By Jacob Prater
Critter and pest problems are always going to be a challenge for almost any building. Pole buildings are no different, but they likely encounter these issues in dramatic ways more often than a residential, commercial, or industrial building might. Whether it is bats in a loft (I have seen piles of guano on top of materials stored in lofts), a band of angry juvenile raccoons that runs you out of the building (that happened to one of my neighbors, but he did kill their momma…), or just that groundhog that keeps digging under the shed (I have a zero tolerance policy for ground hogs), these critters can cause a myriad of problems from damage to buildings to damage to what is stored, or potentially even hurt you.
Since many pole buildings have less traffic, are used more for storage, and might contain edible things in less-than-ideal containers or they are simply filled with nooks and crannies for critters to hide out in, it is more likely to encounter pest and critter issues in these types of buildings than many others.
Whether the situation is building new, upgrading old, or just maintaining a pole building, there are a few basic principles that can help critter and pest proof a building.
Basic Critter Proofing Ideas for Building Owners:
1. Increase human traffic in the building
2. Remove or contain anything edible
3. Close up gaps where possible
4. Avoid having things against the walls (inside and out)
5. Use preventative measures (traps, spray, etc.) routinely, as needed.
The first thing owners can do for critter and pest proofing a building is to use the building and use all of it. Advise them that the more traffic there is and the more times people are in the building moving around the less likely it is for critters and insects to set up shop. They will also be more likely to notice an issue before it becomes a real problem.
Noticing an issue before there is a real problem is critical because some things, if not remedied in time, will require rather extreme measures to rectify. This part is really critical and most of us, myself included, are guilty of seeing an issue and not dealing with it quickly. So, whether it is insect activity or rodent droppings, it should be investigated and dealt with as quickly as possible.
The second thing is to remove or contain edible things. You might include, within the edible things category, moisture, as moisture may be a major attractant for insect pests. Not having edible things in a building is sometimes difficult, but it is worthwhile if possible. At a minimum, this means that spills are cleaned up and contain things such as animal feed, seeds/grain, and anything else remotely edible. If the floors are clean and there is no “trail” of tidbits back to a bin of grain or seed a pest situation may be avoided. Sometimes though this is not enough, and the foodstuffs will need to be removed or held in critter-proof containers such as metal bins.
My neighbor learned this lesson the hard way with rats.
An Illustration of a few Finer Points of Critter Proofing:
After planting a rye cover crop, my neighbor had some leftover seed that he thought he’d keep and use later. He left that leftover seed in a gravity box, which was stored in a dirt-floor pole shed with a concrete apron around the edge. He had never had pest issues in this shed before, but this time there must have been a pair or more of rats that happened upon the building. Well, they grew in number, tunneled in the floor and under the concrete apron, and ate rye seed to their hearts’ content. They ultimately became a major problem for the building as they tunneled under the concrete apron and within the dirt floor itself. My neighbor tried baits to no avail. What ultimately worked? Remove the food. So the seed was discarded and the colony of rats began to starve. As soon as they got hungry they were out at all hours and would eat most anything. At that point, the bait worked in addition to other rat-elimination methods. Ultimately, a concrete floor was poured in this formerly dirt floor shed. Additionally, the concrete apron was replaced and frost walls poured under all the exterior walls.
That was a rough go removing those rats, but it illustrates the third point of critter proofing a pole building and that is entry denial if possible (closing up the gaps). For burrowing critters this means frost walls (concrete walls to the depth of the frost line) and a concrete floor. If the owner can swing both, awesome, if only one I’d recommend the frost walls as a concrete floor can be added later. Frost walls not only will make the building warmer in the winter, but they represent a near-perfect barrier to burrowing critters. A concrete floor is a bonus on top of this as it doesn’t allow any critters that gain entry a place to burrow. In addition to these high-level entry denial features, keeping the doors closed helps as does closing up gaps beneath hanging doors (easier to do with a concrete floor). If frost walls or concrete floor are not options, then gravel at the base of the walls is a better option than dirt or mulch for keeping critters and pests out.
More Ways to Keep Those Critters Out!
Critters are persistent; they will keep trying to get into a storage shed so another way to help keep them out is to make them have to do it in the open. Keeping debris and stored objects away from the exterior and interior walls makes it so any critter trying to get in or out has to make its attempt in the open. It is much more likely that something will try to bury or gain entry to a shed behind a pile of boards than if it is out in the open. Additionally, the less stuff there is near the walls the less likely a critter or insect wants to hang out there and the more likely the owner will see their activity and be able to deal with it rapidly, before it becomes a major issue.
Even if the owner will do all of these things, it is still a good idea for them to be aware of the most likely critters and pests that may try to gain entry and live in their building. A regular schedule of spray and traps may be in order. They may need to approach this seasonally and with an eye to what is going on around the building from one year to the next. Seasonally they can expect insect activity to wax and wane and a spray routine for insects may be concentrated in the spring and summer.
In my own buildings, I have found that spraying once around the building in the spring when I first see carpenter ants has been enough to keep the little buggers at bay. Then I always have traps out for rodents even when they aren’t a major issue. From one year to the next it may be important to note what is growing around them. Whenever the neighbors are growing corn in the field adjacent to my place, I have a battle with mice the following fall post-harvest and so I plan accordingly deploying more rodent-control methods when I know that invasion is coming.
Many of these tips work together as well. Keeping the walls clear helps when spraying and putting traps in the best places. Keeping those walls clear helps the owner move around in the shed more and increases traffic throughout the building. Having a routine for setting traps and spraying also helps you keep an eye on things to catch any issues before they become big problems. FBN
Jacob Prater is a Soil Scientist and Associate Professor in Wisconsin. His passion is natural resource management along with the wise and effective use of those resources to improve human life.
