They say you can lead a horse to water but can’t make it drink, and the proverb certainly rings true when it comes to pest control.

We make recommendations to a wide range of companies on what they need to do on an ongoing basis to prevent their business being adversely affected by pests, but they don’t always implement them.

One restaurant we work with was recently closed down because environmental health officers found evidence of mice on their premises. We suggested ways to combat the issue two years ago but they weren’t acted on, highlighting it is not good enough for businesses to just have a pest control policy in place, they must adhere to it.

The restaurant in question reopened five days later but is now in a position where it has to reapply for its food hygiene rating – previously five stars – and it lost around £50,000 in revenue in the time it was closed. If it had followed our pest control recommendations and stuck to a strict cleaning regime, it would probably have cost £300.

With newspapers quick to report on environmental health regimes and social media even quicker to send the news viral, it is important that businesses have effective controls in place to protect their reputation and brand.

Waiting until the venue has a problem runs the risk of damaging the business and as pests can easily re-infest a property, it is vital for them to keep a professional preventative maintenance regime in place to provide long-term protection.

We understand that every business is different which is why we offer a free initial consultation to talk through the measures they need to implement. We then develop a personalised plan and follow it up with regular site visits to ensure our recommendations are being followed.

For further information on how your business could benefit from a pest control consultation, call 01282 866554 or email enquiries@harveyenviro.com