Preventing Mice in Storage Rooms

Pest Prevention Tips: Preventing Mice in Storage Rooms

The house mouse is pest of concern for grocery stores in the dock and storage areas. In addition to damaging products through gnawing and feeding on packaging, they can contaminate food with their fecal pellets and urine. Exclusion and sanitation are a key to prevention.

Follow these Tips to Reduce Rodent Access Survival

1. Keep trash chutes and disposal areas as clean as possible. Keep openings around trash chutes sealed.

2. Keep doors sealed and closed when not in use. If dock plates are present, they should be sealed as well to prevent pest entry from the dock pit.

3. Keep clutter to a minimum. Old displays and equipment should be discarded if no longer needed. Areas above coolers tend to become depositories for unwanted equipment.

4. Maintain an area for inspection and trapping along walls behind storage racks and pallets. Rodents can use walls as runways. This is an important area for inspection and trapping.

5. Use the first in / first out (FIFO) system of stock rotation for the products stored in the back as well as the front of the store. Older inventory provides an undisturbed area for rodent breeding.

6. Provide access to cooler tops, compressor rooms, sprinkler rooms and any locked storage areas to your McCloud service specialist. These undisturbed areas can be important areas for pest development.

7. Keep walls and floors sealed. Mice only need a crack ¼” wide or a dime sized hole to gain access to the store.

8. Keep the damaged product/return area cleaned and organized. Discard or dispense of materials as quickly as possible and do not allow them to sit for long periods of time.

9. Make sure exterior vents to compressor rooms are screened.