Why provision should be made for Pest Control in your Service Charge budget.

A managed block inevitably has to invite various trades onto the premises to carry out repairs and maintenance. Whilst they are there, some liability for their health and safety falls to the block and there is some duty of care.

Pest control is an important health and safety consideration. Many pests such as cockroaches and rodents can carry and spread a variety of diseases including E.coli and salmonella.

Weils disease, a viral disease carried by rats and spread through their urine can be deadly. Cockroaches can spread disease by carrying microbes on their bodies from one area to another, such as a bin room or toilet to the kitchen surfaces.

 Rodents have large curved incisors in both upper and lower jaws, which grow continuously and are worn down by gnawing. They can chew their way through a range of materials. This behaviour can cause a serious safety risk when rodents enter buildings as they will often chew through electrical cables and have been know to cause thousands of pounds worth of damage.

Insect pests breed quickly and not only present a potentially serious health risk but can also cause distress and some species can cause structural damage.

Most occupiers tend to look after their own space really well and seldom encounter problems with pests. When they do, they are usually expected to meet the costs themselves. However there are parts of the building like bin areas, ducts, stairwells and risers that are common to all occupiers which are usually the first points of entry into the building for pests. These need protection via an external specialist contractor.

A common parts pest control contract is largely preventative and, as such, the annual costs are relatively small.

Usually the pest Control Company will place rodent bait stations at strategic locations around the building and throughout the common parts.

Insect monitoring can also be included with pest control contracts, this involves the placement of insect monitors which are checked on a regular basis. Any insect pests found can then be identified and an appropriate treatment installed to prevent a small problem becoming a large-scale infestation.