Rats are dangerous! They can ruin your food, destroy things in your home and start electrical fires. Rats and their fleas can carry disease.
When temperatures fall below 80 degrees rodents will be looking for ways in to your cozy, warm home. These rats and mice are looking for warm places to shelter and forage for food. They carry many diseases which can be harmful to the humans who live in these homes. So, we suggest that Tampa Bay residents do a little preventative pest control and rodent proof your home.
Let’s wage war on rodents. Rats and mice need shelter, food and water. They can enter a home via a hole the size of a penny. While walking the perimeter of your home, look for cracks, gaps, and holes where mice or rats can enter. Check windows, doors, vents, crawl spaces and places where plumbing or electrical lines and cables come through the walls. Check the air conditioning riser coming into the house also. This is a common way for rodents to enter an attic and find their way into your home.
This little bit of do it yourself pest control can really make a big difference. If there is an opening in the riser, fill it with steel wool. Fill all holes in perimeter of the house with caulk, cement, screen, etc… Make sure all vents are in good condition and have proper fitting covers that keep rodents out. Be sure the garage door fits properly and there are no gaps around it. Be sure to keep lawn mowed and trimmed. Have tight fitting lids on your trash cans and keep debris piles away from the house. A thorough inspection is key to prevention.
Rats and mice can be devastating to a commercial warehouse business, especially ones that handle foods, packaging material, animal feed, pharmaceuticals, and many others. Rodents are always seeking shelter and food which attracts them to these types of facilities where they can be very troublesome and costly. For example, one rat can shed more than 500,000 body hairs and can leave up to 25,000 droppings in a single year! That is one solitary rat! Imagine the damage an infestation would do to a warehouse storing food products and other consumables.
Not getting ahead of this issue is a huge risk of contamination. This can cause massive property damage and stop operations, but could also ruin a company’s reputation.
There can be holes where plumbing and electrical enter the building, also gaps around doors and windows that should be caulked or sealed in some way. Door sweeps may need to be replaced. Building design can contribute to gaps and voids where rodents can nest.
Mice need only ¼ inch gap, rats ½ inch to gain entry.
At Safari Pest Control, we have the experience and qualifications to mitigate rodent issues at your business. You have too much to lose not to be proactive when it comes to destructive rodents. Call 813-703-4673 for your inspection.