The Retail Business
You may be thinking that unless there is food, a business should not have to worry about any kind of rodent infestation but unfortunately, that couldn’t be far further from the truth. Rodents are opportunistic scavengers who just like us, desire to fill their basic needs. A warm place to nest, food to eat and water to drink are all the basic necessities that rodents actively pursue in order to survive and because they can easily and quickly get around they can fulfill these needs right underneath our noses. The retail business may not be serving food but they do offer a warm place to live and often the areas around retail buildings provide the food and water sources rodents need.
When it comes to the average retail business there is a lot of incoming inventory which typically comes through a loading area that is kept open much of the day and possibly night. This is a great time for rodents to enter the building. As employees are carrying boxes and crates of inventory these pesky pests sneak their way in and find a place to hide. Even the constant activity of people coming in and out of the building allows for rodents to enter. Outside of open entryways, rodents really do not need much space to get in. Mice can squeeze through holes the size of a dime which can easily be overlooked. If the warehouses where inventory is stored happens to have an infestation, rodents can also come in through passing freight making their way into stores. That’s a lot of ways for rodents to enter and once they do they can quickly turn into an infestation.
The Restaurant Industry
This place of business is probably the most expected of all businesses to have a rodent infestation. It’s not something anyone wants to admit as we all like to go out for a good meal without the idea that there may be rats lurking around but the reality is that the restaurant industry has to deal with its fair share of rodents. As you would guess, the amount of food and drink that restaurants handle is practically a smorgasbord to rats and we say rats because much of the restaurant industry resides within the city areas. Even with restaurants being careful to not attract these rodents into their personal spaces, rats will linger outside the buildings where food is thrown away and sits until it is disposed of. Rats are very common in the sewers which give them shelter from people but also access to these spaces as they can quickly scurry about scavenging for food to bring back to their hideout. Restaurants, of course, should always take preventive measures in keeping these rodents away as it can drastically impact their place of business but the truth is that they will still linger outside of the establishment’s walls.
Commercial Businesses
There are a few reasons that commercial businesses are likely to have a rodent infestation. First, rodents like rats are typically city dwellers because there is an insurmountable amount of food and water at their disposal. This places commercial businesses at risk since they often reside within or just outside of the city. Another reason is that commercial buildings have more points of entry than say a residential home which provides more opportunity for these rodents to get in if they are seeking shelter. Depending on the business, if a building is not properly maintained the small spaces that go unnoticed will become entry points for rats and can quickly turn into an infestation. It’s not to say that other rodents like mice will not enter a commercial building but rats just happen to be more common within the city limits. Lastly, due to more people working from home, commercial spaces are no longer getting the activity they used to. This leaves commercial buildings vulnerable as no one is there to notice if rats happen to find their way in allowing their populations to increase.
Warehouses
Warehouses are a prime location for rodents especially during the cooler seasons when rats and mice will look for shelter. Shipments are constantly coming and going from warehouses putting them at high risk of these pesky intruders. With such a large inventory it’s challenging to keep an eye on everything. Rats and mice want to avoid human contact so they will do everything they can to stay out of sight. Imagine as a warehouse employee having to look between every box and row of inventory for rodents lurking in hiding spaces. That’s the last thing a facility wants to do while operating a business but then again it may be the very thing that is needed in order to keep these pests at bay. Rodents can cause extensive amounts of damage and because they can go unseen they can quickly go from a few too many in only a short period of time resulting in large monetary consequences. Having high standards when it comes to preventive rodent measures is the best way to avoid having to deal with an infestation.
Factories
Just like some of the other businesses that are likely to deal with rodent infestations, factories are right there with them. Regardless of the type of factory, the amount of inventory being produced and packaged along with the internal landscape allows for rodents to have everything at their disposal. Food, nesting material and hiding spaces meet every basic need of a rodent and these are in constant supply. If rats or mice find their way in, it’s only a matter of time before it can become a major problem and one that could shut down production with dire consequences. Just like a warehouse, these spaces are massive in size with so much going on that it can be hard to notice if rodents have entered the building. Extreme care in rodent prevention is necessary so that rats and mice do not have a chance to thrive.
Learning how rodents like rats and mice operate and how one can prevent them from negatively affecting your business are key steps in rodent prevention. Understanding your risks will cause you to be mindful of the threat to your business and result in implementing measures that will reduce the chances of your business from having a rodent infestation.
