How to Keep Rodents Out of Agricultural Buildings
Having rodents in your agricultural building can be very troublesome for a variety of reasons. Firstly, rodents are infamous for their incessant chewing – and they certainly don’t discriminate in what they chew!
Rodents can easily cause damage to your wires and equipment, which would unfortunately incur in very expensive repairs. The urine and faeces of rats and mice will also contaminate any animal feed you keep in your agricultural building. Through contamination, these diseases can be damaging to both the animal and subsequently spread to us humans. Remember, rodents also carry many pathogens such as bacterial food poisoning and rabies – which of course is very dangerous!
How to detect whether you have rodents
Unsure of whether you have rodents in your agricultural building? Here are a few ways in which you can spot them:
Time of day
Rodents are not often found in day time, and prefer to scavenge for their food at night. Therefore make sure to equip yourself with a bright torch when searching for the rodents. If you do find a rodent during day time, it may mean that you already have quite an established population residing in your agricultural building.
Footprints
Another key indicator that you have rodents in your agricultural building is footprints. Look out for small trails of marks or dirt to identify the rodents. Rodents typically take the same route, so finding the footprints is the key to finding where they are inhabiting.
If you have reason to suspect that the rodent is taking a route in a certain area, you could try covering the suspected realm with baby powder. After a few days, inspect the covered area to see if there is any evidence of footprints.
Teeth Marks
Bite marks are a very strong indication of rodents. The teeth of rodents never stop growing, which is why they need to keep chewing objects. Take a look at your pipes, wires and door corners for any teeth marks.
Droppings
Another very explicit sign of rodents is droppings. Rodent droppings are usually black or dark brown, and usually the size of a bean. The location of the dropping usually gives light to where the rodents rest or feed, so you’ll know that you aren’t too far off.
If you have identified that you have rodents, act immediately.
Of course, in the most ideal situation, you would want to keep the rodents far away from your agricultural building from the very start. Read our comprehensive list of measures that you can implement to keep the rodents out of your agricultural building.
Do Not Give the Rodents Shelter
Make sure to tidy away any clutter and unwanted items in your agricultural building. For instance, pallets provide a very desirable home for rodents to inhabit. Once they have settled and built their nest, the rodents will reproduce many offspring – which is inevitably unwanted.
Do Not Feed Them
Of course, if you wanted to keep rodents away, you wouldn’t consciously feed them. However, there are ways in which you may be indirectly inviting rodents to settle into your agricultural building. Having lots of vegetation and a fresh water supply is very attractive to rodents. Make sure not to have plenty of vegetation available or provide them with easy access to water.
Block Their Access
Rodents do not need a big gap in order to enter your agricultural building. Therefore, it is imperative that you carefully inspect your building for any leaks and holes. If you do find gaps, make sure to repair them immediately – this is key in preventing rodents getting into your agricultural building.
Clean With Care
Try and keep all aspects of your agricultural building as clean as possible. For instance, a muddy tractor is an appealing home for a rodent. Implement a regular cleaning routine to prevent rodents from staying in your agricultural building.
Rodent Traps
Of course, placing rodent traps in your agricultural building is an easy way to eliminate the trouble.
Natural Rodent Control
Many farms feature dogs and cats since they act as a deterrent for the rodent. Therefore, it may be worthwhile investing in a dog or cat – since you also get a furry companion on the side as well!
Professional Pest Control
Hiring a professional pest control service is the shortest way to eradicate rodents. Establishing a pest control routine is one of the most beneficial ways to keep rodents out of agricultural buildings.
Your Next Steps…
Now that you have established the key measures that you need to take to protect your agricultural building from rodents, you are ready to buy the building itself. Here at Kit Buildings Direct, we pride ourselves in our quality agricultural buildings.
