Did you know mice can produce a new litter of up to a dozen offspring every three weeks? Did you know that mice can drop up to 25,000 bacteria laden fecal pellets each year – that is 70 times a day – and can urinate up to 3,000 times in a single day?
These facts put a spotlight on the threats rodents pose to commercial facilities as the Sprague Pest Experts and pest management professionals across the country recognize November 15-21 as National Rodent Awareness Week.
The threats presented by rodents to commercial facilities are significant. Rodent droppings and urine can trigger allergies and asthma; contaminate food, food preparation surfaces and equipment; and spread harmful bacteria including E. coli and salmonella. Rodents can also chew through wood, drywall and electrical wiring increasing the risk for fires.
The first step to a successful rodent management program is making your facility inaccessible to curious rodents seeking food, water and harborage. The Sprague Pest Experts have decades of experience excluding rodents from structures both big and small, new and old and offer the following six rodent exclusion tips:
Make sure that to use quality exclusion materials installed by a trained expert is done or you will be wasting your time and money.
All rodent entry pathways entering or connecting to structures at ground level, below ground and above ground are carefully inspected and sealed to prevent entry.
Look up – most rodent exclusion programs forget to cover a structure’s roof – one of the most common entry points for rodents with its multiple vents and utility openings.
Keep the door closed – be sure overhead doors have sturdy weather-stripping installed to deny rodents access.
Keep the landscape around your facility to a minimum and well-maintained. Overgrown shrubs and grass provide the perfect cover for rodents looking for a way in.
Don’t underestimate a rodent’s ability to gain access to a building; they only an opening of a ¼ inch to make their way inside.