These are unusual and difficult times. The COVID-19 outbreak is forcing many of us to stay largely indoors, and any outdoor time we do have is primarily spent in our yard. Unfortunately, while we are hunkered down, common household pests (roaches, ants, termites, and mosquitoes) are taking no such precautions. That’s why it’s more important than ever to have a pest control service you can trust to not only handle your pest problems but also take the necessary safety precautions to protect your family’s health and safety. Dixon Pest Services is that company.
Why is pest control an essential service?
The Department of Homeland Security has designated a number of industries as, “essential services”. These essential services are permitted to continue regular in-person operations during the COVID-19 lockdown because they are critical to maintaining the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences, essential activities, and essential businesses. Pest control companies play a vital role in protecting our nation’s public health and food supply.
Pests spread diseases, stinging insects force half a million people into the emergency room every year, cockroach and rodent allergens trigger asthma attacks in children, rodents contaminate or consume about 20% of the world’s food supply, and bed bugs can cause allergic reactions. The nation cannot afford to have our medical facilities, grocery stores or homes uninhabitable because of pests and pest-related diseases at a time when citizens are being told to stay home.
What is Dixon doing internally to ensure the cleanliness and health of employees and customers?
At Dixon Pest Services, we have put forward a series of strict protocols to ensure that our customers and employees remain safe and healthy. These protocols include:
- Routine environmental cleaning and disinfection of our offices and warehousing facilities.
- Mandatory respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene as recommended by health professionals and the CDC.
- Social distancing among all office staff.
- Self-quarantining of all employees who feel ill or have symptoms of the COVID-19 virus (and/or who have family members who are ill or have symptoms) for the appropriate 14- day period.
- Procedures instituted to stagger specialists’ time in the office to avoid violation of the prohibition of gatherings of more than 10 people.
What are Dixon specialists doing to ensure service calls are safe and healthy?
All Dixon Pest Services specialists are following stringent sanitary guidelines before, during and after each service call. These guidelines include:
- Using hand sanitizer and washing their hands frequently throughout the workday, and when coming into contact with any potentially exposed surfaces.
- Wearing new sanitary gloves for each service call. Protective gloves are provided for each service call, and those gloves are disposed of and replaced for each new service.
- Using dust masks and face shields on service calls.
- Practicing social distancing during every service call.
How can I do my part to ensure my safety and the safety of Dixon specialists?
There are 2 things that you can do:
- If you have been receiving inside-the-home pest control treatments, consider allowing Dixon Pest Services to transition you to exclusively exterior service. Most Dixon customers have indicated they actually prefer exterior services and are highly satisfied with the effectiveness of the service.
- Consider allowing Dixon Pest Services to transition you to hands-free, paperless work-orders and invoices. Instead of the paper leave-behinds, we can email work-orders and invoices to you. Less physical contact drastically reduces the chances of any sort of COVID-19 spread.
Why is receiving pest control services at this time especially important?
Having a pest-free home is vital to the public health of each person in South Georgia, North Florida, and nationwide. Pests can contaminate food and spread disease. Especially at a time like this, when grocery stores are often not as well-stocked as they typically would be, it is important to avoid the risk of food becoming contaminated and wasting important resources. With many hospitals overwhelmed with patients, it’s important for all of us to remain healthy and disease-free to avoid any necessity for a visit to the hospital or emergency room.
Additionally, with time being spent exclusively in homes or out in the yard, having those spaces pest-free will contribute not only to your health, safety and well-being, but also to your comfort level and peace of mind. You don’t want the places where you’re spending nearly all of your time to be crawling, slithering or buzzing with pests!
If you are experiencing a pest problem, or believe that you may be, the folks here at Dixon are here to help. With our extensive experience and thorough commitment to the health of our customers and staff, we can take care of any pest problems that you may be having--just contact us.
As a local business and proud member of the community, the words, “We’re all in this together” have special meaning to us, and we deeply appreciate your trust in us in these trying times.