Are you a restaurant owner? If you are, you know about all the craziness that goes on in your life every day. One day, you may be arguing with a vendor over the color of your napkins. The next day, you may be coddling your temperamental chef. There is never a dull moment in the restaurant business. A pest control issue is one way to ruin your day. Not only will your customers find it gross, but it could result in health code violations. A pest problem could even close your restaurant down. Those customers you lose as a result are ones you will never get back.
What do you do if you have a pest control issue? What is the best way to prevent pest infestations in a restaurant? Here are some answers for you.
Importance of Pest Control in Restaurants
While pest control is not the most important aspect of foodservice and restaurant ownership, it is right up there. It is more important to control the pests than to worry about how much restaurant pest control costs.
If you have pests in your home, it takes a lot of them before it can become a health issue. However, just one bug or rodent in your restaurant’s kitchen can be hazardous. You want your customers to be happy and relaxed in your restaurant. You want their food to be safe. You also want their experience to be enjoyable. None of that is going to happen if your customers happen to see a bug or a rodent scurrying through your kitchen door. In extreme cases, it could trigger a health code inspection and health code violations. A severe pest infestation could close down your restaurant.
How Do Restaurants Control Pests?
There are several ways that restaurants try to control pests. First, people who own restaurants recognize that prevention is the key to control. Some owners make sure their restaurants use lighting to their advantage. For example, they put up special lamps that attract bugs and trap them. Many restaurant owners use less lighting around their restaurants, and more lighting away from the building to attract bugs. Doorways into the restaurant remain well-lit.
They make sure the area near the dumpster is neat and clean. They also use deodorizers to keep the smell down. Restaurant owners hose down their dumpsters as well. Dumpsters should always be tightly closed. Foodservice locations also use different techniques to keep bugs out, such as door sweepers and sealing up cracks.
In addition to thinking about the outside, restaurant owners think about the inside. They keep tables wiped, floors swept, and trash emptied. All trash containers have lids. The storage area is neat, and they store the dry goods in sealed containers off the ground. They pay attention to the stock they have on hand and notice when a product has been on the shelves for a while. Those older products are more likely to have bugs than the newer ones. They also check and clean the floor drains.
Who Should I Contact About Pest Problems?
If you have pest problems, you may be asking, “Where can I find a restaurant pest control company near me?” You should give us a call. At NJ Pest, we are food processing and public health licensed. NJ Pest is QualityPro Food Safety certified to protect your supplies and your customers. By doing a thorough job, we can protect the image and brand you worked so hard to build. Think of us as an asset and a partner in keeping your restaurant safe and clean, rather than an expense. Contact NJ Pest Control today.
