Common types of restaurant pests: What are they and how to prevent an infestation?

Pests. No matter if they are roaming in your kitchen pantry or restaurant, it’s never a good experience to spot even a single one in your property. That said, have you ever asked yourself what are the most common pests that you can find in a restaurant? If yes – you are in the right place. Fantastic Services has got the answer!

So, if you:

• are a restaurant owner, who wants to know how to prevent pest problems;
• run a takeaway and wish to know what insects and rodents to look out for;
• a foodie, who’s wondering what vermin invades commercial kitchens and restaurants;

This article is just for you. Ready for some interesting facts and helpful prevention tips?

What are the most common types of restaurant pests?

Generally speaking, there are 3 types of pests – things that fly, things that crawl, and things that are hairy. Ok, there are a few exceptions, but you get the idea. Below you’ll find information about the most popular representatives known to infiltrate restaurants.

Pesky flies

Flies are everywhere and, most of the time, we don’t even acknowledge their presence in the room. However, having a fly problem in your restaurant is never good for the establishment’s reputation. After all, the insect won’t just land on that piece of Ribeye steak – it will perform a range of very “interesting” activities, such as vomit on the food, defecate, and if the pesky fly decides to bring a lady friend, they could even try to mate. What we’ve just described can lead to the spread of a terrifying number of harmful bacteria and viruses. That’s why a fly infestation shouldn’t be left to fate – take actions as soon as possible. And after all, do you really want your clients to witness a bug mating session?

Gruesome roaches

The most common pest you’ll see in a restaurant are nasty cockroaches. This type of environment offers everything that a cockroach could ever want and need – food that fits their diet, a good breeding ground, and lots and lots of small hiding places. They like to sleep in spaces that provide them with the right temperature and humidity like in cracks, crevices, drains, and also under equipment, such as dishwashers and cookers. Generally, you won’t see a roach running around the kitchen during the day – this pest is nocturnal, which means that it will go on a hunting spree for food only in the late hours. Needless to say, locating a cockroach family is hard and eradicating it is even harder.

Nasty rodents

We’ve left “the best” for last – nasty, hairy, all-kinds-of-bacteria-carrying rodents. Similar to roaches, rodents find restaurants the perfect place to establish their homes and breed to grow their BIG families. Again, this type of facility gives them all they need to survive – shelter, food and water. Rodents can pose a very serious threat to a restaurant – the vermin eats through food, packaging, and products, contaminating everything they come in contact with, which can lead to numerous health risks for both the people working in the establishment and your customers. For example, rodents are known to transmit diseases like salmonellosis, leptospirosis, murine typhus, and rat-bite fever. In two words – don’t believe the movie “Ratatouille”.

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The list doesn’t stop here, of course, if you think about other food flying pests and crawlies, such as pantry moths and their larvae, as well as an army of ants on a mission to reach your stored food supplies.

So, let’s see what you can do to deter such health-hazard nuisance from ever occurring in your place of business that can put people at risk and compromise the reputation and image of your restaurant.

Restaurant pests prevention tips

The key to having a pest-free restaurant is prevention. Here is what you can do to keep your venue safe from nasty intruders:

• Store products properly. Make sure to keep packaged goods, such as flour, rice, pasta, etc. in air-tight containers to eliminate access to them.
• Practise the “first in, first out” rule. This implies that you have to use the products that you’ve bought first and then the newer ones. It sounds very simple, but many kitchen workers grab what’s in front of them when cooking, which leads to forgotten, expired goods, and you guess right – eventually to pest infestations.
• Ventilate. Many types of pests, including icky roaches, love humid environments and a restaurant kitchen becomes the perfect breeding ground for the gruesome insects if the place is not well-ventilated on a regular basis.
• Keep the kitchen clean. This means that wiping the countertop tomorrow is a big no-no. If something gets spilt or there are food crumbs, clean them as soon as possible, otherwise, you are basically leaving an open pest buffet.
• Inspect food deliveries. When dealing with product delivery, always check cardboard boxes and packages for potential breakages and holes, done by pest intruders, such as cockroaches and rodents. If you find even the smallest trace of a pest, contact the company you are working with ASAP.
• Secure waste bins. Pests love to roam through waste bins, so making sure that those have a tight lid, which will reduce the risk of vermin accessing bins’ contents. Also, ensure that you throw out the waste regularly.
• Install splash guards. Buy splash guards and install them around sinks, dishwashers, and other areas that regularly come into contact with water. As we’ve mentioned earlier, pests, such as roaches and flies, like humid and damp places, so eliminating moisture from these types of areas is always a good idea.
• Clean and maintain the floor drains. A dirty drain can attract all types of pests, including flies, roaches, and rodents. Make sure to keep those clean and free of food debris.
• Seal potential access points. Cracks, small holes, voids – if your pinky finger can fit in, you need to seal it.
• Shut doors and windows. Many kitchen workers like to leave windows open, due to the high temperature that the cooking appliances produce, however, this way, they are inviting a bunch of flies over for lunch. If you can, keep doors and windows closed, and if that is not an option – invest in fly screens to keep flying pests away.

Do you have pest problems in your restaurant?

There isn’t a business owner on this planet that fancies the idea of having a rat or roach family running through their kitchen. If you happen to be dealing with a nasty pest infestation in your restaurant, Fantastic Services is here to save the day! We offer commercial pest control solutions that will end your vermin problems fast and discreetly. The experts we work with are extensively trained, certified and ready to tackle even the biggest pest infestation you might have. We also offer regular pest control inspections, which is the best preventative solution out there, that’s for sure! Give us a call and share what kind of nasty vermin has attacked your restaurant, and we will resolve the issue in the blink of an eye!

Takeaways

• Most types of pests will attack a restaurant because of three main reasons – they have easy access to the property, can sink their teeth (figuratively speaking) into unprotected food, and last but not least – have discovered that your restaurant is the perfect shelter and breeding ground, of course.
• To avoid a pest infestation, you must take the needed preventative measures. Better think ahead of time, than find a rat munching on a piece of a fancy cheese in your restaurant’s kitchen.
• Dealing with any existing pests in your restaurant must be your number one priority. If you find one, a DIY pest control solution just won’t cut it – call a professional ASAP!

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Did you find our article helpful? How do you prevent pests from your restaurant? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below!

Image source: Shutterstock/PPC Photography Cologne

Posted in Insect Infestations, Pest Problems, Rodent Infestations

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