding free laundry tokens to students who keep their rooms clean.
- Ask students to watch for signs of building damage.
Educating students about the warning signs of building damage done by pests can help keep the insects at bay. Also, ask them to keep an eye out for holes or gaps as these can become the entry points for the pesky critters.
The last thing you want is pests ruining your business of student housing. These few tips can manage the problem to an extent. However, for long-term solutions, call pest control today.
