Top 5 Effective Measures for Rodent Control in Food Business

Rodents can be a nightmare for all food businesses. It seems like they appear out of nowhere and disappear into thin air at random. Or do they?

Environmental hygienists tell us that in the world we are never more than ten feet away from a rat, on average.

This is quite startling news because this means that rat concentrations may be higher than ever before in history

In the days when sewers ran open in the middle of the streets of all towns to see rats scurrying around everywhere was no great thing.

Nowadays, many of us get very fearful when we see a rat or mouse.

It may be common to see rats around farmhouses in the countryside but in urban domestic environments if a rat is seen indoors emergency calls will be made to the exterminator.

Top 5 Effective Measures for Rodent Control in Food Business

1. Rats are not fun to have around the house. 

They leave the smell of their urine in places they hide and the smell is very hard to get rid of.

My house was once targeted by a rat when it was being renovated and we had a real job getting rid of the thing. It decided to set up shop in a washing machine of all places.

The smell coming from the washing machine was so bad that I decided to buy a new one and have the old one taken away by the trash collectors.

2. Like any animal species, rodents need an environment upon which they can thrive. 

They need warmth, food, water and a place to live.

Rodents are social animals and do not like to live solitary lives. This means that any environment they decide to live in must be able to support several individuals.

It is our common belief that rodents will come because a slice of bread was left out or because there were a few crumbs that spilled on the floor.

This notion is not quite true. Rodents need more than just a solitary piece of food.

Food businesses can be ideal places for rodents to thrive because they can find environments suitable to support whole colonies around food outlets.

By using the term environment, I relate to the following: Your premises, the neighboring premises, the drainage system, your roof, the garbage collection area, your store rooms.

And other store rooms in your immediate area such as bakeries, butchers, vegetable stores, the condition of housing around your business and many other possible factors.

All of these elements go towards creating an environment in which rodents can thrive.

3. There is one thing you must know about rodents. 

Anywhere they can squeeze their head through they can get their whole body through in a matter of a couple of seconds.

Rats will swim through a drain water to trap to squeeze through the grate of a drain. They have no problem doing this.

Highly populated areas are good environments in which to open all sorts of food businesses but they are also perfect environments for rodents.

As humans, we have developed the ability to control environments and the critical point about pest control in food businesses is the control of the environment around your business.

4. This is no short order.

As I have already suggested there are many factors which contribute to the environment in which your business is situated, from the perspective of a rat or mouse.

Firstly, there is the question of resident rodent infestation. Is your food business situated upon an existing rodent problem?

It is a lot harder to get rid of rodents that have inhabited your surroundings for decades than it is to prevent the infestation of rats and mice.

This is due to the fact they have the advantage of knowing the terrain like the back of their little fury hands whereas you may be new to the lay of the land.

Infrastructure includes the following areas, drains, and sewers, outside walls, and piping, rendering, wall cavities, areas under roofs, ovens (especially ovens with insulation), cellars, dry storerooms, trash can areas, box collection areas.

Also, vegetation around your areas including trees, neighboring businesses of all types, boxes with stored equipment especially if it is not often used, linen areas, service cupboards, and toilet areas.

5. The places that rodents can inhabit are countless. 

The key to controlling the presence of rodents in your business is as I have already said to control their potential environment.

You must think from the rodent’s perspective. You must control everything that goes on both in and around your food business.

Another good indicator of the presence of rats is the presence of cats. Cat are another pest that will inhabit environments which can support them.

More often than not they share these environments quite happily with rats. Alley cats are not good ratters because they don’t need them for food.

Why should they fight a rat if they have scraps to fed off?

Controlling the environment in which your food business is situated is all about a working system and having the staff to do it.

Chefs and waiters must not deal in pest control. They must never contaminate themselves by cleaning contaminated areas.

All responsible food businesses must hire general staff to make sure the area inside and outside the area is kept spotless at all times.

Chefs waiters and sore workers must ensure that areas under their direct responsibility and hygiene level are kept hygienic and tidy at all times.

Any restaurant team that finishes their shift just ten minutes before going home cannot clean the business properly.

At least one hour of solid cleaning is required, twice daily at least, to keep a food preparation business environment clean and controlled from a vermin aspect.

Also, pest control contractors must make fortnightly visits to appraise the vermin presence in and around your business.

Likewise, drain pumps must be carried out at least once a month by an authorized contracting or municipal authority.

Only when you pay attention to every detail concerning the hygienic state around your food business can you be reasonably assured that you are protecting your customers against disease which is transmitted by rodents and other pests.