Many warehouses are vast, open structures filled with materials. The same characteristics that make these warehouses ideal places for shipments and deliveries also make them irresistible to mice. Unfortunately, rodents can create structural issues and also carry various diseases.

Among the many responsibilities you must juggle as a warehouse owner or manager, a rodent problem shouldn’t be another item to add to your to-do list. Here, we’ll share our top tips for making your property less likely to attract unwanted guests.

Why Do Mice Go to Warehouses?

Warehouses offer warm, spacious places to nest and roam. In the winter, a warehouse can act as a shelter from the cold. Warehouses may also be an excellent source of materials mice can use to make their nests, and sometimes an added mess or some open food can attract the rodents.

Since shipments frequently come in and out, mice have ample opportunities to enter. Sometimes they can sneak in through a hole in the exterior, and other times they may be able to run right through an open garage door. Or, mice might even be unwitting stowaways, coming to your warehouse with a shipment.

With the vast amount of ways mice can infiltrate your warehouse, it’s crucial to identify tactics to counter them.

12 Ways to Keep Mice Out of a Warehouse

1. Communicate with employees to keep a clean, organized environment
2. Inspect containers & boxes regularly for rips, hols, or droppings
3. Seal off vents, doors, corners, pipes and other openings
4. Keep landscaping in check and attractants away from building
5. Ensure proper storage techniques
6. Rotate storage to avoid dark untouched places for mice
7. Set traps to catch potential intruders
8. Promote cleanliness
9. Stay organized
10. Eliminate Open Food Containers
11. Partner With a Trusted Pest Control Company

Though mice have various ways of coming into your warehouse, you also have many options for preventing them.

Here are some ways you can manage a rodent problem.

1. Communicate With Employees

A simple conversation with your employees goes a long way in defending against mice. You can communicate the dangers of attracting mice into the warehouse and emphasize the importance of a clean, organized environment.

2. Inspect Containers and Boxes

You may already be checking boxes and containers as a general practice, but it’s also essential to look for signs of rodents like droppings, rips or holes. For your peace of mind, make sure you know what living things might be coming in.

Don’t forget to examine the packages and boxes already in your warehouse, too — these can become nesting places for mice if they sit for an extended period.

3. Seal Openings

Go through the warehouse and note any cracks or crevices. Mice can squirm their way through narrow spaces the size of a nickel, so be thorough. Check vents, doors, corners, pipes and windows for potential openings. Use a durable material like steel wool or caulk to create a mouse-proof storage facility.

4. Check Landscaping

Sometimes trees and plants can bend or grow onto your warehouse. Ivy can act as a kind of ladder for mice, allowing them to climb walls and find entry points into buildings. Fruit trees can also attract rodents. Make a note of any areas that might need trimming or cleanup.

Make sure to move any woodpiles or garbage cans away from the warehouse and keep trash receptacles upright and clean. Keep compost bins at least 100 feet away from the building.

5. Use Adequate Storage Techniques

Space out storage units so you have plenty of room to walk through, see all sides and inspect for holes or damage. If mice start infesting your warehouse, this spacing will sequester them. They will no longer be free to move between different areas and compromise other units.

6. Rotate Storage

The longer a storage unit stays in one place, the better chance of a mouse calling it home. Make sure to rotate old boxes or containers around and replace them with newer products. If you consistently move storage units around, you’ll avoid creating dark, untouched places that a mouse family can feel comfortable in.

7. Set Traps

Traps can help you catch the mice that have already gotten in. You have many different options to choose from, including humane catch-and-release traps, traditional peanut butter snap traps or sleeker designs like electric hidden kill mouse traps.

8. Promote Cleanliness

You should strive for overall cleanliness in a warehouse. Train all employees to dispose of garbage and clean up any spills or messes immediately. If you have a rodent problem, disinfecting and sanitization can also eliminate diseases mice or rats may have brought in.

9. Stay Organized

Heaps of trash and clutter can act as mice nesting areas. The miscellaneous materials found in warehouses can pile up and attract rodents. Stale smells coming from hidden spaces and shredded fabric, paper or dried plant matter can be signs of mice nesting.

Attempt to clear out these areas to create an organized, polished space. It’ll make the environment more productive, and you’ll also be more confident that a mouse family won’t be hiding out in that pile of cardboard.

10. Eliminate Open Food Containers

Like all living things, mice need to eat, and they have an excellent sense of smell. Even tiny crumbs can attract mice into your warehouse. If your workers eat meals in a cafeteria or breakroom area, you might miss some food that a mouse could sniff out. Work to either eliminate eating in the warehouse or promote cleaning up thoroughly to avoid leftover crumbs and dropped food.

11. Partner With a Trusted Service

You can try implementing these tips yourself, but a warehouse is a vast area with many different places for mice to get in. Sometimes, the best way to deal with a mouse problem is to partner with a professional service that can walk you through various defense options. Working with trained pros will eliminate some of your worries and help you feel more confident.

Rodent Control for Warehouses

Rodent problems are usually prolonged and don’t have a one-stop, quick-fix solution. You’ll need an effective plan in place to consistently counter mice infestation. Pestech Pest Solutions can take the worry out of your hands and provide you with excellent service.

We offer a high-quality experience as the largest family-owned pest management center in Pennsylvania. We give each client a personal touch —  no call centers, just a direct line of communication with our account managers and a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

We’ll talk you through your pest problem and help you find the best options for you. Contact us today to schedule your inspection!