Ninety-eight percent of commercial facility managers agree that their pest control provider helps to protect their brand, according to a survey from The Harris Poll and the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). Pests such as rodents are not only annoyances but can also create business, brand and safety risks. Pest management is not just a housekeeping task but also is an issue of business resilience because of those risks.
Given the importance of rodent management, facility managers need to communicate with other stakeholders in their facilities to bring pest management to the forefront as an important business consideration, says Jim Fredericks, NPMA’s senior vice president of public affairs.
“That means getting buy-in from leadership, maintenance, housekeeping, whatever it may be at all levels to ensure that not only you are preventing but also dealing with any rodent infestations as soon as they come up,” Fredericks says.
Before managers can deal with rodents, they first have to know how the pests get into and move through facilities.
Rodents can gain access through one-quarter- to one-half-inch holes or gaps, or they can enter with a pallet of deliveries. Either way, their main modes of entry come from outside the facility.
Rodents are seeking shelter and food, both of which a facility can supply. Shelter comes from the building, while its garbage serves as a food source.
Managers must ensure that trash rooms are clean and that refuse is sealed in tight containers, Fredericks says. He also recommends that Dumpsters or other trash compactors in these areas undergo frequent maintenance and cleaning to ensure they close properly.
“That's an easy entry point for rodents to get their food,” Fredericks says. “Rodents are going to be limited by just a few things: food, water and shelter. If you can take that food and shelter away in terms of preventing them from accessing the building, you are going to knock out two of those things at once.”
Even in facilities with strong sanitation practices, rodents can still slip past the building envelope, making early detection essential.
There are a few ways of telling if rodents have entered a facility, Fredericks says:
Once rodents enter, they can multiply rapidly. One mouse can have up to 60 offspring a year, he says. This situation can quickly spiral out of control and become an operational threat if not handled promptly.
Rodents are known for habitually chewing, which in a facility can mean damaged wiring, insulation and data cables and an increased risk of fires, system outages and downtime in server rooms and HVAC controls.
Pest control is not just a maintenance checkbox. It is directly tied to business continuity, regulatory compliance and public image. Managers need to strengthen sanitation practices, seal off entry points, train staff to recognize early signs and partner with pest management professionals to address this operational risk. The earlier a facility takes action, the stronger its resilience will be.
Jeff Wardon, Jr., is the assistant editor of the facilities market.
