Keeping your restaurant free of rodents — especially the disease-ridden rat — keeps your establishment healthy for your business and patrons. Unfortunately, rats are introverted by nature and extremely cautious, so you'll likely have a rat infestation for some time before you realize your problem.

Eradicating a rat infestation and preventing this rodent's return is key to keeping your restaurant safe and sanitary. Use this guide to learn the signs of a rat invasion as well as how to remove rats and keep the rodent away from your restaurant in the future.

Signs

You won't likely see a rat inside your restaurant, but this rodent makes their presence known in other ways.

Chew Marks

Rats are burrowers and create tunnels when they move. You'll see chew marks in areas where rats gain entry into your restaurant, especially along your walls, in ceilings, or in attic storage areas. Chewed holes can be smaller than an inch, allowing a rat to come inside your restaurant easily.

Stains on Walls

The grease and other debris that rats carry on their fur get rubbed off along your restaurant's walls and other surfaces. You'll see what are known as rub marks in corners or main entry areas where rats come and go.

Droppings

Rat droppings are long and a light brown to dark black color. Rat droppings also carry a strong urine odor. You'll find droppings in rat nesting areas or spots in your restaurant most frequented by these rodents, such as food storage rooms, inside cabinets, or even underneath dishwashers and refrigerator units.

Sounds

Rats are avid climbers and make a scratching sound as they grip drywall and pipes to get around. Since rats don't like to be seen, you'll hear rat activity during quiet moments of operation.

Removal

Rats are difficult to get rid of. Since the rodents can climb and swim with ease, rats get into restaurants via exposed sewer lines or ventilation systems, among other ways of entry.

Rats are also wary by nature, which means you won't easily catch a rat in a simple trap since the rodent will just avoid the contraption. The only way to effectively rid your establishment of rats is to hire an exterminator.

An exterminator will use special chemicals to exterminate existing rats in your restaurant after thoroughly examining all the areas where rats get in. Unset traps may be set in main entry areas, then replaced with set traps once the rats have gotten used to them, to get any remaining rodents in your building.

Prevention

The primary reason rats enter your restaurant is because your property has food and water in ample supply. Your restaurant also has many entry points, from the back employee entrance to the ventilation system in your building's roof.

Prevention of future rat infestations begins with having your restaurant inspected by an exterminator periodically, especially in the winter months when the cold weather makes food sources scarce for rats, and the rodents start to seek shelter.

Continue to store food and beverages in airtight containers in locked rooms. Seal all potential entry areas of half an inch or larger to prevent rats from chewing or digging into your establishment.

If you suspect you have a rat problem in your restaurant, don't wait until you see a rat until you call for professional assistance. If you do see a rat, don't handle the specimen with your bare hands to prevent catching rodent-borne diseases.

The right pest control specialist will manage your rat problem and keep your restaurant rodent-free. Trust our services at Pioneer Exterminating Company for all your insect and rodent concerns today.