To Catch A Rat

Orkin offers tips to stop winter rodent problems before they start

ATLANTA – As cold temperatures set in this winter, bakeries become very susceptible to rodent infestation. What bakeries do now to prevent rats and mice will have a major impact on the time and money spent controlling rodent problems later.

Unlike other mammals, rodents cannot regulate their body temperature, so when the weather gets cooler, they aggressively seek warmer dwellings. Even temperatures in the 40s and 50s are enough to make them head indoors. But, rats and mice do need food and water like other mammals. Naturally, a warm bakery with fresh food products is an ideal place for a rodent to spend the winter months.

"Bakeries can't afford to ignore the risks of a rodent problem," says Zia Siddiqi, Ph.D., Orkin's Quality Assurance Director. He explains that rodents can spread numerous diseases such as Hantavirus and others. "What's more, proteins in mouse urine have been linked to asthma," he adds. "And of course rodent droppings pose a food safety risk, especially if they dry out and become airborne."

The health risks alone are enough to force a bakery to shut down temporarily, but property damage is also a problem. Rats, says Dr. Siddiqi, can cause expensive electrical damage because they instinctively gnaw through wiring that resembles the tall, thick grasses of the Asian plains where the two most common species of rats originate. They also burrow into walls or other structures, causing more damage. Then, there is the damage to a bakery's reputation if buyers learn of a rodent problem.

Dr. Siddiqi says Orkin uses a variety of methods to protect its bakery customers from infestation, all part of the company's Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach to control pests and reduce the pesticide use that can threaten food safety. He offers the following "must-do" steps for bakeries looking to defend themselves against rodents this winter.

• Be sure all pipes, holes and cracks in the building exterior, are smaller than a quarter-inch in diameter. Rats can squeeze through openings as small as a quarter, while mice need only the diameter of a dime to enter.
• Trim vegetation back from the building and install a 30-inch wide gravel strip around the entire exterior of the facility. Rodents don't like to be out in the open and this type of buffer will discourage them from approaching.
• Place tamper-resistant bait stations around the exterior of the facility. Rodents will feed on the bait and distribute the poisonous bait back at the nest. Be sure to maintain an up-to-date map of bait stations and activity at each so you can determine the source of rodent pressure and target future treatments accordingly.
• Eliminate sources of water or moisture in and around the facility. Mice can glean the moisture they need from the food they eat, but rats cannot. Removing moisture sources wherever possible keeps rat populations down and many other pests at bay.
• Document your rodent prevention program thoroughly for audit. Bait-station activity maps, trend analyses, corrective action plans and other documentation of rodent activity and prevention will help your audit score.
• Enlist a professional to implement and manage your rodent program and build credibility with auditors. If you already use a provider, review the contract regularly to be sure you are getting the service frequency, response times and documentation you need.

If you think you may already have a rodent problem or are concerned about stopping one before it happens, contact Orkin Commercial Services at 1-800-ORKIN-NOW or www.orkin.com/commercial for a free, on-site consultation to better determine the best course of action. You may find that you are already taking the right steps to prevent an infestation, or could identify a potential rodent problem in the making.

Source: Orkin