Rodents have been studied, observed, and analyzed for years. A 100-year-old quote from a British researcher aptly sums up what many researchers, pest management professionals, and commercial property managers feel about these unwanted, disease-carrying visitors: Rodents are “diabolically clever” animals.
How successful is the rodent specie? Noted rodent researcher and expert Dr. Bobby Corrigan points out that rodents are one of the most successful mammals, making up 43 percent of all mammals inhabiting the planet.
Clark Pest Control does have a grudging respect for our rodent rivals. Nevertheless, that doesn’t stop us from continually looking at new methods to keep them out of food processing and commercial facilities, and quickly eliminating them should they find their way inside.
A year-round threat
Rodents are a year-round threat to commercial facilities, but their activity level does tend to increase in late summer and fall. The increase in activity can be attributed to several factors.
In California, the warm, dry weather is forcing rodents to seek new sources of food, water, and shelter that have been eliminated due to the weather conditions. As temperatures drop later in the season, rodents – especially mice – embark on a mission to find warmer winter harborage.
Commercial facilities of all types, especially those involved with food processing, service, or storage, are susceptible to rodent infestations primarily because of the accessible food, water, and harborage sources that are present.
When you consider the high volume of people and deliveries coming in and out of commercial accounts, it’s common for rodents to hitch a ride into a facility in packaging materials, pallets, and shipments of food commodities like grain and seed.
Rodent exclusion tips
Clark’s rodent experts agree that the best rodent management practice is to deny them access to your facility in the first place. Keeping rodents on the outside looking in is accomplished by establishing and following good sanitation protocols and by rodent proofing your facility.
Key elements to implementing an effective rodent exclusion program include:
- Use quality exclusion materials installed by a trained professional (or you will be wasting your time and money).
- Inspect and seal all rodent pathways entering or connecting to structures at ground level, below ground, and above ground.
- 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.
- Make sure that overhead loading dock and entry doors have sturdy weatherstripping installed to deny rodents access.
- Keep the landscape around your facility trimmed or cut 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 need an opening of a quarter-inch to make their way inside.
If you are looking for a pest management partner that understands your business and can help your company create a pest-free environment inside and out, call Clark Pest Control at (800) 936-3339.