Music Festival Pest Control.

When a large music festival takes place over three or four days with over 50,00 festival-goers crammed into a festival site it's going to attract unwelcome pests. The country and climate of a music festival may well determine the types of pests that need consideration by festival organisers in dealing with any potential problems.

For festivals taking place in the UK and Europe the type of pests are lower risk to festival-goers but events in the United States and Australia have a host of additional pests to consider like poisonous snakes and spiders for example. More common at every festival are irritating insects like mosquitos, ants and flies. For organisers the pests of most concern would be an influx of rats and cockroaches attracted to rubbish collection points and food and beverage vendors that potentially can be a health risk.

Pest Control services. 
In the festival logistics planning organisers should make allowances for an element of pest control and appoint a suitably qualified and certified contractor. The contractor can make a risk assessment and locate appropriate traps and poison in places that potentially attract unwelcome pests. The chemicals used can be particularly hazardous which is why the contractor handling any substances must be fully certified to handle them. The contractor should also offer advice on potential risks and what can be done to mitigate any issues. For a particularly large festival it may be beneficial to have a pest control contractor available on site to deal with unexpected infestations.  

Communication. 
It is prudent for festival organisers to provide information to festival-goers about insects and pests that are common on festival sites. This is particularly important in late summer months when mosquitoes are common, they should be encouraged to bring necessary sprays and creams to deter mosquito bites. If there are additional dangers the organisers should clearly communicate specific dangers that apply to that location. This information should be readily available on the festival website with reminders and signage on-site. Specific messages for vendors selling food and beverages should include the protocols for disposal of waste food to avoid attracting rats and cockroaches. Vendors should also be working closely with pest control contractors so they are fully aware of any pest control measures in place.

Medical Facilities. 
Every large festival has a medical centre with healthcare professionals and they should be fully prepared to deal with the usual medical issues that occur during a festival. This will cover insect bites too that can be anything from a minor irritation to something more serious that causes an allergic reaction for example.

Every festival-goer can probably recount stories of painful insect bites and seeing hordes of rats and cockroaches at music festivals. Sometimes the environmental conditions of a location and climate can determine the extent of any potential issues but organisers should do their utmost to take measures before and during the festival. 

For organisers planning their music festival using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, cashless payments and contactless ordering. 

Image by Kurt Bouda from Pixabay

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