Workshop offers advice on how to protect offices from critters and bugs

Mice, ants and other pests aren’t just a homeowner’s headache. These critters invade office buildings, too, says Patrick Copps from Orkin, the extermination company.

“Pests are pretty brazen,” Copps told a 30-minute workshop Tuesday at the Building Owners and Managers Association International convention at the San Diego Convention Center. “They tend to walk through the front door — or any opening they can get in.”

Here are his ways of dealing with these bothersome creatures in the cubicle.

1. If air pressure, as in a fast-food restaurant, is less inside than out, they gain access through air ducts. Solution: Monitor the heating and air conditioning system.

2. Landscaping that touches the building can provide an easy bridge to the interior. Solution: Lay a gravel strip around the building and cut back tree branches that touch the building.

3. Cracks and crevices are wide enough to let in the bugs. A dime-size hole is all that’s needed to gain access for a mouse. Solution: Seal and caulk.

4. Outside plant deliveries to hospitals and offices can unwittingly introduce ants and other bugs. “We can’t have ants running around an emergency room and end up in the surgery suite,” Copps said. Corrugated cardboard containers represent a common import vehicle. Solution: Beware what you let in the building.

5. Garbage containers attract rodents and ants. Solution: Keep collection containers closed and pack trash and garbage into plastic bags before sending them to the Dumpster.

6. Lack of regular inspection invites a pest invasion. Solution: Be vigilant and look for hot spots.

7. Without preventive measures, you’ll lose the battle. Solution: Caulk the crevices, replace the threshold door sweeps.

8. Summer is breeding time: Rodents come out of weedy fields and into your building; ants can be a year-round problem, depending on the species. Solution: Identify the threats and take action in advance.

Ignoring the threat is the pests’ best hope: “Monitoring is the key if you want to keep the ‘pest paparazzi’ out of the building,” Copps said.