Top Pests in Restaurants and Commercial Kitchens
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A pest related problem can be catastrophic to the reputation of a restaurant. Bad press, customer reviews, and poor hygiene ratings can spell disaster writing off years of hard work.
Rodents and insects are not only potentially harmful to physical health, they can also result in physiological trauma if they, or their faeces are discovered in or around a the food of a customer.
All year round but especially during the winter, rodents and insects will look for food sources and warm conditions to feed, reproduce and create nests or search for spaces to lay eggs.
The best places are usually restaurant kitchens, due to their warm conditions and multiple various food sources. Errors in handling waste, a lack of regular cleaning and routine checks can all contribute to pests infesting your restaurant and/or kitchen.
Here are the top pests you’ll be likely to find if an infestation does occur:
Rodents - Noisy, hungry and frightening to see in public, rats and mice are amongst the most common pests found in restaurants. They can spread multiple diseases such as Salmonella and E.coli and provide a range of problems, from contaminating food sources through faeces and urine, chewing through boxes and wiring and leaving floors sticky and slippery.
Cockroaches - Cockroaches can contaminate food as well as spread food poisoning very easily due to very small pellets of faeces, regurgitated food and through shedding their exoskeleton. Cockroaches are harder to control than rodents due to their smaller size and increased durability, especially in the lack of food and water.
Flies - Flies can usually be seen regularly buzzing around both inside and outside your restaurant. Depending on the level of fly infestation, you might notice large groups of files together gathered around light sources or waste collection points.
If you do encounter a pest infestation problem, we’d love to help remove it and prevent further infestations from occurring. With over 30 years of experience in Bird and Pest control in London and the Southeast, at Van Vynck we can deliver a professional and efficient service as well offer advice and guidance on how to reduce the risk of pest problems occurring in the first instance.
To find out more about Pest Control, get in touch online or call us on 0800 731 7462 as soon as possible to arrange a free site survey or visit our website to see the range of other services we provide.