The truth is, mice and rats infest Spokane businesses just like they do in homes. And because you rely on keeping your clients happy and healthy, any rodent treatment needs to be safe and inconspicuous. That’s why Backwoods Pest Control offers customized pest control in Spokane that will keep your business pest-free and thriving. Call today to learn more about our treatment options for commercial rodent control.
Types Of Rodents Common To The Area
There are a few different types of rodents that infest homes and businesses in Spokane. The most common are mice and rats.
Mice have small, round bodies. Deer mice are brown with white undersides and feet. They can be identified by their two-toned tails, which are typically brown and white. House mice are gray and have cream-colored undersides.
Rats are bigger than mice and have more elongated bodies. Norway rats are between seven and nine inches long, not including their tails. They’re brown with some black hairs. Norway rats prefer to infest basements and lower floors of buildings. Roof rats are six to eight inches long and are also brown with some black hairs. These rats tend to infest attics and other higher levels of buildings.
Rodents are experts at hiding, which means you won’t always see them. Instead, keep an eye (or ear) out for these signs of rodent infestation:
- Tooth marks on surfaces around the building
- Rodent droppings
- Footprints that have four toes in front and five toes on the hind feet
- Grease marks where rodents’ fur has rubbed against surfaces
- Scratching sounds coming from the walls or ceiling
- Damage to food packaging
Because rodents tend to avoid people, infestations can grow before you even know they’re in the building. That’s why it’s important to know other signs so you can catch the infestation as soon as possible.
A Rodent Infestation Can Be A Nightmare For A Business
Rodents can cause many problems for businesses and buildings. For one, they often cause property damage. Rodents have strong teeth that they use to chew into and through furniture, drywall, baseboards, and electrical cables. They often nest inside walls, which can damage insulation. They also get into food, which causes food contamination.
Mice and rats are also known to carry many diseases. Some of these include rat-bite fever, tularemia, salmonellosis, and jaundice. Some of these can be spread through bites, but sometimes just the presence of rodents in your building can spread disease. Plus, rats and mice can cause allergies and asthma symptoms. They also carry parasitic pests, like ticks and fleas. Once they have entered your building, it’s hard to get rid of them.
Unfortunately, few people want to frequent a business with a known rodent infestation for exactly these reasons. That’s why rodent infestations need to be cleared up as quickly as possible – even if you only suspect that they’re hiding in your building, you need to start treatment.
Effective Rodent Exclusion Tips To Implement Around Your Business
The best way to keep rodents out of your business is to make the building less accessible and less attractive to them. If you have a kitchen area or employees bring food, make sure that food is kept sealed up. Rodents are able to chew through plastic bags and cardboard boxes, so solid containers may be the way to go if there’s a rodent problem. Any holes or cracks in the walls should be sealed. Rodents, particularly mice, are able to fit into small spaces to hide. Plus, gaps in the walls can let rodents in from the outside or make it easier for them to get inside the walls. Anything causing buildups of moisture should also be repaired. Whether that’s a leaky pipe or a faulty fan, extra humidity or water pooling provides a moisture source for rodents and should be eliminated.
Depending on the layout of your building, specific areas should have regular inspections for rodents. Basements, warehouses, storage areas, and outbuildings are all common sites for rodent nests. Lesser-used closets can also be ideal homes for rodents, so keep an eye out for evidence that they’re making homes there, too.
Rodent exclusion can go a long way toward keeping rats and mice away. But when mice and rats have already moved into your business’s building, it may be time to call a professional pest control company.
The Key To Total Rodent Control For Your Business
No matter your type of business, Backwoods Pest Control has your back. We know how important it is for your business to be sanitary and for your clients to be happy. That’s why we offer comprehensive pest control and rodent exclusion for Spokane businesses. We’ll gladly perform an in-depth inspection of your building to figure out the source of the infestation, then customize a treatment plan to get you the most effective rodent control. If you’re seeing evidence of a rodent infestation, call Backwoods Pest Control. We’ll take care of the rodents so you can take care of business.