Rodents, specifically rats and mice, have been known to invade schools and other buildings.
They can cause a lot of damage as they search for food and shelter, and can even spread diseases.
It’s important to take steps to prevent them from entering your school, and to know what to do if you do find them there.
Rats and mice pose a serious threat to children and adults alike. They can carry diseases, damage buildings and furniture, transmit poisons, cause fires and be a general nuisance that is tough to get rid of.
With these things being said, it’s not difficult to see why you should be concerned if rats or mice are found in your school.
Why are pests a problem in schools?
When compared to many other public entities, schools have far more obligations.
They must not only deliver a high-quality education for the next generation, but they must also develop the character of their students to a higher level of citizenship, all while safeguarding their physical health and safety.
Like many mammals, rats are intelligent, adaptive, and opportunistic. They are looking for food, drink, warmth, shelter, and protection, all of which can be found in plenty at a school.
Food is a powerful inducement for rodents, as the waste from snack time, smuggled candies, and cafeteria lunches adds up to a lot of edible garbage.
Rodents can also find warmth and water in schools.
Even seemingly benign items such as art materials with fabric and construction paper make excellent nesting material, while leaky pipes and drain water give all the hydration mice want.
Because most schools are so large, mice and rats can find a variety of areas to hide and even breed.
Pests like rats and mice can cause a lot of damage to both the school building and the students’ belongings.
They can also spread diseases, which can make students and staff very ill. In addition, pests can be a nuisance and can be tough to get rid of.
Can you get sick from rats and mice in your school?
Yes, you can. Rats and mice can carry all sorts of diseases, including the plague, hantavirus, salmonella, and leptospirosis.
These illnesses can be spread by:
- Rat bites, for example, are a form of direct contact.
- Infectious dead rats are handled and disposed of in an unsafe manner.
- Consuming food or water polluted with urine, feces, saliva, or hair.
- Inhaling dust contaminated with diseased rats’ pee and feces.
If these pests are allowed to run rampant in schools, they can easily spread these diseases to students and staff.
What physical damages are caused by rats and mice infestation in schools?
When rats and mice infest a school, they can cause extensive physical damage:
- Rodents will nibble on almost anything they think would help them build their homes, such as wood, paper, cloth, books, and other materials could be used.
- Damage to the insulation.
- Mice and rats will also gnaw on the insulation that surrounds cables, this has been known to put people in danger of catching fire.
- They will also form nests in large electrical appliances, gnawing on or through insulation and wiring, causing the equipment to short circuit, malfunction, or present a fire hazard.
- They’ll bite on and into just about anything chewable in the attic, cellar, garage, or closet.
- Contaminating food and water supplies with their waste or saliva.
- A rat or a mouse will gnaw on plastic containers and wooden goods, as well as shred stored paper, paper towels, napkins, for their nests even if there is no food inside.
What do you do if you have mice or rats in your school?
There are a few different ways to get rid of rats or mice at school:
- Only allow food and drinks in authorized locations.
- Reduce classroom clutter by storing food in firmly sealed containers.
- Remove edible art from the walls, such as projects.
- Students should be reminded to clean out their lockers, cubbies, and desks on a daily basis.
- Report any indications of rats, such as gnaw marks, ruined materials, or droppings, to the custodial personnel.
- In places where food is served, clean the floors, counters, cabinets, and tables on a daily basis, and vacuum the carpets.
- At the end of each day, take out the garbage.
- By the conclusion of each day, clean all food-soiled dishes, utensils, appliances, cabinets, shelving, and surfaces.
- Maintain a routine for inspecting all received commodities and establishing rules for rejecting anything that is infested, leaky, or contaminated.
- Electrical conduits, heating ducts, pipes, and pipe chases should all be sealed.
- Fruit-bearing trees should not be planted.
How do you get rid of rats or mice at school?
There are a few different ways to get rid of rats or mice at school:
- Seal off all entrances they could use to get in.
- Use traps to catch them.
- Use poison to kill them.
- Hire a professional pest control.
The fastest and safest way to get rid of a rodent infestation in your school is by contacting professional exterminators. They have the experience and equipment necessary to get rid of the pests quickly and safely.
Rodent Exterminator is a reputable company with more than 30 years of experience, with the best professionals and services that give you the results you expect.
Exterminating, cleaning, and replacing some artifacts are some of our services. Call us 213-431-0890 for more information!
How to avoid a rodent infestation in a school?
Let’s have a look at the key preventive techniques and how we might avoid rodent invasions in the first place before the rats arrive:
- Include pest-proofing methods that prevent rodent access, make the classroom cleaner, and reduce enticing food and nesting material.
- Keep food leftovers out of the school.
- Only consume food and beverages in approved places.
- Trim trees and shrubs back 3 to 6 feet from structures, and keep vines away from building walls.
In conclusion, rodent infestation should be taken seriously by schools, especially during the winter months. In the winter, rodents will be much more active in their search for shelter.
If rodents are able to establish a footing in a large facility like a school, an infestation poses a major health risk to everyone, and professional extermination is the quickest and most effective approach to solve the problem.
If your school is located in Los Angeles, don’t hesitate to contact Rodent Exterminator!
