A brown rat facing the camera, standing on a wooden floor indoors. The most effective method of rodent control is prevention procedures that prevent them from entering a structure to begin with.

Rodents are a constant concern for any business owner. Whether you’re a restaurant owner or a property manager, you want your business to be clean and presentable – which is hard to do when there are mice and rats around. Rodents rely on human dwellings as easy sources of food, water, and shelter, so your business is a great place for them to settle down.

The best way to get ahead of a rodent infestation is to call for professional rodent prevention services from Batzner Pest Control – but in the meantime, there are a few things you can do to stop an infestation before it starts. Read on for five rodent control tips!

1. Seal Structural Gaps

Rodent exclusion is the process of sealing up a structure to prevent rodents from getting in. Rodents don’t need much space to get inside your building. If a rodent can squeeze its head through a gap, the rest of its body can follow – and if the gap is too small for its head, it can gnaw at it until it fits. Don’t underestimate rodent teeth! With a Mohs hardness rating of 5.5, they’re harder than human teeth, iron, and even some forms of steel.

For large structural gaps, like the ones between floor expansion joints, it’s a good idea to use two layers of high-density foam surrounding a layer of stainless steel mesh. For smaller gaps, the high-density foam or steel mesh on their own might be enough. Expanding foam sealants alone won’t be enough to keep rodents from chewing through.

Make sure to check your door seals as well. Weather stripping is a good choice to ensure rodents don’t squeeze under closed doors, but it’s also easy to chew through. It may need frequent replacement. Consider using door guards and sweeps to seal up your door gaps.

2. Remove Potential Harborage

Keeping your landscaping neat isn’t just about looking good – it’s also a great way to deter pests. By trimming back your trees and shrubs, you reduce rodent harborage – that is, places for rodents to hide. It’s recommended to leave a six-foot gap between landscaping elements and your business’s structure. That way, rodents won’t set up shop right next to your building.

For restaurants and other food service establishments, a clean exterior is just as important for your reputation as a clean interior. Rats and mice have no business being anywhere nearby, so cleaning up your landscaping to remove harborage is a great idea.

3. Carefully Inspect Shipments

In warehousing and manufacturing, even a single rodent could do a number on your inventory – and therefore on your profits. It pays to check for signs of rodents in every incoming shipment, just in case one is hitching a ride. Even if you don’t handle food shipments, rodents may have crawled inside in search of nesting materials.

Here are a few things to look out for when inspecting for rodents:

Gnaw marks. Rodents have to gnaw almost constantly to keep their teeth under control. Chewing through paper, plastic, and even some metals is easy for them.

Droppings. This one speaks for itself. Where there are rodents, there will be droppings.

Spills. All their gnawing can easily lead to spilled inventory, especially with food products and small items.

Rodents don’t need a lot of space and can go for days without food or water, so even a shipping pallet makes a perfect temporary home for them.

4. Keep A Lid On The Garbage

Part of what makes rodents such strong survivors is that they aren’t picky about what they eat. They’re more than happy to eat our leftovers, and since we don’t like to hang around our garbage cans, they’re a very inviting place for rodents to hunt for food.

Luckily, there’s a fairly simple solution to this problem; keep your garbage cans and dumpsters closed tightly or even locked to prevent rodents from climbing inside. This goes for recycling bins too! Remember that if they can’t eat it, they’ll probably use it for nesting materials. Keep garbage areas tidy and secure, and you stand a better chance against pests.

5. Professional Inspections and Monitored Traps

There’s only so much you can do without a professional, of course, so professional inspections are advised on a regular basis – even if you think your property is pest-free. Remember that rodents are small and can hide just about anywhere – including places that you can’t easily reach. They can make their homes in wall and ceiling voids, in attics and crawlspaces, and even in sub-slab. These places can be difficult or impossible to reach without help from a pro.

Pest-monitoring traps are also an excellent way to keep rodents out of your structure. Place them in areas with high potential for rodent traffic, such as basements, parking garages, outdoor break areas, and shipping and receiving areas.

Call Batzner Pest Control for Professional Rodent Control

Since 1946, businesses in the Wisconsin area have counted on the Batzner Pest Control team for rodent control services. Our team has all the latest tools and techniques needed to keep rodents out of your property – or halt an infestation in progress. Whatever pest control services your company needs, we can handle it.

Give us a call to get started with a free quote!