OTHER SANITATION FACTORS 
IN THE CONTROL OF 
INSECTS AND RODENTS 
Stored Products 
One of the most important problems in commer- 
cial areas is rodent and insect infestation in ware- 
houses and storerooms. Enormous quantities of 
food for human and animal consumption must be 
protected from this hazard. To do so is a tremen- 
dous task, but a number of sanitation techniques 
have been developed to help control infestations. 
The use of wooden pallets which elevate the 
boxed or sacked materials 6 to 8 inches off the 
floor is a highly recommended sanitation technique. 
Their use also increases the speed and ease with 
which stored products can be handled with me- 
chanical fork-lift trucks. In some storerooms, per- 
manent racks 12 to 18 inches off the floor elevate 
stored food products. The open space beneath, if 
kept clean, discourages rat movement and allows 
for necessary periodic inspections. The stored 
materials should be stacked compactly, unless 
tli is creates a fire hazard, thus minimizing voids 
and reducing rat and mouse harborage. Material 
stored in warehouses and storerooms should not be 
stacked all the way to the ceiling. Instead, a 
space of at least 2 feet should be left to allow for 
adequate ventilation. 
Aisles at least 2 feet wide should be provided 
along all walls, through the center of the ware- 
house and elsewhere as necessary. A white band 
painted on the floor 18 inches out from all walls 
will serve as a reminder not to stack materials 
along the wall and will facilitate cleaning and in- 
spection. If eradication measures become neces- 
sary, the method of stacking described here makes 
the operation less difficult, and in addition, makes 
the inventory of stocks easier. 
Rotation of stored products is a practice that 
is most helpful in both insect and rodent control. 
The materials that have been in the warehouse the 
greatest period of time are shipped out first. This 
frequently does not allow sufficient time for them 
to become infested with stored product insects or 
for these insects to spread from older products to 
newly arrived materials. Moreover, new rodent 
infestations may be discovered earlier if rotation 
is practiced. 
Spillage that results from damage to sacks and 
containers can accumulate in comers and along 
walls of warehouses. This provides easily accessi- 
ble material for stored product insects, food for 
rats, and if it becomes moist, a breeding place for 
flies. Such spillage should be removed promptly. 
If the method of storage, just described has been 
followed cleanup will be much easier. 
Warehouses and storerooms for food products 
should be of ratproof construction. Inside struc- 
tural features that provide harborage for rats, such 
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