There they are. In the middle of the parking lot, behind restaurants and stores, overflowing with leftover food, spilled soft drinks, sofas, pillows, paper and cardboard. Dumpsters are the perfect breeding site for Houston pests, including: flies, yellow jackets, ants, mice, rats and cockroaches. They also attract pests such as raccoons, possums, birds and depending on your geography, coyotes and even bears.
House flies, blow flies and fruit flies will take advantage of the sticky gunky oil and fermenting materials in the dumpster. They won’t just stay around the dumpster but will often invade the nearby homes and office buildings.
Dumpster Etiquette To Keep Houston Pests in Check
- Dumpsters should be located approximately 100 feet from a building and certainly not near any doors.
- Food waste should be bagged and sealed before placing in the dumpster. Do not place bags of garbage around the dumpster, some people refuse to touch the lids so you may have to police the dumpster daily to make sure trash winds up inside.
- Dumpster lids should remain closed. If the trash is overflowing where the lids cannot be closed you may need to order more frequent pickups. If the dumpster is leaking or rusted through and the lids do not close properly call the company and ask them to replace the dumpster.
- Dumpsters should be placed on a concrete pad or be on wheels to keep them up off the ground.
- There should be no tall grass or shrubbery around the dumpster as it will collect trash and hide vermin. If your dumpster is on a grassy area make sure the grass is trimmed short so you will be able to spot any rodent burrows.
- The dumpster should be washed out regularly with high pressure and a degreaser. The concrete area around the dumpster should also be washed off as well to keep fluids from collecting and serving as breeding sites.
