As a business owner, you know how costly it can be battling an infestation of rats or mice. No one wants these unsightly rodents on their premises. Rats and mice destroy property, contaminate food and spread disease. Calling a professional pest control company to get rid of them wa a wise move. You can be assured the trained technician has taken the necessary steps to get rid of the problem efficiently and safety. Even with the best professional treatment though, rats and mice could return unless you take steps to make your business an undesirable place for rodents.

The following prevention techniques will help keep your business free of rats and mice.

Outdoors:

• Get rid of overgrown vegetation near buildings.
• Clean up debris and clutter on grounds.
• Keep dumpster's and other refuse containers covered.
• Remove discarded pallets and boxes from premises.

Building Exterior and Entryways:

• Weather strip gaps in doorways leading into building.
• Repair holes in foundation and floor to keep rodents form burrowing into building.
• Replace broken and missing windows.
• Put metal grates over floor drains to prevent entry from the sewers.
• Whenever possible, keep entryways and dock doors closed.

Cafeteria:

• Clean up food crumbs and waste from floors and tables daily.
• Check storage area from food spills and keep condiments in sealed containers.
• Remove garbage daily.

Office Area:

• Keep desks and drawers free of snacks and food crumbs.
• Store sugar and powered cream for coffee in closed containers.
• Dispose of refuse and boxes regularly.
• Seal ducts and opening where rodents may be entering.

Storage Area/ Warehouse:

• Store materials off the floor on pallets or shelves, whenever possible.
• Watch for rodents coming in with shipped goods.
• Follow structural repair suggestions for floors, windows, and entryways, as outlined earlier.

Description: Browning gray upper body, grayish below. Up to 18 in long. Tail is shorter than head and body combined. Small eyes and hairy ears. Weighs 7 - 17 oz.

Habitat: Human dwellings, warehouse, farms, cultivated fields and sewers.

Characteristics: Agile climber. Excellent swimmer. Uses sensitive whiskers to navigate. Feeds at night. Daytime feeding indicates large population. Its powerful front teeth grow continually; rats maintain them by gnawing through wood, electrical cables, pipes and other objects. Nest in burrows. Suspicious, wary.

Reproductive cycle: Average 5 - 12 litters of 7 -11 young annually.

Food preferences: Cereals, meats, seeds, chicken eggs.

Description: Grayish brown upper body and somewhat lighter underneath. 5 - 7 3/4 inches long. Weighs less than 1 oz.

Habitat: Buildings, cultivated fields, and areas around man.

Characteristics: Nibbler. Inquisitive. Good climber. Stays close to nest. Chews through walls, floors, baseboards, and even electrical cords which can start fires.
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Reproductive cycle: Average 7 - 10 litters of 4 -16 young per littler annually.

Food preferences: Seeds, cereals, grains, sweets.

Description: Dark brownish upper body with gray belly. Average 15 in. long - smaller than the Norway rat. Slender tail in longer than head and body combined. Large, almost hairless ears. Weigh up to 9 oz.


Habitat: Upper floors of buildings, trees and lush vegetation, seaports and ships. Abundant in South and along the coast- line.

Characteristics: Extremely agile. Expert climber. Gnaws through wood, lead piping and electrical cables. Nests in attics and upper floor of buildings, as well as above ground in trees and tangled vines.
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Reproductive cycle: Produces several litter's of 2 - 8 young per year.

Food preferences: Cereals grains, nuts, fruit.