Mice and rats are opportunistic feeders. When they get into Tampa restaurants, they can find many food options that make them want to stay. But having mice or rats stay in your restaurant is the last thing you want. These animals can create many headaches for you. So, how do you keep them out? Here are a few ideas.
Sanitation And Food Source Management
Since mice and rats get into restaurants to find food, the best way to gain control of them is to remove food options. This can be tricky, but it is not impossible. The place to start is with trash management.
Remove trash every night so that rodents, which are nocturnal animals, won't be able to find food options in your trash bins at night.
Keep your trash covered to keep rodents out.
Routinely clean receptacles to reduce odors that can attract rodents.
Manage exterior trash receptacles to avoid attracting mice and rats. This isn't just helpful to prevent a rodent infestation. It can help arrest a rodent infestation and address rodent pressures.
Keep things as clean as possible, particularly before closing your doors for the evening.
Don't leave any food out at night.
Moisture
Mice and rats are drawn to moisture sources. Though they can get the moisture they need from many of the foods they eat, they will prefer to be near your restaurant if there are puddles or damp habitats. If they're near your restaurant, they're more likely to find their way inside accidentally.
Clutter
Mice and rats like to hide in clutter. If you have objects on the ground around your business or cluttered spaces in the interior, these can make mice and rats feel at home. Remove clutter, particularly organic clutter, such as brush piles, leaves, leftover scrap wood, bricks, stones, etc.
Vegetation
If you have landscaping, the vegetation could attract mice and rats. A few tips can help make your landscaping less attractive (to rodents).
Trim bushes, shrubs, and plants, particularly near the base of your vegetation.
Remove grass, weeds, and other unnecessary vegetation.
Replace exterior white lights with yellow lights to make your lighting less attractive to insects, which mice and rats eat.
Exclusions
It only takes a hole the size of a dime to provide an entry point for an adult mouse. Rats require a hole the size of a quarter, but they are more than able to turn a dime-sized hole into a quarter-sized hole. Exclusions help remove current pathways and stop rodents from chewing through vulnerable areas.
Trim branches away from your roofline.
Put wire mesh in downspouts.
Replace damaged weatherstripping or door sweeps.
Use a caulking gun to fill in rotted wood holes, gaps around window and door frames, seal cracks around foundation penetrations, and fill in gaps above your foundation slab.
Make sure all of your vents have working covers.
If you have louvers, consider using hardware cloth to keep mice or rats from getting in.
The Best Solutions For Rodent Control
Rodents are clever animals, and it is often necessary to use several methods and products to achieve control. The best solution for establishing a multi-pronged rodent control plan is to hire a licensed and experienced commercial pest management professional. If your business is in the Tampa area, consider Bold Servicing for your rodent control needs. We provide:
Professional Inspections — Every effective rodent control plan begins with an educated evaluation of the property. Your technician will look for evidence of entry, conducive conditions, and signs of rodent activity within the structures. The findings of this evaluation will provide the foundation for selecting the right strategy for your rodent control.
Traps & Bait Station Deployment — The best way to arrest rodent activity, cull rodent populations, and monitor the success of a rodent control program is to deploy traps and bait stations. These can be emptied by you, your staff, or one of our technicians during a service visit.
Exclusion Services — Few structures are rodent-proof. Our technicians use carpenter cloth, steel wood, metal flashing, caulking material, and other products to seal potential entry points and bolster your defenses in areas targeted by rodents.
Added Measures — If traps and exclusions aren't enough to get control of your rodent infestation, we may suggest the use of strobe lights in your attic spaces. These devices scare rodents out of this key area of infestation.
What's Next?
If you're battling mice or rats in the Tampa area, drop us a line on our contact page to get connected with one of our licensed pest management professionals. At Bold Servicing, you'll always get the most advanced solutions and the highest level of service. Reach out to us today for immediate assistance.