Your Urban Office Building Probably Has Mice
The day it happens, you’ll never forget it - you sit down to your computer and go to reach for your mouse, only to discover a very different kind of mouse scurrying across the office floor.
When it comes to living, commuting, and working in the city, almost all urban dwellers know that a common fact of life is mice - a lot of them. Just about every city has its share of rodent issues, and anywhere with a lot of people and easily-available food is more likely than not going to have mice where they’re least likely to be seen.
Here’s a look at where you can expect mice and other rodents to pop up in your office, and what to do to get them out from underfoot and out of your space so your team can get back to work fast.
What Draws Mice Into your Workspace
Even though an empty office building is usually inhospitable to most mice and rodents on its own, many office buildings in cities and urban areas suffer from rodent problems. That’s because, as with any rodent problem that rears its head in a home or workplace, mice come in droves looking to meet a few of their most basic needs: food, water, and space to make a nest.
Chances are, they’ll find plenty of space to nest in the walls, above the ceiling, or in the basement of just about any building. But they won’t nest where they can’t find food and water, and offices with high activity and plenty of employees can offer the perfect place to find scraps and snacks for a hungry mouse. Luckily, those factors can be significantly easier to identify and control.
Where You Might Spot Mice in Your Office
For the most part, mice will congregate where you’d expect them most - pantries, storerooms, and office kitchens. These are the spots where food will be most readily available, and where mice are least likely to be disturbed on a daily basis.
Kitchen
In most offices, the kitchen is a natural gathering spot for team members looking for a snack - and the same can often go for mice. In most well-stocked office kitchens, stored food can go missing for days or even weeks at a time without being noticed, and that leaves more opportunities for rodent scavengers to find something tasty they can sneak away to a hiding spot.
Storage Closet
Mice will look to build a nest where the materials they need can most easily be found - and that usually means paper. Storerooms, office closets, and even boiler rooms are ideal dark and hidden spots for a mouse to collect and build a nest in secrecy - be sure to clean regularly and check in the dark corners where you may otherwise not have thought to look.
Ducts and Piping
Mice looking for food and a space to set up shop need a way in the building in the first place, and openings in piping, plumbing, and ductwork often offer that in they’re looking for. Since mice can access buildings from small holes, sewer access spaces, and cracks in the foundation, it can seem nearly impossible to completely prevent mice from entering your building.
Likely, the best you can do to prevent mice from finding a safe space in your office is to remove the temptation for rodents to stick around, and actively work to repel those mice who come looking for a place to call home.
How To Keep Mice Away From Your Workspace
It may seem impossible to completely prevent mice from entering your urban office building, but with a little discipline your team can transform your space from an ideal rodent hideaway to a place where no mouse would want to settle down.
Reduce Food Availability
If your team enjoys eating in the office, or if you’ve been relatively relaxed about having food out in the open, a rodent problem may be kick in the pants needed to change some of those habits. Keeping the office clean can be one of the easiest - and most effective - ways to keep mice and rats from coming to stay.
Rodents will wait until the office is closed for the night to scavenge, and so it’s not enough to simply lock up and leave - make sure to vacuum, clean thoroughly, and safely store food out of reach of prying paws even when the lights are off.
Check Those Hidden Spaces
Chances are, there are a few places in your office you haven’t checked out in a while - behind the fridge, under those boxes in the storage closet, or behind the hot water heater in that little room down the hallway. While it may seem like a strange way to spend an afternoon, simply checking these spaces for any signs of rodents could be one of the most powerful ways to identify and remove a rodent problem before the problem gets out of hand.
Work With a Dedicated Pest Control Professional
Understandably, not every busy professional has the time to do regular rodent checks and police the food policy in a busy office. That’s why many businesses choose to work with professional pest control experts to monitor and respond to any pest threats as quickly and efficiently as possible.
At JP Pest Services, our Commercial Sales Planners work with you to deliver a customized approach to your property's pest management. Service frequency, specialized pest coverage or additional services that may be needed, are recommended based on your property's pest pressure. After establishing a customized plan for protection, we will work to completely and efficiently eliminate your pest problem while keeping your daily operations running smoothly.
Have you noticed mice scurrying across your floors? Hearing scratches in the ductwork over your head from your desk? Get in touch and we’ll figure out a plan to control your rodent issue - that way, you can back to work without worrying about what may be hiding behind your office walls.
