The 5 Most Persistent Supermarket Pests
If the first step in proper pest control is to remove any food that might attract hungry pests, supermarkets already start off at a disadvantage. Between the hundreds of pounds of fresh, delicious food lining the shelves to the bins full of expired goods out back, there’s more than enough temptation for the passing pest looking to settle in - and keeping them at bay can be a tricky challenge.
Fortunately, plenty of grocery stores, supermarkets, and food retailers have found ways to keep pests away from their spaces, and their customers, through robust, routine pest management practices - and it all starts by identifying exactly which pests you might be dealing with.
Here’s a look at some of the most common pests faced by supermarkets, and a look at just what you can do to keep your supplies, and your store, pest-free.
1. Flies
Where there’s fresh fruit, meat, and dairy, there will almost definitely be flies. For supermarkets and food retailers, flies are persistent interlopers who may come in waves with the warm weather, or may simply stick around through the cold season feeding off of the back room supply. One thing, however, is for sure - customers will not be happy to see flies buzzing around the shelves.
Regardless of which type of fly your business may be dealing with, keeping them away from your front-facing food and away from your customers is far from impossible. At its most basic level, fly prevention includes some fairly easy steps: exclusion of affected areas, proper sanitation removal, installation of preventative tools like fly paper and traps, and proper employee education. These, with the help of a pest management pro, can help keep your fly problem to a minimum - or eliminate it completely - long before your business begins to suffer.
2. Birds
All too often, shoppers in large grocery stores and supermarkets deal with the same minor annoyance: the sight of small birds safely tucked away in the rafters. Although these small birds generally stay out of reach for most shoppers, they can still cause major trouble for shop owners - from the food they steal at night to the pests they bring inside with them.
Fortunately, there are a few easy ways to prevent birds from ever getting settled in your store in the first place. From eliminating easy-to-reach food sources to putting up plastic predators and even bird spikes on common roosting areas, keeping birds out doesn’t have to be hard - and it’s made that much easier with the help of an experienced pest professional.
3. Mice
Whether scurrying through the walls and along the baseboards or setting up a nest just outside of your back door, mice are often a major problem for supermarket owners and food retailers across the country. Notoriously persistent and famously prolific in increasing their numbers, mice and rodents can be a serious problem once they establish a base in your store.
Fortunately, mouse control has come a long way since the days of spring-loaded traps. From bait traps designed to take out the entire colony to exclusion tactics perfected by years of practice, your pest management pro can suggest the right way to get rid of the mice in the area now, and keep them from coming back in the future.
4. Raccoons
Raccoons have long held a reputation as burglars and thieves, and it’s not just because of their characteristic face mask. Whether it’s sneaking around the trash cans at night or making daring grabs when no one is looking, raccoons are clever, crafty, and looking to make off with food whenever they can - and supermarkets are the perfect target.
Because of their thieving tendencies and because of the pests they can bring with them, raccoons are one pest retail food owners should not ignore. Whether it’s cutting out their nesting sites and access to food or working with a pest professional to safely remove and relocate raccoons to a better location, supermarket owners should act quickly to dissuade any raccoons from thinking they’ve found an easy way to stay fed through the season.
5. Roaches
Infesting areas in both urban environments and rural retail shops, cockroaches are perhaps one of the most feared pests faced by retailers and supermarket owners today. Due to their small size, quick speed, and prolific breeding, cockroaches are also one of the most difficult pests to get rid of - and nothing draws them to your shop quite as quickly as easy access to food.
Apart from simply ruining entire shipments of food, cockroaches also pose serious health risks - and risks to your reputation. The best course of action is to act quickly, and to work hard to prevent cockroaches from ever getting comfortable in your retail area to begin with. Your pest management professional can help implement smart exclusion strategies, as well as effective elimination techniques to get rid of roaches and keep them away.
Let Your Supermarket Attract Guests, Not Pests
As many food retailers will tell you, keeping an area so stocked with attractive options pest-free can be a major challenge - and, all too often, those playing catch-up with an infestation are already too late.
Rather than waiting until a crisis to take action, supermarket owners should think proactively, and regular pest inspections can help catch issues long before they spiral out of control. Get in touch with a pest specialist today and protect your business from pests before they even get a chance to get started.
