Nothing spells disaster for a restaurant more than finding a mouse or cockroach in your kitchen. Unfortunately, it can happen to even the best restaurants if they’re not careful.
Common Restaurant Pests
You’ll need to keep your restaurant clear of all pests, but it’s a good idea to know what you’re up against. Certain critters are more likely to invade your space, so you should be aware and ready to keep them out.
Flies: While they can certainly transport bacteria and germs, flies are generally associated with filth. To have them buzzing around your kitchen can easily cause customers to leave, so you want to keep them at bay. Unfortunately, flies tend to grow well in trash and even drains, so they can be very hard to eliminate.
Cockroaches: Every restaurant owner is all too aware of these nasty bugs that can get you shut down in a heartbeat. These bugs often come in with deliveries and quickly scurry off to dark cracks in the pantry or kitchen. They tend to carry bacteria and can get into your food.
Mice/Rats: Rodents are the bane of any business, but restaurants tend to attract them with food. They can squeeze through very small cracks, even under your door, and gnaw at wires, boxes, and get into food. They also leave their droppings everywhere.
Ants: If you’ve ever tried to get rid of a line of persistent ants heading for the sugar bin, you know how hard that can be. They seem to multiply and can come in from any direction, creating nests under appliances and getting into food and supplies. While not dangerous, they’re very annoying.
Weevils/Beetles/Moths: It’s not uncommon to find moths flitting around the pantry area or even weevils in the dried food. This often happens because you get a contaminated batch of grains, and the insects spread out from there, infesting everything they come across. It doesn’t take long for them to get into all your food.
Keeping these common restaurant pests at bay means taking care to maintain a spotless kitchen and dining area. Food should be stored in airtight containers that are also rodent-proof. If nothing can get to the food, they are less likely to show up in the first place.
Trash should be taken out frequently and the bins cleaned well. You’ll also want to clean your drains every few days to ensure nothing is living in them.
Sealing up any cracks or holes that pests are coming through can also be helpful, though it is virtually impossible to do this completely. There is always some tiny hole that they can come through. However, doing your best will help keep most of the pests out.
The Cost of Pests
Every restaurant has to deal with pest control at some point. If you’re able to keep things under control, you shouldn’t have too many issues, but restaurants with out-of-control bugs can really suffer.
Imagine a customer spots a rat running across the floor, or a cockroach on a table. In moments, your reputation can be ruined. With social media, these minor problems can instantly go viral. Before you know it, you’re in bankruptcy. But a customer spotting a pest isn’t the worst thing that can happen.
The worst that could happen is someone gets sick due to pests in your kitchen. Many of the creatures mentioned above carry germs and bacteria, which could affect your customers. No one wants to be responsible for a sick customer. Not only is it very bad for your reviews, but it’s also not something you want to cause.
Finally, having pests means losing money, even if no one ever sees them. The amount of damage a single mouse can do to your dining room will set you back, but if it stops bringing customers to dine, you stand to lose a lot of product and profit.
Solving Your Restaurant Pest Problem
So, what should you do if you have a pest problem in your eatery? Aside from keeping the place clean and tidy, you’ll want to bring in regular pest control experts. It’s worth it to pay professionals to look at the pest problem and then take steps to eliminate them in a way that is safe for your clients. Look for pest control specialists used to restaurant-level control.
It’s essential that you have regular pest control to prevent it from getting out of control. This is also worth it for the peace of mind. When the pest control specialist is able to come in on a regular basis, they can pick up on any new infestations and rid you of the latest bugs or rodents.
Are you looking for the right pest control solution for your restaurant? Contact Venom Pest Control today and we’ll help you ensure your restaurant is clean and safe.
