Lockdown pests have become a massive issue for many businesses. With premises being left empty because of the spread of coronavirus, pest infestations have soared. They can find food, shelter and water sources from businesses and have been left undisturbed for long periods of time.
Pests have destroyed businesses around the world and this has had a global impact on the economy. There are very few businesses that haven’t experienced some sort of consequences because of the pandemic.
Pests are detrimental to any business. Businesses in London small and large have been shut down and pests have run riot – something we are now paying the price for. Here are some of the global costs and impacts lockdown pests have had for businesses and the economy
Destruction of Stored Goods and Stock
If you own a business that has stored goods throughout lockdown then pests may have got to them in your absence. Stock, especially food, has been damaged by pests and it can be a serious problem if your business is relying on these sales. Goods that are worth large amounts of money have been destroyed during lockdown by London‘s pests such as rats and mice
The restaurant industry has been one of the worst hit industries throughout the Covid-19 crisis. Food outlets have had to close and are one of the last businesses to reopen during lockdown. These places have stored food that has been destroyed by pests, costing them thousands in revenue. This loss could potentially put a lot of restaurants out of business, with even major chains having to close their doors. If the restaurant can reopen with pest problems they will end up having to spend a lot of money on pest control
Damage to Buildings
Pest numbers have been on the rise throughout the lockdown. Because business premises have been left empty, they have been free to roam and do as they please. One thing that goes hand in hand with pest infestations is damage. But because they have gone unnoticed for a long period of time, the damage they have done is a lot worse than it would have been pre-lockdown.
Rodents can chew through pretty much any material. This sort of damage causes a lot of damage to businesses. In a worst case scenario, pests can chew through electrical wiring and cause fires.Other damage is being caused by birds. Left to their own devices, the birds have been nesting in roofs and causing a lot of damage. With no on there to keep track of infestations like this, damage has increased tenfold.
No Pest Control
Unfortunately, the UK government lacked foresight when it came to pest control during the lockdown. All of the pest control businesses were shut down as they were deemed as non-essential, meaning they weren’t operating for weeks during the pandemic. Pest control in London areas was called to a halt. After several weeks of lobbying pest control services were allowed to continue their work.
This move may have come too late. As pest controllers visit businesses, they have a commercial pest control contract with, the toll of pest damage is clear to see.
Because of the virus pests have been left to breed, nest and destroy things as they please. Businesses have been ruined during lockdown, and not just from loss of earnings. Pest numbers have increased throughout the crisis and this has had a severe effect on almost every business around the world. Cleaning up the mess the pests have left behind could end up costing business owners thousands if not millions in repairs. The result will no doubt be a lot of businesses closing their doors for good.
The global impact this is having is huge and we will probably still be counting this loss for many years to come.