Nobody wins when pests are present.

The first step in keeping pests out of your restaurant is to follow meticulous cleaning procedures all the time, not just when preparing for a visit from the health inspector. Check out these easy tips that will keep your establishment pest free.

Nobody wins when pests are present. The first step in keeping pests out of your restaurant is to follow meticulous cleaning procedures all the time, not just when preparing for a visit from the health inspector.

  1. Keep areas mopped and dry. Cockroaches can live for four weeks without food, but can only survive for a week or two without water.
  2. Clean up crumbs and food scraps before pesticides are applied. Most professionals use insecticide baits to eliminate cockroaches and ants in commercial food handling establishments. Baits work best when applied to clean surfaces and when alternative food sources have been removed.
  3. Residual food odors on pots and pans can attract pests, so be diligent with your dishwashing.
  4. Clean floor drains regularly, since this is where drain flies normally breed. This means removing the cover plate and cleaning out the “gunk.” A variety of cleaning agents and products contain microbes capable of breaking down the gunk that accumulates there, and they work well.
  5. Clean dumpsters and trash receptacles on a regular basis, and don’t let garbage pile up for long periods. Houseflies usually breed outdoors and look for a way inside by following the aroma from the kitchen.
  6. Make sure doors and windows are sealed, closed or properly screened. Excluding access in the first place is a good line of defense.
  7. Sealing or caulking cracks and crevices indoors will reduce hiding places for pests, making future control efforts easier and less time-consuming.
  8. Inspect incoming goods for pests, even paper products. Roaches like to eat the glue that holds boxes together.
  9. Reduce clutter wherever possible and rotate stock on a first-in, first-out basis.
  10. Have employees record on a “sighting sheet” when and where they spot pests.

Source: Adapted from Restaurant Hospitality by Gordon Morrison.

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