Roaches Don't Tip: How To Keep Roaches Out of Your Restaurant
It’s one of the many stresses that a restaurant owner fears, and it happens in kitchens around the country almost on the daily: a single cockroach scurries across the floor as soon as the lights flick on in the morning.
Although the old saying warns that if there’s one there’s probably a hundred, for a restaurant the amount of roaches can almost be a moot point - it only takes one to cause a significant negative impact. Roaches can spread filth and disease into food sources and onto cooking surfaces, and their droppings and decomposing bodies can spread allergens that can make guests sick and trigger asthma symptoms. Plus, a roach problem is a surefire way to catch the attention of the Health Inspector, or a bad online review that could very well be fatal for your establishment.
That’s why it’s critical to take every step to keep roaches from finding your restaurant in the first place. Here’s a look at what your restaurant can do to keep these pesky invaders away from your kitchen for the long haul.
Seal Off Any Access Points
If there’s any way in to your kitchen from the outdoors - even as small as a tiny crack in the wall or the gap under a door - roaches will find it, and they’ll use it to get in. That’s why it’s critical to find and seal up any potential access points before roaches catch wind that it’s there.
For any restaurant, and especially for older buildings in need of regular upkeep, sealing off access points can be a complex job that takes time, money, and resources. Often, sealing up one access point will simply drive roaches to find another, and then another, and that can leave some business owners feeling exasperated. But the time and money spent sealing up holes is nothing compared to the heartache of dealing with a roach infestation, and a pest management professional can often help make the job easier - meaning you can get back to cooking in peace.
Keep Things Clean and Food-Free
Working with food can be a messy business, and nothing attracts hungry pests to a kitchen quite like morsels of food left unattended under the oven or in the back of the pantry. These hidden, back corners tend to be where food bits and crumbs can collects, making for handy little caches of food for any cockroach who happens to come across one.
The truth is, a cockroach problem doesn't “just happen” overnight, at least not usually. Cockroaches are drawn to areas where access to food and a hiding space is regular and reliable, meaning a cockroach infestation is usually the symptom of poor sanitation, disposal, and cleanliness practices over the long term, and the problem will only get worse the longer these practices remain in place.
That’s why it’s so critical for restaurants to be diligent with their cleaning rituals each and every night. This includes scrubbing and sweeping out every nook and corner, wiping down every surface, and properly storing all food at the end of every shift, and generally maintaining good hygiene practices during regular business hours. That way, you remove any temptation roaches might have to get comfy in your restaurant, and they’ll have to look elsewhere for a free meal.
In most cases, a pest management professional can help to identify problem areas in your restaurant and take action to improve cleaning processes to keep roaches at bay in the future.
Check Common Hiding Spaces
Cockroaches look to set up their main hideouts in relatively undisturbed, dark, moist places - usually in basements, storerooms, and other areas with easy access to food and not much foot traffic. Keeping these hiding spaces clean and checking them often can help prevent these invaders from getting too cozy.
Cardboard boxes are a big draw for roaches, since they will often eat the glue on the boxes and make a hiding place among the corrugated layers. Some roaches may also seek out the darkness behind picture frames, and so many restaurant owners actually caulk or completely seal their frames to the walls themselves to cut off access. And since old papers, uniforms, and unused equipments can all go unused for long stretches, it’s best to remove or properly store anything not immediately necessary so roaches won’t think to check them out.
With a robust Inspection Program, a dedicated pest management professional can perform regular checks of the most likely nesting spots around your business to make sure your kitchen stays roach-free for your restaurant to keep moving forward.
Partner With Professionals
Keeping roaches away from your restaurant is a battle that never stops, and for some business owners it can honestly be a huge amount of work. That’s why it’s always a great idea to have a professional pest management specialist like JP Pest Services on your side. We know roaches, and we know just what needs to be done to keep your restaurant roach-free and good to go for years of success to come.
Don’t let roaches turn your kitchen into their own personal eating establishment. Take control and keep cockroaches away for good, all with the help of New England’s Pest Control Professionals, JP Pest Services. Request a free on-site consultation for your restaurant today.
