In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, a pest control company has pivoted to offer an additional disinfecting service.

Using backpack fogging machines and a disinfectant listed by US authorities as effective against human coronavirus, Eco Pest Bermuda has added bacteria, germs and viruses to its hit list along with cockroaches, ants, rats and termites.

Its new disinfecting service is available for commercial establishments frequented by a large number of people on a daily basis. The company can use its backpack foggers to quickly disinfect large areas, such as the interiors of offices, stores and churches.

Stephen Mayor, a partner in the company, said: “In the past couple of months, we’ve had a few client requests for disinfecting due to the pandemic. We quickly realised this would be something of value for our customers.

“It also made sense for us, as we use an atomised fogger for pest treatments of cabinets and other hard to reach places, so that technology and method of delivery is not new to our technicians.”

Mr Mayor and partners, Will Lewis and A.J. Lewis, searched for a disinfecting solution that was effective, safe, and as environmentally friendly as possible.

They chose a botanical disinfectant solution called Bioesque, which is certified to kill the human coronavirus, among others, and is listed in the United States Environmental Protection Agency site as a Covid-19 disinfectant.

The company said that because Bioesque was naturally derived and did not contain chlorine, phosphates or harsh chemicals, it could be used on food surfaces without being wiped off, did not stain, discolour, or destroy common materials, and was biodegradable.

Mr Mayer said getting hold of the backpack foggers was more of a challenge than getting a supply of Bioesque.

He said: “We came across these backpack foggers that are ideal for going through large spaces and can hold four gallons of the disinfectant. They were difficult to get hold off. There is backed-up wait times in the US, and they are selling off the shelves before they’re even manufactured.”

Mr Mayor said that wiping down entire stores, offices, restaurants, churches and hotels by hand could take hours and was not as effective as fogging, where the plume of disinfectant disperses throughout.

The goal is to go into commercial premises, such as office buildings and supermarkets, after hours to “not only apply the treatment quickly and effectively, but also to take care of all the prep to cover up what needs to be covered. There is no need to wipe down afterwards”.

Since announcing its new service, the business, which started in October, has had requests for daily fogging of spaces in excess of 20,000 sq ft.

• For more information, call 296-7378 or e-mail info@ecopestbermuda.com. The business also has a website at visit ecopestbermuda.com and is on Facebook @ecopestbermuda