What’s the Connection Between Pest Control and Smells?

What attracts pests? Stink.

As someone who doesn’t need a pest outbreak taking over your schedule, you probably already do regular monitoring and inspections for pest activity. You’re also likely relying on your eyes to spot warning signs.

But there’s another sense that can help you beat pests to the punch: scent. Your nose is a powerful monitoring tool that can help detect and address potential issues before pests arrive. That’s because odors attract insects and rodents — and repel customers and your team.

Nose hair-curling smells are unpleasant to people, to say the least. But they also signal to us that something is unclean, which is not the kind of impression you’re aiming to leave. Odors send the same signal to pests, advertising that the nasty things they like to eat and drink are readily available. Those things can include garbage, decay and excrement. Yep, pests have pretty strange tastes.

Wait. Do flies have noses?

Smell is an important sense for insects, helping them detect food sources and even communicate with each other. But instead of following their nose, pests like flies and roaches use odor receptors on their antennae to detect and interpret smells. On the other hand, rodents use both their noses and a second smell organ in their nasal passage to detect everything from odors to changes in the atmosphere and even emotion.

Great. (And Gross.) So, how does this help me?

Now that you know anything even slightly stinky can act as a flashing “Eat Here” sign for pests and their advanced senses of smell, you can prioritize smell in your sanitation and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. Read on for a few ways to do that.

Method One: Help Prevent Foul Odors

From now on, when you do your regular pest inspections, bring your nose. There are several areas around your business that are more likely to develop bad odors, so make sure to check them regularly. These include:

• Trash receptacles, both inside and out: There’s nothing like discarded food, decay and garbage juice to attract pests.

• Restrooms: Waste can attract some pests, as can moisture, mildew and drains.

• Kitchens and food storage areas: Not only do pests love nasty smells, but they’re also happy to eat the foods we like, too.

• Reception areas, waiting rooms and breakrooms: You might not think of these first, but anywhere people go, they often bring food with them.

Eliminating odors in these areas can take you far in helping prevent unwanted pest issues. Here’s how to do it:

1. Stay on top of sanitation. Ensure your team adheres to a regular schedule of cleaning and disinfecting the trouble areas above. The quality of the products you use matters, so take a close look at your labels.

• For musty, stinky drains, Orkin Actizyme® Floor and Drain Cleaner can penetrate to neutralize stench fast.

• For extra protection in extra smelly places like garbage cans, dumpsters and trach chutes, Orkin® Actizyme Odor Neutralizer can help you keep it smelling fresh. This product can be used with a mounted Trapper device to be dispensed directly into dumpsters or drains.

• As a complement to your sanitation program, consider commercial disinfectant and sanitation treatments to promote health and safety in your workplace. Orkin VitalClean® is a powerful, eco-friendly disinfectant that helps remove viruses and pathogens.

2. Neutralize bad odors, for good. Science has done some pretty amazing things, including giving us the power to eliminate odors from the air. Part of Orkin® Scent Services, Orkin’s AirRemedy™ uses cold fusion technology to protect the air in large areas like dumpster corrals and trash compacting areas.

For more tips, download our free Odor Control Checklist to help manage odors around your business and stay on top of your sanitation routine.

Method Two: Make It Smell Good Instead

Now that you’ve mastered neutralizing and eliminating bad odors, let’s talk about the power of using pleasant smells to protect and enhance your environment. People are attracted to scents that indicate something is clean, safe or nourishing. These scents can be invigorating, relaxing, comforting and more, like:

• Apple

• Conifer & Laurel

• Crushed Lime Mint

• Green Tea & Thyme

• Matcha Tea

• Sunny Citrus

• White Tea & Ginger

Good smells are the opposite of the stench and funk that pests prefer, so they can be a useful addition to your IPM program. They can also be a powerful sales tool when used in public-facing areas like your lobby, reception area or store, and can even help keep your team be more productive. Read more about the amazing effects of scent here.

Our Orkin Pros™ have helped businesses like yours take full advantage of the power of pleasant scents with a full suite of odor removal and air freshening services like AirSpa™. This commercial-strength air diffuser system can infuse areas (large and small) with subtle aromas. Our customers have enjoyed selecting a signature scent and enhancing their customer experience as they help to deter pests. Learn more about becoming known as a good-smelling business here.

Get the Gold Standard in Odor Control

Now that your nose knows it’s capable of sniffing out potential pest magnets, make sure to share this wisdom with your entire team so everyone can work together to identify problem areas. A strong sanitation routine, quality cleaning products and scent technology can help keep your business smelling like daisies (or White Tea & Ginger — whatever you choose).

Stink tells pests you’re open for business. And that’s why Orkin helps control odors, too. Whether you’re looking to fight stench or enhance the scent experience in your business, Orkin’s Scent Services have you covered. Talk to your Orkin Pro™ about a free Scent Services test-run and smell the difference for yourself.