RAT NUISANCE IN HOTELS

Remember Remy from Ratatouille, a rat who simply adored food and its quality. Blessed with a strong sense of smell, his knowledge of food allowed him to identify different ingredients in a dish and cook many mouth-watering dishes.

However in a real-life scenario, a rat sighted in a restaurant or bar area, or worse in a guest room, could severely damage the hotel’s reputation and result in the loss of customers. Also, severe infestations could even cause the health department to shut down the establishment temporarily or even permanently.

Hotels are vulnerable to rat infestation due to several reasons.

Hotels and restaurants prove to be the best places for rats to explore new delicacies! They find food almost everywhere, in the kitchen area, in the garbage and even on the leftover trays. This causes contamination of food items which results in the transmission of various diseases. Also, these four-legged mammals are commonly encountered near the trashcans and waste containers outside the hotels.

Rats are always in search of warmth. They are unable to regulate their body temperatures, unlike other mammals. Thus rats are very much attracted to the laundry areas in hotels. The constant heat of the dryers provides ample warmth for rats, and the linens supply numerous places for nesting.

All rats need moisture to survive. They need about 15-30 ml of free-standing water each day. Thus they find water sources around perspiring soda and ice machines, leaky pipes, and HVAC units and around water fountains in hotels, which in turn increases their infestation. In garden areas, the burrowing activities, especially of bandicoot rats, can create additional damage and cost

Power outages in hotels are the worst things to happen. And many a time’s rodents are found to be the culprits for these. Rodents are blessed with a single pair of continuously growing incisors. Apart from fulfilling their dietary requirements, these little nibblers continuously need to gnaw on something or the other, to avoid overgrowing of teeth. Electrical wirings, insulations top rodent’s snack list due to their smooth texture, bright colors and also the odor that they exude.

Rats mainly invade through windows and doors in hotels and restaurants. However, holes and cracks around doors, windows, vents and utility penetrations can also be the potential entry points for them. Their flexible body structure allows them to get access through the tiniest of openings.

Let us have a look at some cases where rodent infestation has led to restaurant closure

• Family Dollar closed due to ‘heavy rat infestation’
  By Zoe Zellers, December 30 2015, Fox 45 News, Baltimore

The public is being notified that a family Dollor store has been shut down by city officials after an inspection revealed heavy rat infestation.

Councilman Brandon Scott says that the decision to close the store “shows why it was critically important for us to pass the legislation that now allows the public to be properly notified.”

No complaints were made, but a routine inspection led officials to discover a heavy rat infestation and unsanitary conditions.

• Restaurant Inspections: 100 Rodent Droppings, Roaches, Dirty Floors
  By Sherri Lonon, January 5, 2016, Florida

The state of Florida issued several temporary shutdown orders at Tampa Bay eateries last week.

Roach activity, evidence of rodents was among the biggest reasons behind the temporary closings.

• Bullring Burger King operators fined £12,000 over mice infestation

      By Matt Cannon, January 7 2016, Birmingham Mail, Birmingham

Birmingham fast food restaurant fined after environmental officers discovered mouse droppings discovered in the food preparation and storage areas

The operators of the Burger King in the Bullring have been fined over a mice infestation at the restaurant.

Environmental officers forced the temporary closure of the establishment last year after they discovered evidence of the rodents during a routine inspection on February 2, 2015, and a follow-up visit two days later.

Birmingham City Council said its officers found mouse droppings in the food preparation and storage areas, as well as evidence of inadequate cleaning and food exposed to the risk of contamination. The restaurant was allowed to reopen after officers were satisfied sufficient pest control work had been carried out and the “imminent risk of injury to health” had been removed.

These uninvited guests are undoubtedly posing a severe threat in the hotel industry. In order to avoid this nuisance caused by rodents, there is an urgent requirement of a solution to this problem.

C Tech Corporation  can offer a solution to this problem. Our product  Rodrepel^TM is an extremely low toxicity and extremely low hazard and eco-friendly rodent aversive. This product acts through a series of highly developed intricate mechanisms ensuring that rodents are kept away from the target application.  Rodrepel^TM is available in liquid concentrate which can be diluted in paints as well as in lacquer form. These products can be directly applied in the kitchen, laundry areas etc. to avoid damages due to rodents.