5 Tips for Rodent-Free Business
Over time, rodents have gotten extremely good at hiding alongside humans and sneakily taking advantage of the food, water, and shelter that we provide. Mice and rats can do a lot of damage before people even know they’re dealing with an infestation; rodents can chew through wires, contaminate food, and damage structures. Any of these issues can quickly become expensive and dangerous.
If you’re already dealing with a rodent problem in your business or commercial property, don’t hesitate to call the team at RK Environmental for rodent control. If you’d just like to get ahead of the next infestation, read on for five rodent prevention tips!
1. Seal Up Your Structure
We’ve all heard it said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That’s especially true in the case of rodent infestation! Rodent exclusion is one of the most powerful tools you can use against rodents. The process involves making it harder for rodents to enter a structure in the first place. This is done by sealing up gaps and cracks in your structure that are big enough for pests to squeeze through.
In the case of rodents, they might not need as much space as you’d think; they can squeeze their bodies through any gap they can get their head through – and if the gap isn’t big enough, there isn’t much they can’t chew through. Rodent teeth are hard enough to chew through certain metals.
Naturally, this means that you can’t rely on expanding foam sealant for every crack you want to seal. For larger gaps, like the ones between floor expansion joints, try using a “sandwich” of high-density foam and stainless steel mesh. Also, don’t forget to check the weather stripping around doors! It’s very easy for rodents to gnaw through, so you might need to replace it often. Door guards and sweeps may be a better option.
2. Clean Up Your Landscaping
Keeping your landscaping neat is good for more than looks; it also reduces rodent harborage. This means that rodents will have fewer places to hide on your property, making it less appealing to them. It’s recommended to keep trees and shrubs trimmed neatly so they don’t provide cover for rodents, and to leave a six-foot gap between the structure and any plants.
3. Inspect Incoming Shipments
Businesses in the food service industry need to keep an eye on their incoming shipments to avoid inadvertently bringing in rodents. Rats and mice don’t need much food and water, so they can survive for several days on a shipping pallet. This means it’s important to check for signs of rodents in new shipments.
Here are a few signs your shipments might have rodent hitchhikers onboard:
- Chewing marks. Rodents chew constantly to keep their teeth under control. They won’t hesitate to chew straight through packaging materials to get to food, nesting materials, or just something to chew on.
- Droppings. This is always a bad sign for food shipments. Check carefully and dispose of contaminated food.
- Spills. Food spills are common when rodents are around.
4. Keep Garbage Areas Neat
Part of what makes rodents so good at surviving is that they’re not picky about what they eat. Human leftovers and garbage are the perfect meal, and since people tend to avoid garbage areas, they’re the perfect place for rodents to set up shop.
Therefore, it’s important to keep a tight lid on garbage containers. A tight-fitting or locking lid could be the perfect solution to rodents in your garbage. Don’t forget the recycling bin, either; what rodents don’t eat, they’ll use for nesting materials.
Also, make sure that garbage isn’t left piled up around your dumpsters. The harder you make it for rodents to get into the garbage, the less appealing the area will be.
5. Use Monitoring Traps and Professional Inspectors
The best way to learn about your building’s rodent susceptibility is to call for a professional inspection. A pro can easily assess areas that are out of reach to most people, such as wall and ceiling voids, attics, crawlspaces, and sub-slab areas. Since rodents don’t need much space, they can easily hide in these areas.
Between inspections, you can keep an eye on nearby pests using monitoring trap systems. Place these in areas with high rodent potential, such as outdoor break areas, parking areas, and garbage collection areas.
Call RK Environmental for Rodent Control Services
The RK Environmental team is dedicated to food safety and high-quality pest control. If your business needs help with a rodent problem – or you’d like to prepare against future infestations – then get in touch with us today
Give us a call and we’ll get you started with a complimentary assessment!
