Tools of the Trade for Exclusion Services

When it comes stocking your arsenal for exclusion services, start with the basics and continue to add equipment and materials as you expand services. 

The materials used for proper pest exclusion are essentially the same for residential and commercial structures, although there are exceptions when providing services in highly sensitive areas such as laboratories, clean rooms, and food/drug processing facilities. 

There’s no single solution for every climate, so selecting the proper materials to use is important. A sealant, for example, needs to be suitable for the environment in which it’s being used. In the Midwest, it has to stand up to extreme cold. In the Southwest, it has to endure extreme heat.

Here’s an extensive list what to have on hand to begin providing more extensive exclusion services. Consider starting with the basics and continue to add equipment and materials as you expand services. 

Materials and supplies
• Fasteners, assorted (e.g. screws, washers, staples, sealant, and adhesive)
• Sheet metal 
• Exclusion fabric
• Hardware cloth: ¼” galvanized or stainless steel mesh
• Metal flashing
• Spray foam
• Caulking, adhesive and silicon
• Stainless steel mesh (for small openings)
• Stainless steel “carpet” (to prevent burrowing pests in commercial landscaping)
• Metal mesh blocks (openings around rail doors, gaps in corrugated walls, and truck dock canopies where birds are nesting) 
• Copper wool
• Plywood
• 2”x4”s
• Bird netting and other bird control exclusionary devides

Tools and equipment
• Metal shears
• Bolt cutters
• Tin snips
• Cordless drill and bits
• Hammers
• Pry bars, various sizes
• Shovels
• Pick
• Hoe
• Rake
• Saws (e.g. reciprocating, metal cutting)
• Ladders
• Sheet metal brake (equipment to bend metal)

Inspection equipment
• Camera
• Borascope
• Flashlight
• Headlamp
• Drop light

Safety equipment
• Coveralls
• Gloves
• Eye protection/goggles
• Bump cap
• Safety harness

Products
• Door thresholds
• Door sweeps specifically manufactured for exclusion in various sizes
• Dryer vent covers designed for pest exclusion
• Rodent-resistant door sweeps and garage door seals (products filled with stainless-steel wool are nearly impenetrable to rodents)

TECHNIQUES HAVEN'T CHANGED MUCH, MATERIALS HAVE. The techniques used for exclusion haven’t changed much, which was confirmed by one PMP who’s performed exclusion for nearly 40 years. Products such as concrete, bonding agents, and sealants have improved dramatically. Products can now be purchased in various designs, colors, and coatings to better match a building. There are also new or improved products on the market that are designed specifically to exclude pests, such as dryer vents, rodent-resistant door sweeps, ridge vent guards, and attic fan gu