Large warehouses in New York and New Jersey often store vast quantities of products, supplies, and food. Rats and other rodents are not uncommon in these spaces, so how bad could they be? Unfortunately, rats can be devastating to the health and safety of your workers and cause major problems for your production. This article will explore just how bad a rat infestation could be for your warehouse.
Why Rats Go Into Warehouses
Generally, warehouses can be attractive real estate for rodents, especially rats. Large warehouses stocked with towering pallets of items leave many hidden places for rats to hide. Large machines can emit heat and provide warmth in cold weather. Docking bays for trucks are often left open for extended periods, providing critters an opportunity to slip in and out as needed.
What Rats Find in the Warehouse
Depending on what types of products the warehouse moves, rodents can benefit from them, too. Food products give the rats easy and accessible access to meals. Food products affected by rodent populations will be unsanitary and can create health code violations. Soft materials such as paper goods or clothes can help the rats create nests. Wood or metal products can be great for rats to gnaw on. The front teeth of rodents constantly grow. They need to gnaw on hard surfaces to whittle them down over time.
Damage to Your Facilities
In addition to product damage, rats can cause havoc to your facility itself. Rats may create entry/exit points for their colony. These can affect the structural integrity of your facility. Rats inside the walls or ceiling can dig through insulation, which can affect the temperature control and environmental impact of your operations. This can contribute to rising energy costs, which can affect your profits. Rats are also known for chewing through wires. This can create fire hazards, damage machinery, or cause electrical failures.
Health Risks to Your Employees
Where there are rodents, you’ll find health risks. Employees operating in rat-infested facilities can suffer a greater risk of developing zoonotic diseases passed along from the rats. Rats may also bring in parasites to the facility. Air quality in your warehouse will worsen the longer a rat infestation lasts. If an employee is bitten or otherwise injured as a result of a rat infestation, you could be held liable under the law.
Humane Wildlife Removal for Your Warehouse
Rat infestations can cause irreparable harm to your employees and your bottom line. A big enough infestation could even shut down your facility temporarily. Our expert wildlife removal technicians are trained to handle colonies of any size. We use humane removal methods, minimizing the potential health risks that poisons or dead critters can pose to your workers or products. Our team works to be as minimally disruptive to your day-to-day operations as possible. We also work with businesses to ensure that proper sanitation and repairs occur. With the right steps, your warehouse can be as good as new.