As rodent populations continue to expand in cities nationwide, an increasing number of public and private facilities management teams are turning to Xcluder® Geo to address the problem at its source: rodent burrows. Xcluder Geo is a patented geotextile that installs under landscaping to create a permanent barrier against destructive burrowing pests.
Pest burrows destroy expensive landscaping, can lead to extensive damage to underground root systems, cables, sprinkler lines and building foundations, and enable burrowing Norway rats to access nearby buildings in search of food and water. Rodent burrows pose a serious risk to public health as the rats sheltering beneath—many of whom will successfully invade nearby buildings—have been linked to asthma, transport fleas, lice and ticks, and carry numerous diseases. Eliminating burrowed rodents protects property and public health.
Today’s rodents are more desperate and tenacious than ever as they seek out food beyond their pre-pandemic sources. Experts worldwide agree that exclusion — using physical barriers to prevent pests from entering a home or building in the first place — is the safest and most effective way to control them. Waiting until they are inside is too late, and preventing them from nesting directly outside a building is step number one. Bushes, plants, vines and other landscaping elements create the perfect environment for rodents to dig beneath and create their home. Xcluder Geo utilizes coarse stainless steel fibers bound to a porous geotextile to create an invisible force against these burrowing pests without the use of harmful chemicals. It prevents rats and other pests from digging beneath the ground while allowing grass and other plants to grow unhindered.
In the past two years, the Xcluder Geo business has grown significantly as facilities and landscape managers recognize the growing perils of rodents. Xcluder’s major installations include school district facilities, landfills, public parks, college campuses, food production facilities and urban retail parking lots, where rats are prevalent.
Xcluder also protects parks and sidewalk tree pits throughout New York City, sidewalk planters along the Boston Wharf, and lower Manhattan’s African Burial Ground — the below-ground National Monument that is considered the most important historic urban archaeological project undertaken in the United States.
“As rodent populations continue to grow, sealing public green spaces and building grounds against rodents is fundamental to protecting nearby facilities and the people within,” said Dave Colbert, Vice President of Sales for Xcluder. “We’re pleased to see a growing number of facilities leaders and landscape professionals proactively addressing the problem by using Xcluder Geo. Comprehensive rodent exclusion from the outside in is critical to protecting public health.”
