Nothing can ruin your restaurant’s reputation faster than a pest sighting.  A 2006 poll of foodservice consumers conducted by Orkin, Inc., found that more than 60 percent of frequent restaurant diners would tell five or more acquaintances about a pest sighting at a restaurant.  Nearly three out of 10 respondents said a cockroach sighting would cause them to leave an establishment and never go back. 

With those statistics, you can’t risk having pests in your restaurant.  Pests are a public health threat because they can shed bacteria and carry pathogens that threaten food safety, but, quite simply, they disgust patrons.  Pests enter buildings looking for their three essential survival needs – food, water and shelter – and restaurants provide all three.  Implementing a thorough sanitation program can help remove pests’ reasons for inhabiting your restaurant in the first place. 

When updating your current sanitation program to prevent pests, it’s important to first identify which pests find their way inside your facility.  Four of the most common pests to look for in restaurants are flies, cockroaches, rodents and stored-product pests. 

 Flies – Flies can enter your restaurant as eggs on incoming food shipments or through open doors or windows.  Flies are the No. 1 transmitters of disease in the world.  They can carry as many as half a billion microorganisms on the outside of their bodies.  When flies come in contact with food, they can transfer those disease-causing pathogens, including E. coli, salmonella and staphylococcus, directly onto their landing surface. 

 Cockroaches – Cockroaches remain a universal pest problem, and they eat almost anything including eyelashes, dust, glue and garbage.  Cockroaches can survive for two months without food, but will only make it about 10 days without water.  They often arrive inside corrugated cardboard boxes or squeeze through small openings in the building’s exterior.  Cockroaches can carry a number of harmful bacteria and have been associated with such illnesses as diarrhea, food poisoning, gastroenteritis and asthma. 

 Rodents – Rodents are particularly disturbing pests to customers, in part because they’re larger than the average “bug.”  Rats can enter a building through a hole as small as a quarter, and mice can enter through a hole as small as a dime.  Rodents can carry diseases transmittable to humans, as well as transport bacteria. 

 Stored-Product Pests – Weevils, moths and beetles are examples of stored-product pests.  Stored-product pests may arrive on incoming food shipments and often contaminate more product than they eat, sometimes resulting in the need for disposal of a large amount of damaged goods.  Some species also secrete chemicals that alter the flavor of food products, while others can cause allergic reactions and irritate the human digestive tract if ingested. 

 The next step is to spot areas in your restaurant where pests will most likely linger, such as the kitchen, storage room or waste areas.  These pest “hot spots” may need extra attention during your cleaning routine. 

 Kitchen – According to a pest, your kitchen deserves a five–star rating every day.  Pests will be satisfied with food debris, grease runoff and trash. 

 Storage – Storage rooms and pantries provide the warm, dark spaces that pests love.  Pests are great hitchhikers, and some may arrive to your establishment on food shipments. 

Waste areas – The odor of food decay in the trash that repels humans says “we’re open!” to all types of pests.  Restaurants can produce large amounts of waste, which only encourages pests to stay nearby. 

Building Exterior – Outdoor dining areas attract pests, along with trash and debris that build up around the building or parking lot. 

Now that you know what pests to look for and where to look, implement these tips to keep your restaurant sparkling and keep pests away.

Sanitation Tips:

Make every effort to stay on top of cleaning, even during busy hours.  Thoroughly clean your kitchen with a disinfectant cleaner.  Be sure to sweep or vacuum under appliances and counters.  Clean spills quickly; pests only need a small amount of water to survive. 

Remove floor drain covers and scrub drains with an organic cleaner and brush, to remove organic debris that can act as breeding grounds for some small flies.  Sweep or vacuum storage areas and make sure they are moisture-free. 

Store all food in tightly sealed containers and on shelves so it does not touch the ground or the back wall.  Rotate all products on a first-in, first-out (FIFO) basis.  Check inventory regularly for pests, pest droppings, and damaged or destroyed product. 

After each customer leaves, clean their table and the floor underneath.  Be sure to wipe down the legs of tables and chairs; it doesn’t take long for unidentifiable debris to build up, which can be a meal for a pest. 

Line all trashcans and make sure they are tightly sealed.  Implement a regular trash-removal schedule and make certain trash is disposed of daily. 

Move dumpsters as far from the building as possible and work with your waste management company to regularly clean and rotate your dumpster.  Keep the dumpster lid closed at all times. 

Keep your building exterior and parking lot free of trash and debris.  Hose down the building, sidewalks and parking area regularly.  Eliminate any standing water outside your building.

 Incorporating these tips into your pest control program will help discourage pests from making their home in your restaurant.  It is imperative to include your staff in the process, so educate them on their roles in the sanitation program.  Encourage employees to document all pest sightings for your pest management professional.  With an ongoing plan to prevent and manage pests, you can ensure the talk about your restaurant is about the food, not about creepy crawlers.  

Dr. Zia Siddiqi is Director of Quality Systems for Orkin, Inc.  A board certified entomologist with more than 30 years in the industry, Dr. Siddiqi is an acknowledged leader in the field of pest management.  For more information, e-mail zsiddiqi@rollins.com or visit www.orkincommercial.com.