04L — Mice or live mice present in facility's food/non-food areas
Mice are the single most-cited pest in NYC kitchens. They slip through a hole the size of a dime (about 3/8 inch) and leave droppings, gnaw marks, and thin grease tracks low on the baseboards. The inspector flashlights under and behind every unit, inside dry-storage corners, and around drains. Fresh droppings alone are a violation. A small amount is 5-8 points; 2 or more live mice, more than 100 fresh droppings, or harborage is Condition Level V (28 points) and a closure conversation.
What the inspector looks for
With a flashlight, scan the floor under the prep tables, behind reach-ins, around drains, and along the wall-floor junction for mouse droppings — small dark grains about 1/8 to 1/4 inch, pointed at the ends (like dark grains of rice). One fresh dropping is enough to be cited.
Points & grade impact
Cited at 5 points — 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 by droppings/areas (I-IV); V = 28 for 2+ live mice, >100 droppings, or harborage (call office to discuss closure). NYC adds every cited violation’s points into one inspection score: 0–13 = A, 14–27 = B, 28+ = C.
| Condition level | Points |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | 5 |
| Level 2 | 6 |
| Level 3 | 7 |
| Level 4 | 8 |
| Level 5 | 28 |
How to fix it
Clean up droppings and food debris; discard contaminated/exposed food; set sticky/snap traps inside tamper-resistant stations as part of an IPM program; engage a licensed pest professional immediately.
How to prevent it
Clean, starve and seal: deep-clean voids and floors, store food in pest-resistant containers off the floor, control garbage, and seal gaps (a mouse fits through a dime-sized hole) with copper mesh, escutcheon plates and door sweeps.
- ✓Clean / starve / seal: deep-clean voids and floors, store food sealed and off the floor, and plug dime-sized gaps with copper mesh, escutcheon plates, and door sweeps.
- ✓Move grains, flour, sugar, and produce out of cardboard into sealed plastic or metal bins immediately.
- ✓Set monitoring traps inside tamper-resistant stations and check them daily; log every catch with date and location.
- ✓Keep your licensed pest-control service on a monthly schedule (bi-weekly in high-pressure blocks) and keep the report on site.
Reference: Health Code §81.23(a)
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