Residential Buildings
Pests found in domestic settings can spread diseases to homeowners, tenants and holiday makers. They can proliferate rapidly, posing a major health hazard to occupants. In the case of residential complexes or apartment blocks, the infestation can quickly affect large numbers of residents, as pests travel from one dwelling to another.
Usual issues
Kitchen pests
Rats, mice, cockroaches and ants are some of the key pests likely to raid food storage and preparation areas in domestic kitchens. As well as consuming and contaminating food, these pests create unhygienic living conditions. Rodents, for example, spread filth and disease via their droppings, feet, hair, urine, saliva and blood, a major concern for homeowners and property managers.
Bedroom pests
Bed bugs are not just confined to hotels and other temporary accommodation, they also infest homes. These small insects typically invade beds and bedding and can be very distressing for occupants. Their control is particularly challenging as they are adept at sheltering deep inside cracks and crevices and therefore hard to spot.
Wood boring pests
The very fabric of buildings provide food for wood destroying insects, including the highly destructive termite. These pests have a very sophisticated organisation, based on a strict division of labour. They are capable of inflicting serious damage on timber, affecting the integrity of the building. Damage may have gone undetected for years as termites operate very discreetly.
Short term rentals
Quality service for guests
These days, residential buildings are just as likely to host tourists and travellers as they are to provide a family home, especially when they are located in popular destinations. However, if you’re a host offering these services (like Airbnb), when it comes to pest control, it’s highly likely that you aren’t as well equipped as more traditional providers of accommodation.
After all, there’s only so much a single person can do, whereas hotels have a range of policies and procedures in place to keep premises pest-free. And unless you’re an expert, it could be fatally easy for you to miss the beginnings of a bed bug infestation or to apply the wrong treatment.
The reputation of your business is largely shaped by online reviews and a pest-related complaint is unlikely to go unreported. Expert advice from pest controllers, combined with tried and tested BASF insecticides and rodenticides, help protect your property and your business from pest damage.
Impact / risks
Sanitary risk
Rats, mice, cockroaches and flies are all carriers of a range of diseases which can be transmitted to humans. Gastroenteritis, leptospirosis, salmonellosis, listeriosis are examples of some of the serious conditions that can severely impact the health of residents.
Financial risk
Globally, the cost of repairing termite damage is estimated to run into billions of euros each year. Prevention is better than cure: homeowners and landlords faced with a termite infestation can expect to incur heavy costs, which are often not covered by household insurance policies. BASF offers termite prevention treatment solutions to circumvent this problem.
Poor pest control in a housing complex can rapidly lead to reputational damage. Landlords are at risk of losing revenue rental and property managers of losing clients.
Legal risk
Many countries impose a certain number of minimum standards to be met when properties are offered for rental or sale, including the absence of pests.
Any infringement could expose landlords and property managers to penalties and prosecution, or they may be required to carry out remedial work, reduce the rent or pay tenants compensation.
Benefits to use BASF products
Highly effective solutions
Pest controllers operating in residential buildings combine a range of techniques such as inspection, trapping, pest proofing and chemical control. They know that they can rely on the proven efficacy of BASF pest control solutions to minimise call-backs.
Peace of mind
Homeowners, landlords and property managers welcome the peace of mind that professional expertise brings, combined with best-in-class insecticides and rodenticides. BASF pest control products are research-led and based on a thorough understanding of pests’ biology and behaviour.
