09/13/2026
# # 🛠️The Hidden Cost of Improper Storage: Why Equipment Prep Matters
When equipment fails in the middle of a busy season, the culprit is usually normal wear and tear, a worn seal, or a clogged filter. But occasionally, our service technicians at Benny's Spray Center uncover something entirely unexpected.
We recently had a customer bring in a Speeflo unit because it simply wasn't pumping properly. When we opened up the fluid section to diagnose the issue, we found the entire suction tube packed solid with a mouse and 🐁🐁🐁🐁🐁🐁several other mice nesting inside. Needless to say, fluid cannot flow freely when a rodent family has taken up permanent residence in your plumbing.
While this makes for a memorable story around the shop, it highlights a critical maintenance lesson for agricultural and commercial spray equipment owners.
# # # 🛠️Why Spray Equipment Attracts Pests
During downtime or off-seasons, sprayers and pumps become prime targets for mice, rats, and insects. Equipment left sitting in barns, sheds, or fields offers several things pests look for:
* **🐁Shelter and Warmth:** Enclosed pump housings, fluid sections, and dark cavities provide a safe haven from predators and weather.
* **🪹🪹Nesting Materials:** Insulation, rubber gaskets, and flexible hosing provide easy material for building nests.
* ** Residue Attraction:** Even after a basic rinsing, residual product, moisture, or organic buildup inside lines can attract pests looking for hydration or food sources.
# # # 😝The Consequences of a Pest Infestation
When rodents infiltrate your spray equipment, the damage goes far beyond a simple clog.
🙏Blocked suction tubes starve the pump of fluid, which can quickly lead to dry-running, overheating, and catastrophic pump failure. 🐁🐁🐁Furthermore, nesting materials and chewed internal components can contaminate your spray mixtures, ruin expensive seals, and lead to costly emergency repairs right when you need your machinery the most.
🛠️ # # # Best Practices for Proper Storage
Protecting your investment requires more than just parking your equipment and walking away. Take these steps before putting any sprayer or pump into storage:
* **✅Flush and Clean Thoroughly:** Run clean water—and, when appropriate, a neutralizing agent or storage fluid—through the entire system. Remove all chemical residue that might attract pests or corrode internal components.
* **✅Plug All Openings:** Mice can squeeze through surprisingly small spaces. Use threaded caps, rubber plugs, or fine mesh screens to seal off suction lines, discharge ports, and open fittings.
* **✅Elevate and Isolate:** Store equipment off direct dirt floors if possible, and keep it away from grain storage or areas heavily trafficked by rodents.
* **✅Use Deterrents:** Place physical traps or natural rodent deterrents around the storage area, and inspect the equipment periodically during the off-season.
💰Preventative maintenance is always less expensive than a major overhaul. If your equipment has been sitting idle or you suspect a blockage is keeping your system from performing at its best, stop by
📍Benny's Spray Center
3206 E Fremont St Stockton CA95205 or
give our service team a call. 📞 209-464-8844 We will get your gear cleared out, repaired, and ready to get back to work.
www.bennysspraycenter.com
