Mice and rats cause hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage a year in the United States alone. They break into food storage, chew through boxes, and cause electrical damage inside the walls of warehouses and other storage facilities. Rodents can carry a number of diseases as well, which can leave food facilities especially vulnerable as well as the general population. They can travel through small holes that we may not even notice. They nest in out-of-the-way corners. They learn that they can live comfortably within a warehouse where shelter and food are plentiful and danger and discomfort are not. The trick is to prevent them from entering, or to keep them uncomfortable once they’re inside.
Tips to control or eliminate rodents in warehouses:
1. Store materials on pallets, and keep the pallets away from walls and corners. A two-foot minimum distance from walls is suggested. If customers who use your facility have trouble remembering, use tape or paint to mark the area closest to walls as off limits. Inform customers of the difference between useful and unhelpful storage methods.
2. Seal as many holes to the building as you can find. Search around pipes, cables, or wiring. Check the foundation as well as the roof. Also secure all doors, garages, and loading docks. Use self closing doors and other tools that prevent rodent traffic from coming into your building.
3. Make sure that any building plumbing is not leaking fresh water for rats or mice. Look for drips, sweating pipes, and leaking roofs.
4. Clear away unused piles of old construction materials, storage units, piles of pallets, and any other debris that provides cover for rodents as they travel across your property.
5. Set traps in high traffic areas. You can determine where this is by observing where the rodent droppings are. You can also use UV lights to detect fresh urine which mice and rats use to mark their trails. Use more traps than you think you will need.
6. It’s also important to get the cooperation of everyone using your storage facility. Train them in storage methods that make the area uncomfortable for rodents. Post notices and if possible include details in contracts.
Preventive Pest Control is professional, effective, and friendly. Our work is guaranteed. Whether you need help preventing mice and rats or you have an infestation that needs cleaned out, we can take care of it for you. Initial clean outs are often offered at discount, so contact Preventive Pest Control today.