Mr. Meek

Security & Safety

Don't Let Rodents Check-in to Your Hotel

By Frank Meek, International Technical & Training Director, Orkin, LLC

Rodents are a problem not only because of the diseases they can carry - salmonella, typhus, plague and Hantavirus, among others - but also because of the damage they can pose to your business. A rodent sighting in a restaurant or bar area, or worse in a guestroom, could severely damage your reputation and result in the loss of customers. Outraged guests can call the media, or in an even worse scenario, a severe infestation could cause the health department to shut down the establishment temporarily or even permanently.

So how can you help ensure that your guests will enjoy a rodent-free stay? By removing the amenities that make your establishment hospitable to rats and mice in the first place, namely food, shelter and water.

Unlike your paying hotel guests, rodents are not picky eaters, and the promise of food is always a strong incentive. In hotels, rodents can find food virtually everywhere - in the garbage, the hotel restaurant, in guestrooms and even on leftover trays in the hall.

Minimizing these food sources should be a core feature of every rodent prevention plan. Floors, especially in rodent hot spots like the kitchen, should be kept clean and free of food debris, and any food left out by guests should be promptly thrown away.

Trashcans and dumpsters outside your hotel are also great sources of food and water for rodents. The odors from these units will attract rodents, and their contents can be a food source for other pests, as well. Outdoor trashcans should have tightly secured lids, and dumpsters should be cleaned and rotated on a regular basis. By making food inaccessible to rodents, you will greatly reduce the likelihood that rodents will come to dine.

Since rats and mice are unable to regulate their body temperature like most mammals, even temperatures as mild as those in the mid-50s can bring them inside, searching for warmth. But careful upkeep of your hotel can go a long way to making sure that rodents won't enter the building.

In particular, rodents will find a warm welcome - literally - in the laundry room. The constant heat of the dryers will provide ample warmth for rodents, and the linens will supply numerous places for nesting. Laundry rooms need to be guarded with particular care, with intact window screens fitted securely and doors shutting properly. A #16 mesh screen will block rodents and insect pests from entering.

Though windows and doors are common sites of entry, holes and cracks around doors, windows, vents and utility penetrations are often overlooked as entry points. Rodents can squeeze through surprisingly small openings - rats can fit through holes as small as a quarter, while mice only need a dime-sized space to enter. Since rodents can enlarge any size hole by gnawing, the rule is - if you can fit a pencil into an opening, then it needs to be sealed with weather-resistant caulking or sealant.

Rodents do not like to be out in the open and will hide in the landscaping and under other structural features near the building. Trimming back vegetation from the side of the building and installing a 30-inch wide gravel strip around the exterior of your hotel can act as a buffer to rodents, discouraging them from ever approaching.

All rodents need moisture to survive - rats need half to one fluid ounce of free-standing water each day, while mice can often glean enough water from the foods they eat. Rats find water sources around perspiring soda and ice machines, leaky pipes and HVAC units and around water fountains. Keeping these appliances in good repair will help eliminate the pest's water source and reduce the possibility of an infestation.

If you think your hotel might already have some unwanted guests, contact your pest management professional immediately. Pests, as well as your pest control, should be invisible to your guests. Your professional can help eliminate the rodent infestation in a manner that effectively treats the problem with least risk to your guests, your employees and your business.

As the weather gets colder, your hotel shouldn't be supplying rats and mice with a meal, a drink and a roof over their heads. Instead, take action now to remove the things they need most. If you do, rodents in search of more comfortable quarters this winter will be greeted with a "No Vacancy" sign.

An industry veteran, Frank Meek has been with Orkin since 1986. In 2003, he was named among the future leaders of the pest management industry in Pest Control Technology magazine’s “40 Under 40” ranking. Currently, as the International Technical and Training Director, Mr. Meek provides technical support and training in both sales and service to Orkin's international franchises, helping them grow and develop in their specific markets. As a board-certified entomologist, Mr. Meek teaches Integrated Pest Management principles and can explain how to use all available methodologies to prevent pest infestations in various commercial settings. Mr. Meek can be contacted at 404-888-2898 or fmeek@rollinscorp.com Extended Bio...

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