We all want to protect our property from rat infestations, but the stakes are higher for a business. If a homeowner discovers they need rodent control services, others respond with compassion and support. For a company, however, the sighting of a single mouse or a few rodent droppings risks viral social media rants, 1-star reviews, and potential health code violations. For many businesses, commercial rodent control services are a matter of corporate survival.
The Dangers of Rodents to Your Business
Mice and rats are filthy, flea-ridden critters that pose multiple dangers to your business beyond health risks.
Property Damage
Rodents’ incessant gnawing can cause immense property damage. Rats and mice gnaw through wood, drywall, insulation, and flooring. They can get through soft metals, plastic, and even brickwork, compromising a building’s structural integrity and destroying stored food products and other goods. They love chewing on wire insulation, risking not just short circuits but also electrical fires. PVC pipes and HVAC systems suffer from rodents’ chewing as well, leading to costly repairs.
Contamination and Disease
Rodents and the fleas they bear carry many dangerous diseases, bacteria, allergens, and parasites. Further, mice and rats urinate and defecate as they move around your property, leaving and tracking their waste everywhere they go. They can contaminate food, paper products, clothing, upholstery, bedding, building materials, and more.
Health Hazards
While health code violations are typically reserved for food preparation and storage facilities, like restaurants, cafes, food trucks, grocery stores, and food processing facilities, they also apply to healthcare facilities, schools, daycare centers, and residential facilities. Even beauty salons, lumber yards, and construction sites risk violations of OSHA regulations and sanitary standards due to the health hazards posed by rodents.
Losing Customer Trust
Customer trust is the lifeblood of any business. Efficient rodent control is essential to prevent the loss of trust and reputation damage that can occur with a single mouse sighting, let alone a rat infestation.
Spotting an Outdoor Rodent Problem
Every rodent problem and rat infestation begins outdoors. Rodents find shelter, food, and water on the outdoor property. As they exploit these resources, they create nests and breed, moving ever closer to the buildings before they ever look for a way inside. Effective commercial rodent control services first work to keep the critters out of your buildings. Then, they remove them from your property.
4 Signs You’ve Got a Rodent Problem
Watch for signs of rodents on your property:
- Burrows and Nests: Look for small holes in the ground with surrounding dirt or debris, indicating burrow entrances. Rodents dig burrows for shelter and nesting. Nests might also be found in hidden areas, using materials like leaves, twigs, and shredded paper or fabric.
- Gnaw Marks and Damage: Rodents need to gnaw constantly to keep their incisors from overgrowing. Gnaw marks may be found on wooden structures, garden hoses, outdoor furniture, and even vehicle wiring.
- Uprooted Plants and Crop Damage: In landscapes and crop fields, signs of rodents include uprooted plants, nibbled fruits and vegetables, and hollowed-out produce.
- Droppings: Rodent droppings are a clear sign of infestation. Mouse droppings are small, about ¼ inch, and pointed at both ends. Rat droppings are about ½ inch and banana-shaped.
Mouse Prevention for Commercial Businesses
Rodent control and preventing rat infestations take a coordinated approach. In addition to commercial pest exterminator services, denying mice and rats access to the resources that they crave is critical.
Keep Pests Out: Secure Trash and Food
All food and waste must be sealed in rodent-proof containers, indoors and out. Empty the trash often, keep the tightly closed trash bins well away from buildings, and promptly wipe up any spilled garbage. Cleanliness is critical. Regularly clean floors, countertops, and appliances inside while keeping the trash bins clean and tidy outside.
Seal Entry Points
Scrutinize the exterior of your buildings, sealing all potential entry points rodents might use to enter your premises. Look for holes or cracks in the walls, gaps around doors and windows, and spaces where the walls meet the roof or foundation. Look closely — an adult mouse can (and will) squeeze through an opening the size of a pencil! Ensure that all vents and chimneys are properly screened.
Reduce Outdoor Clutter
Outdoor clutter of any type can be highly attractive to rodents. It can provide shelter from predators and adverse weather and give rodents cover as they move closer to your buildings, where the bigger payoffs are housed. Further, many types of debris catch and hold standing water, providing drinking facilities. Weeds and overgrown plants also provide shelter.
Rodent Problem? We’ve Got Your Back. Call the Experts.
At Mosquito Joe®, our pest control services include both residential and commercial rodent control services. We are your rat and mouse prevention solution for two critical reasons. First, we know rodents. Our service professionals will identify the rodents plaguing your property and use specific techniques and treatments to eliminate them. Second, we know our customers and their needs. We understand the specific challenges businesses have with rat infestations, and we tailor our rodent control strategies to afford maximum protection.
Like you, we rely on customer satisfaction to remain in business. We make it our highest priority. The Neighborly Done Right Promise® and our Mosquito Joe Satisfaction Guarantee back everything we do.
Request a free quote today. Our rodent control keeps the mice and rats out of your business.
