Keeping Outdoor Dining Spaces Pest-Free
As another long winter comes to a close, New England diners will soon be asked the question “inside or out?” when grabbing a bite at their favorite restaurants. Outdoor dining spaces fill up fast, sometimes by unwanted patrons in the form of pests. Keeping outdoor dining areas pest-free is a challenge that businesses must meet, which requires the help of pest management professionals.
The following are common pest threats to the outdoor dining experience in New England, along with some steps you can take to minimize pest activity for your facility's outdoor seating area.
Picnic Pests
Whether you have a brown-bagged lunch for a midday escape to a park bench or you’ve got patio reservations at a new hotspot downtown, certain picnic pests can put a damper on your good time. Most common to the New England outdoor dining scene are ants, flies, and mosquitoes. Of course, depending on where you’re dining, you might even find your meal interrupted by rodents like chipmunks and squirrels or pigeons.
The presence of pests like these can put a business at risk when it comes to the health and safety of its customers. So, what can you do?
Keep in mind the following seven suggestions you and your staff can implement right away to reduce pests from your establishment:
Be Smart about Sanitation
Clear away food from tables as soon as diners have finished eating and clean up any food or drink spills immediately to avoid attracting pests. If your establishment has an outdoor bar area, take special care in keeping those surfaces wiped down and free from any food or drink remnants.
Landscape to Level Hiding Places for Pests
Cut back plants, clear away overgrowth and debris (especially dead leaves and plants that might have accumulated during the fall and winter months), and mow any lawn areas to keep the grass short, making it harder for pests to conceal themselves.
Remove Trash and Trash Receptacles from Outdoor Seating Areas
Trash is a necessary by-product of the dining experience, but business owners are wise to keep trash and trash bins clear from outdoor dining areas in order to reduce the number of pests attracted to these spaces.
Shore Up Standing Water
Some pests, like flies, love standing water -- both to drink from and lay eggs in, whenever possible. Dry out any areas where water tends to pool in order to reduce the number of flies and mosquitoes found near your outdoor dining destination.
Lose the LEDS
Properly lit patios are important for safety and ambiance, but it’s a good idea to move pest-attracting lights, especially the LED variety, further away from the patio perimeter. Better yet, replace them with sodium vapor lighting, which is not as attractive to winged pests like moths.
Fences are Your Friends...
To keep larger pests like chipmunks, squirrels, ducks or geese from accessing your outdoor dining areas and badgering your guests for a bite, find a fencing solution to keep paying patrons in and pests out.
...So are Fans
If possible, install fans above or around the outdoor seating area, which will make it harder for flying pests to linger and/or land near guests and tabletops.
Make a Reservation with the Pros
For a fool-proof approach to retail food pest control, schedule a free consultation with our pest management professionals, experts at delivering pest solutions specific to your situation.
