Stainless steel to rodents is like kryptonite to Superman – it stops them! One of the first things to know about stainless steel and rodents is to know how strong their teeth are.

Rats in particular have tremendously strong incisors that can chew through many objects, including glass, plastic, wood, and even many forms of concrete. Concrete! Mice can chew through many items, as well.

But stainless steel is one of the few products that rats cannot chew through, so being able to prevent them from entering through typical entries like around plumbing and other penetrations, as well as under doorways, is critical.

While the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) suggests the use of steel, so do many other organizations. One is the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America Solution Center, a website designed to provide proven building and pest-related facts to professionals and consumers.

The Department of Energy suggests always using pest-resistant building materials for all uses, especially when attempting to prevent rats and mice. This is where stainless steel is the most important, because using it as a door sweep product truly stops rats and mice from biting their way through and creating an opening.

Burrtec makes state-of-the-art door sweeps that are protected with stainless steel, specifically the Burrat Armor Samurai Door Sweeps. These products also stop voles, insects and bats!

Burrtec USA is a leading manufacturer of door sweep solutions, providing quality exclusion products to PMPs and building material suppliers. It is the North American division of Burrtec Co., Ltd., one of Japan’s largest pest control producers. To learn more about Burrtec, visit our U.S. website.

– Part 2 of 3 –

Dr. Bobby Corrigan, one of the leading experts in rodent control, says that doors present many issues that can offer rats and mice entry points when not properly protected. He had some great insight about rodents and doors in both commercial and residential settings.

“Doors of all of all types are famous for letting in rodents,” says Dr. Corrigan. “You have typical front door of home, or you have the main door of a restaurant or anything like that. Often times, we don’t seal them correctly at the bottom, we leave that seal or gap because we don’t appreciate it when you’re standing up and you’re like 5’8” looking down a small gap of 6 mm you almost don’t see it. So, it’s the unseen open door of a closed door. It’s an open door for rodents.

“Doors of course come in different shapes and sizes we’ll have double doors in commercial accounts and in office buildings and hotels and even if we correctly seal them, we don’t often seal between the doors, that thing called the astragal gap.

“We get an ‘F’ in terms of school grades on how well we keep our doors sealed. And because of that rodents come in sometimes just at will. I don’t have any data to prove it, but it may be the number one type of gap for them.”

Corrigan’s tips:

• Check all doors, holes, and penetrations.
• Proceed down the path of Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
• Ensure that all doors are correctly sealed and have a device.
  
  

　
The most important method for preventing mice and rats from entering under doorways is by using quality door sweep products, like those manufactured by Burrtec.
Burrtec USA is a leading manufacturer of door sweep solutions, providing quality exclusion products to PMPs and building material suppliers. It is the North American division of Burrtec Co., Ltd., one of Japan’s largest pest control producers. To learn more about Burrtec, visit our U.S. website.

Trash removal, a clean environment, elimination of food sources in and around garbage containers – these are all aspects of a good sanitation program and incidentally, these are also tactics that need to be adhered to inorder to prevent rodent infestations.

While the presence of rodents can damage a home, apartment, condo, single-family, etc., they can be catastrophic if left uncontrolled in a restaurant or food-handling facility like a warehouse. These commercial businesses have strict health codes to follow, and violations can cause fines and even shutdowns, temporary or permanent.

Because rodents are great at spreading diseases and bacteria like salmonella, rodent prevention is essential. Having a strong sanitation program will help prevent rodents from infesting and causing great problems.

Good Sanitation Tactics:

• Inspections: Make sure all incoming packages, crates, and boxes are inspected for rodent damage before being introduced into other areas of a building.
• Drainage: Clean all drains regularly with chemicals designed for optimal flow but also to prevent drain flies and rodents from entering these areas. This will remove any food sources.
• Like firewood, trash should be placed away from a building or a home. The closer it is to a facility; the closer rodents will be and seek to enter after searching trash areas for food sources.
  • In addition, do not keep trash on the ground. Make sure all is put in sealed containers with working lids.
• Remove easy entry points such as holes where wires and utility lines enter a building, and especially by using doo r sweeps to remove entry opportunities under doorways.

These practices will not only make a home or facility cleaner, but it will help to prevent rodents from being attracted to that location.

Burrtec USA is a leading manufacturer of door sweep solutions, providing quality exclusion products to PMPs and building material suppliers. It is the North America Division of Burrtec Co., Ltd., one of Japan’s largest pest control producers. To learn more about Burrtec, visit our U.S. website.

Winter is here in most of the country and that brings mice and rats seeking warm shelters filled with food and water sources. Prevention is always the best way to stop rodents from infesting.

The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) suggests a few steps to put on any rodent prevention checklist. These include:

• Find any cracks around the home and seal them, from ground to roof.
• Check insulation and wiring, if there are gnawing marks on them, rodents may already be inside the structure.
• Keep debris such as boxes and storage items off the ground making it harder for rodents to hide.
• Eliminate any branches that offer a clear path from the tree to a roof.

In addition, installing door sweeps is a major source of prevention as rodents can sneak under openings beneath doorways easily. Stainless-steel door sweeps like those made by Burrtec are the best option.

Remember that rodents are more than just guests in your home or business, they bring dirt, dust, disease and can ruin food and water sources. Preventing them is the best course of action.

Burrtec USA is a leading manufacturer of door sweep solutions, providing quality exclusion products to PMPs and building material suppliers. It is the North American Division of Burrtec Co., Ltd., one of Japan’s largest pest control producers. To learn more about Burrtec, visit our U.S. website.

Following rodent control methods and control practices is one of the best ways to stay on top of education and research trends.
One of the recent industry gatherings that brings professionals together is the West Coast Rodent Academy, held each year in Irvine, California.
The event is a three-day workshop on urban rodent management. It includes lectures, hands-on activities, and a break-out session designed to teach professionals how to better understand rodent ecology and integrated pest management (IPM) practices.
Other educational resources include PCT Magazine’s annual rodent control issue as well as other industry resources from the National Pest Management Association (NPMA).
Beyond that, working with top manufacturers of pest control products is the top way to be in front of the trends of products that are new at helping control rodents.
Burrtec is the leading manufacturer of door sweeps for residential door protection. Not only do they protect from rodents, but they keep dust, dirt, and pollen out too.
Burrtec USA is a leading manufacturer of door sweep solutions, providing quality exclusion products to PMPs and building material suppliers. It is the North American division of Burrtec Co., Ltd., one of Japan’s largest pest control producers. To learn more about Burrtec, visit our U.S. web