Naturally, retail outlets and stores are prone to infestation as it’s a problem that affects many retail businesses worldwide.
Retail stores have climate-controlled environments, things that can be used for shelter and food, humans and various hiding places. They check all the boxes for a possible pest infestation.
An infested retail store can damage your business and make employees uncomfortable and customers unhappy. For these reasons, you need to keep your store rodent and pest-free.
How Does Infestation Start?
There’s no single factor at play here. Various factors can contribute to pest infestation in your retail store.
First, the stores have unregulated foot traffic. People carry hitchhiking insects and a host of other micro travelers. Second, an open door invites rodents and other pests inside. Rodents have a flexible body to quickly enter the store through holes, cracks, loading docks and trash areas. Finally, uncovered trash and leftover food items can also lead to rodent infestation.
How Prevent Rodent Infestation In Your Retail Store?
Consider the factors mentioned above to take preventive measures. You may also want to consider other nearby businesses facing infestation problems. That’ll be a sign to avoid the problem beforehand.
Additionally, the following tips can reduce the infestation risk:
Proper Storage
Keeping things orderly can be challenging for a retail store, given the number of inventory stocked and restocked daily. It’s important to consider a proper storage system such as:
- Store food in air-tight containers with lock clips.
- Store clothes in shrink/plastic wrap to prevent damage to the fabric.
- Store containers 10-12 inches off the ground to keep rats and mice from entering.
Decluttered Space
Retail stores keep inventory in stock for higher demand. However, it constrains internal storage and can cause infestation. It’s important to organize your storage.
- Consider racks and shelves to organize your inventory.
- Organize items separately. For instance, store perishable items away from non-perishable items.
- Keep trash cans away from the store.
- Eliminate cardboard boxes because it’s an ideal hiding place for rodents and other pests.
Facility Maintenance
Rodents can enter any business facility through openings, cracks and holes. It’s necessary to maintain your facility and make essential repairs whenever needed.
- Inspect drywall to prevent wall damage.
- Repair drywall to prevent rodents from creating a passageway.
- Hire pest control service for store inspection.
Good Hygiene
It’s equally important to keep your store clean and free from spills, debris and waste. This is also critical to facility management.
- Spills can attract rodents and insects. Practice good sanitation and ensure that break rooms are clean.
- Empty trash cans thrice a day.
- Hire daily dumpster services to avoid buildup.
Environmental Pest Control
You should also schedule regular pest control services for inspection and extermination. Clearview Environmental Sciences Inc. offers environmental pest control services to retail stores, restaurants, medical facilities and homeowners.
Our pest control products are organic and non-toxic to prevent environmental damage. Explore our services or call us to book your appointment.