Maintaining a clean and hygienic restaurant inside and out is mandatory for owning and operating a healthy and profitable establishment.
High-Performance Cleaning Stops Restaurant Pests
Pest and rodent infestations are big problems for restaurant owners and managers--leading to potential fines, closures, and loss of reputation, all of which result in lost profits.
While diners are quick to abandon restaurants that show signs of poor hygiene and low attention to cleanliness, the health department takes the matter a bit more seriously.
According to the Food Code, restaurants and grocery stores must keep out insects, rodents, and other pests by routinely inspecting incoming shipments of food and supplies and inspecting the building and property for signs of a pest presence.
Additionally, restaurants or food retailers are required to remove any dead or trapped birds, insects, rodents, and other pests.
This is required whether the pests are purposefully trapped in control devices or through poison bait, etc. This must be done often enough to prevent pests from accumulating or decomposing—or attracting other pests.
Pests & Threats
The reason pest and rodent infestations are such a big deal is due, in large part, to the diseases they carry.
- Flies - One of the most common and typically overlooked pests in a restaurant. Most patrons would continue to not only dine in an establishment with flies in it, but finish a meal that a fly had landed on--likely because they are unaware that flies carry several forms of bacteria, such as typhoid, cholera, and salmonella.
- Cockroaches - Incredibly adaptable to nearly any environment and immune to many forms of chemical pest control, cockroaches remain an ever-present threat to the health and safety of restaurant food and patrons. Cockroaches don't bite, but if they reach your restaurant's food supply, they can quickly contaminate it with bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella.
- Rodents - Mice and rats are a bit more of a challenge and problem than files or cockroaches. Their presence is typically the sign of unsanitary conditions in your facility. Not only are they known carriers of deadly respiratory and neurological diseases, such as the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus and hantavirus, but they also carry other pests, like fleas and ticks, which can spread secondary infectious diseases like pox, typhus, and the plague.
Integrated Pest Management and Control
Maintaining a clean, hygienic, and pest-free restaurant requires an integrated approach.
The first step is to keep your restaurant clean.
- Keep trashcans tightly sealed and use liners.
- Empty the trash every night into sealed dumpsters that are kept as far away from any entrance as possible.
- Clean and disinfect all dining and food prep surfaces every night.
- Sweep, mop, and vacuum floors at least once per day at closing.
- Disinfect drains in the kitchen and restrooms regularly to prevent the buildup of organic material that can attract pests and lead to foul odors.
The second step is exclusion.
- Inspect the facility regularly, making a note of problem areas, such as leaks, holes, and potential infestations.
- Fix leaks immediately.
- Patch any holes leading into or out of your building.
- Contact an exterminator immediately if you suspect an infestation and have the area thoroughly cleaned and disinfected once the infestation is removed.
- If there is vegetation that surrounds or adorns your restaurant, make sure it is professionally maintained and that any bushes or trees are not touching the building.
References & Resources
- Cleaning to Stop Restaurant Pests
- Orkin Survey: Restaurant Patrons Underestimate Fly Threats
- The Three Biggest Pest Threats for Restaurants
- Restaurant Pest Control
- How to Keep Your Commercial Kitchen Clear of Pests
Takeaway
Pest and rodent infestations in restaurants are bad for business and pose potentially dangerous public health issues, depending on the nature and severity of the issue.
Rodents, especially, carry deadly diseases--literally the plague--and their presence has led to the immediate and costly closure of more than one local restaurant in recent years.
Integrating a routine high-performance cleaning program consisting of:
- Zero-touch floor care,
- Microfiber-based cross-contamination prevention, and
- Electrostatic disinfection
with standard exclusionary practices are proven methods for cost-effectively eliminating germs, viruses, and bacteria, while removing many of the triggers that attract pest and rodent infestations in the first place, keeping them out of your facility and away from your guests.
If you would like more information regarding the effectiveness of high-performance infection prevention and control measures, or if you would like to schedule a free, no-obligation onsite assessment of your facility's custodial needs, contact us today for a free quote!
In Bakersfield CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Fresno CA, call (559) 206-1059
In Valencia CA, or Santa Clarita CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Palmdale CA, or Lancaster CA, call (661) 371-4756
