Keeping Rodents Out of Garden Centers

Garden centers are an ideal haven for rodents , providing them with warm, dry shelter and abundant food sources. Due to their extroverted nature, garden center managers may face significant challenges in controlling these pests, especially with their ability to slip through narrow gaps and deftly climb walls.

How do you recognize the signs of a rodent infestation?

The rodents are nocturnal, making them difficult to spot during garden center hours. However, there are many distinctive signs that indicate the presence of an invasion of these pests, including:

• Smell and sound: Rodents emit a strong smell similar to the smell of ammonia, and they also make clear scratching and movement sounds when they move around the place.
• Stool: Mice excrete about 40 dark, granular droppings per day, while mice produce 80 smaller, oval droppings. These droppings are spread near rodent hiding places or entry points.
• Fat traces: Masonry walls are familiar paths for rodents due to their poor eyesight. You may notice greasy marks resulting from their bodies rubbing against surfaces.
• Footprints: Mice leave footprints and tails on dusty surfaces in less used areas. A powerful lamp can be used to highlight these effects clearly. To determine recent rodent activity, sprinkle flour or talcum powder on a small area of ​​ground near the footprints, then check it the next day for new tracks.
• Damage: Rodents pose a serious threat to building safety, as they cause damage to electrical cables, posing a potential fire hazard that is difficult to detect. It also causes wood rot, shreds foliage, and damages storage containers.

Don't underestimate the importance of seeing a single mouse: Seeing a single mouse may not be a big problem at first, but it can quickly escalate if immediate steps are not taken. Mice have the ability to reproduce quickly, which can turn a small problem into a large-scale infestation.

How do you prevent rodents from infiltrating your center?

If you discover a rodent problem in your garden center, here are some simple steps to prevent it from getting worse:

Access denied:

• Filling gaps: Make sure to fill all gaps in the exterior of the building using wire wool, putty, sheet metal or cement. Mice are known for their ability to sneak through gaps the size of a pencil. Also make sure drains are maintained and checked regularly, as they are common entry points for rodents.
• Remove food sources:
• Maintaining cleanliness: Minimize clutter as much as possible, and move things away from the walls to facilitate periodic inspection to ensure that rodents are not hiding behind them. Make sure waste is stored in closed bins, and clean pipes and drains regularly.
• Eliminate hiding places:
• Organization and cleanliness:
• Activity monitoring:

What are the risks of rodent infestation?

Rodents pose a significant risk to the health and safety of customers and employees, because they carry dangerous diseases such as Hantavirus, salmonellosis, and Weil's disease.

The importance of preventing rodent infestation

Prevention is the best strategy for dealing with a rodent problem. Following the above preventive steps will help prevent rodents from entering your center and reduce the risk of...