Rats and mice are a nightmare for any business – especially for those in the food service industry, where keeping clean is vital. Unfortunately, rodents are hardy survivors who see humans as easy sources of food and shelter – in other words, they’re not leaving on their own.
If you’re worried about a rodent infestation taking hold in your business, the best thing to do is act preemptively using rodent exclusion tactics and calling in rodent exclusion experts. The Bug Out team has all the skills and experience you need to keep your customers (and profits) safe from rodents.
The following five rodent exclusion tips are best used in conjunction with professional pest control efforts.
1. Seal Up Gaps
If rodents can’t get in, they can’t start an infestation. The first step is to seal up any gaps or cracks in the structure that rodents could squeeze into. These cracks don’t need to be very big; a gap the size of their head is big enough for them to get the rest of their body through. If the gap isn’t big enough, they’ll gnaw at it until it is. Don’t underestimate rodent teeth; they’re literally stronger than some metals.
In some contexts, like with larger gaps, foam sealant won’t do the trick. For these larger gaps (such as floor expansion joints) it’s a good idea to use a “sandwich” made of two dense foam layers around a layer of stainless steel mesh.
Door sweeps and door guards are also very helpful in keeping rodents out. Check your weather stripping frequently; it’s good for keeping pests out but is also easy to chew through and may need to be replaced often.
2. Reduce Rodent Harborage Outside
“Harborage” refers to places where rodents can safely hide. They don’t need much space, so they’ll hide just about anywhere. This includes your landscaping! It’s recommended that you don’t plant vegetation within six feet of your structure. This way, rodents don’t have a covered route between their home and your business.
Keep trees and shrubs trimmed and neat, rake up leaves, and generally keep your landscaping neat, and you’ll make your business less appealing to rodents.
3. Inspect New Shipments
If you’re in the shipping business, incoming shipments are a strong potential vector for rodent infestations. Since they reproduce so quickly, a single mouse or rat could cause a full-scale infestation very fast; it pays to check new inventory thoroughly before accepting it into your warehouse.
Look for the following signs of rodent hitchhikers in your incoming shipments:
- Gnaw marks. Regardless of whether or not your stock is edible, rodents will gladly hitch a ride. If they can’t eat it, they’ll gnaw it; their teeth are constantly growing, so they need to chew to keep them under control.
- Droppings. Self-explanatory, finding rodent facies means rodents are present.
- Spills. This is especially common with shipments of small items, liquids, or food. Unexplained tears in packaging could be explained by a rodent stowaway.
4. Use Traps and Pest Inspection Services
Professional pest inspections are always the best way to track down a problem. Even if you don’t think you have rodent infestation, a professional inspector knows all the out-of-reach places where they like to hide. With a thorough inspection, a pro at Bug Out can let you know about high-risk areas and how to protect them.
Monitoring traps are also useful in high-traffic areas where pests have been spotted before. Places like shipping and receiving areas, eating areas, and parking garages are good places to use traps.
5. Clean Up the Garbage
It might seem pointless to keep your garbage areas neat, but it’s actually a great way to deter rodents. Make sure all garbage bags make it into the dumpster and shut the lid tightly afterward. Rodents aren’t picky; they’ll eat anything, including garbage. If they can’t get into your garbage, they won’t be able to eat it, and they won’t view your business as a buffet.
Don’t forget the recycling, either; rodents love to use shredded paper, plastic, cardboard, and anything else they can get their paws on for nesting materials. Keep a tight lid on your outdoor trash receptacles and clean up any dropped litter.
Call Bug Out for Rodent Exclusion Services
The Bug Out team is the best one to call for rodent control in North Carolina. Whether you have a full-scale infestation or you want to prevent one from happening, our team has all the skills and knowledge to bring you the most effective pest control you’ll find.
Give us a call to get started with a free quote!
