Keeping Roaches Out of Your Movie Theater
While movie theaters are perfect places to get into a good horror film, no one wants to find live roaches anywhere near them while they watch it. That’s a creepy encounter that should never be built into the ticket price. Unfortunately, movie theaters are ideal spots for cockroaches. Much of what we love about the movie theater experience, cockroaches love too.
Think about it… or think like a cockroach for a moment. Movie theaters are quiet, dark, and feature very little foot traffic compared to busier venues like shopping malls or grocery stores. Besides, the floor of a movie theater is typically teeming with snacks of all sorts.
Although there are thousands of species of cockroaches in the world, the one most likely to feature at your next blockbuster screening is the most common: the German cockroach.
IMDB: The German Cockroach
Imagine if the German cockroach had its own IMDB page; on it, you could expect to find some physical descriptors like the fact that German cockroaches make appearances throughout the United States, have six legs, two antennae, are oval-shaped and light brown or tan in color with two stripes running down the length of their backs.
What a cockroach’s PR team would not want you to know is that they are seriously bad news when you see them invading a space, like a movie theater. In addition to the quiet shelter and snacks, German cockroaches love a darkened theater because they are primarily active at night, preferring to hide during the day.
And wouldn’t you if you were notorious for transmitting diseases that can cause diarrhea or food poisoning? Not to mention, their fecal matter, saliva and shed skin can also trigger asthma and exacerbate allergies in those who suffer from them, particularly children.
Keeping Cockroaches Clear of Your Movie Theater
If you’re tasked with movie theater management, the last thing you want is non-paying patrons like cockroaches who, if spotted, will potentially scare off paying patrons… and your profits along with them.
Unfortunately, once cockroaches are introduced into a movie theater, there are very few options available other than to bring in a professional to eradicate them.
However, there are steps you can take to prevent cockroaches from coming into your movie theater and the most important comes down to cleanliness. Ensuring routine and thorough cleaning of each theater, paying special attention to seat crevices and the floor beneath each seat is imperative to keeping out cockroaches.
Remember, if you think like a cockroach, you’re in search of snacks; if there are no snacks to be had, you’re not likely to stick around. Instead, you’ll head off in search of sustenance elsewhere. That’s why cleaning a theater consistently, between each screening, is critical. Conversely, failure to do so will effectively set up a cornucopia of tasty treats that will welcome cockroaches in droves.
Keeping them out also involves checking the structural soundness of your building and checking that doors and windows close properly and completely. Door sweeps not only help defend against drafts but also prevent small pests like roaches from slipping inside your theater.
Trash and recycling bins must be emptied in an efficient manner, on a regular basis. Do not allow trash or recycling to build up or potentially spill over the sides of the receptacles. Speaking of spills, clean up any spilled sodas or snacks as soon as possible to avoid any sweet residue from building up on floors, seats or other surfaces.
At the end of the day, the very best investment you can make in your movie theater when it comes to pests is to partner with a professional pest management company to keep your theater clear of cockroaches.
Leave Fright night to the scream queens and slasher films, rather than cockroach cameos!
Seeing roaches? Not on our watch. Chat with an expert today.
