Getting Mice Out of Your Commercial Kitchen
There is a saying that goes, “One who maintains cleanliness keeps away diseases.” While applicable to everyone, these words should really resonate with commercial kitchen and restaurant managers.
This population knows how important a clean kitchen is when it comes to consumer safety, brand reputation and, ultimately, their business’ bottom line. A clean kitchen checks many important boxes, not the least of which is mice-free.
Unfortunately, for such small pests, mice have the potential to pack a big punch when it comes to transmitting diseases like hantavirus, listeria, and salmonellosis -- all of which can prove fatal, prioritizing the importance of professional pest control in your commercial kitchen.
Check out our tips for how to keep mice out and see why professional pest management is crucial for any commercial facility that serves food. And if they’re already in, it’s non-negotiable.
Mice Cause Mayhem in Commercial Kitchens
Not surprisingly, mice like kitchens for their warm shelter and abundance of food; the stove proves particularly alluring to mice for these reasons. The pilot light and any food debris are an irresistible combination of cozy shelter and snack supply.
There are ways to get the mice out of your stove, but it takes more than just a few mouse traps and waiting them out. Effective rodent control is a team sport, combining common sense preventative measures along with the expertise of a pest control professional. At a minimum, the following protocol should be enforced:
- Cleaning inside and behind the stove to remove any crumbs or food sources.
- Figuring out where the mice are gaining entry in the first place, often around pipes like the gas intake hose, and then sealing those spaces steel wool. Cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil may also be added as a natural aromatic deterrent.
- Place mouse traps -- either snap traps loaded with peanut butter, or sticky traps -- all around the stove.
- Turn on the oven and broiler, which will naturally force the mice to vacate the stove because of the high heat. Keep a close watch on any mice who somehow manage to evade the traps you set and see where they are escaping so that you can plug those holes as well.
- Be vigilant and keep traps roasted around the kitchen, ensuring that you check them every day and dispose of any captured mice.
Unfortunately, whether in the stove or elsewhere in your kitchen, the presence of mice can go undetected for quite a while.
Perhaps even worse, a single mouse sighting (or glimpse of mouse droppings) might be made by a customer, rather than management or an employee. In that case, the damage can be more difficult to control and cost valuable time and money, which is why quality professional pest control is key to commercial kitchen cleanliness you can count on.
In addition to the illnesses listed above, the CDC has identified mice as vectors for diseases like leptospirosis, Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis (LCM), plague, rat-bite fever, and tularemia, resulting from their saliva, fecal matter, and urine.
That’s why the CDC’s Food Code outlines how to keep mice out of restaurants, including measures like routinely checking the grounds for signs of mice, inspecting all food or supply shipments, leveraging proven pest control methods to eliminate the presence of mice on the property, and ensuring that there are no spaces where mice or other rodents might hide.
When all is said and done, most commercial kitchen managers have enough to worry about and prefer to leave any potential or existing mice problems to the pros.
Professional Moves Against Mice
Another saying we like is, “Nothing inspires cleanliness more than an uninvited guest.” By leveraging integrated pest management (IPM) practices, our team of specially trained technicians is able to prevent mice from coming into your commercial kitchen, while also treating the property for any uninvited guests that have already made an appearance.
Part of our efforts include isolating any access points the mice may be using to enter the kitchen and ensuring they are sealed up properly, keeping the mice out once and for all. In addition, we take care to train your staff in the best practices for rodent prevention, including how to identify a problem and respond appropriately.
Mice making themselves at home in your commercial kitchen? Schedule a complimentary on-site inspection with a commercial specialist in your area.
