You spend a big part of your day working in your office and it's one of the last places you want to see insect pests. Just like in your home, once insects find a way to get in and a food source, they become permanent guests. Here are some of the common insects you may see in your office and how to convince them to move on.

Common Pests You May Never See

Cockroaches, silverfish, and ants frequent office spaces and you may never see them. All of the furniture, filing cabinets, and supply rooms provide plenty of hiding places for these pests. You'll know they are there by the evidence they leave behind. Tiny tracks on desks and countertops, scraps of food and crumbs left in strange places, and shredded paper are signs that insects are making their home in your office space.

You will need to bring in a pest control service to eliminate the insect problem, but there are a few things you can do to keep them from bringing in all of their friends and family.

Block Their Entry Points

It's probably easier for these pests to get into your office than you. All they need are the tiniest cracks or holes in the wall, a door or window that doesn't close securely, or pipes that come through a wall or floor and are not sealed. If you are the first one in the office, take a quick look around the office for possible entry points right after you turn the lights on. Your insect pests will scatter once the rooms are lit but may hang out near their entryways in the dark. Use caulk or foam insulation to plug up any cracks and holes you find and report them to the building management for permanent repair.

Look for Established Nests

Move the furniture around and look behind and under everything for signs of nesting activity. A file cabinet next to a window that has a water leak could be hiding silverfish behind it. A credenza next to a food recycling bin can be home for cockroaches living next to a good food source. Ants will tend to nest in the ground right outside of a door or window where they can get in. Look for ant trails leading into the kitchen where people may spill sugary drinks on the countertop or floor.

The pest control service will get rid of the nests. Knowing where they are, you can watch that they don't have return visitors once pest control is finished.

Control Food in the Office

Food should be restricted to the kitchen or break area. Someone should be responsible for making sure the kitchen is clean at the end of the day. All food needs to be put away, countertops cleaned with bleach, and the trash removed. When people eat at their desks, they need to bring food-soiled wrappers and containers to the kitchen for disposal. Any food scraps left on or around desks are an invitation to the insect pests for a late night snack.

With a little diligence, knowing where to look, and help from the building's pest control company like The Bug Man, you'll soon have your office to yourself. You'll at least have one kind of office pest under control.