Rats Invade a Downtown Milwaukee Restaurant

The Inspection

Upon arriving at the client’s location, the initial inspection revealed heavy rat evidence along an exterior wall of the basement. The interior of this same wall was lined with a 40 foot walk-in cooler. There was a 4 inch gap between the wall and the cooler, creating an “alleyway” with plenty of room for rats to utilize and stay secluded and hidden from the human eye.

The Issue Discovered

While there was evidence that rats were using this area, it was difficult to do an in-depth inspection due to the size and length of the cooler. It was the perfect space for rats to run back and forth, but unfortunately, the same is not true for humans. However, with the help of a scope camera and a trail camera, Batzner was able to confirm the rats were using an opening in the floor about 10 feet into the “alleyway” created between the wall and the cooler. The views from both cameras confirmed heavy rat sebum and gnaw marks on the concrete.

The unsolved part of this case is knowing where the opening in the floor leads. It likely leads to a damaged sewer line or void underneath the alley next to the building. Brandon Myer, Batzner Lead Service Specialist assigned to the case explains, “Due to large amounts of snow at the time, the exterior inspection was limited. The most likely scenario is the rats are emerging from an underground entrance into the basement.”