Keeping your customers safe

As pest control professionals, we climb into crawl spaces, roam around in basements full of spiders–and at times–attics and garages filled with rodent droppings. I’m thankful that we’re required to be trained for these situations and that we have access to the proper protective gear; however what about our customers? Are they being made aware of some of the dangers associated with tearing into a pack rat, roof rat, norway rat or mouse nest?

If you’re called out on a rodent job, making your customer aware of the hazards of having rodents is one thing, but letting them know some of the dangers associated with breathing dust from a rodents is another. I don’t want you to scare the heck out of them, but opening up some kind of dialogue to prevent and illness or respiratory problems should be everyone’s goal.

A few examples to keep in your tool box of knowledge are:

• Mice can leave 3000 micro droplets of urine per day
• A rat has about 7000 psi pressure of bite power
• Rats’ teeth have a hardness rating of 5.5 (where iron is 4.0)
• One dropping about the size of period can have 5 million Hantavirus pathogens
• Rodents lose their entire pelage (fur) twice a year during molts
• Urine, mucus, saliva, blood and hair can contain pathogens

Offering the correct information will not only help you get the job, but also create life- long customers.

James Rodriguez
Territory Manager
J.T. Eaton Co., Inc.
(818) 640-4587 Direct.