Word of mouth doesn’t always help your business. According to an Orkin Inc. poll of foodservice consumers, more than 60 percent of diners would tell five or more acquaintances if they saw a pest in a restaurant. This means that a single pest sighting has the potential to drive away customers and ruin your establishment’s reputation.
Patrons view restaurants with pest problems as unsanitary—and rightfully so. Pests like cockroaches, flies and rodents can carry many of the bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses, including salmonella and E. coli. Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, is one way to help protect food safety and ensure that pests don’t disrupt your guests’ meals.
IPM is a proactive approach to pest management that focuses on removing pests’ access to the elements that initially attract them to restaurants—namely food, water and shelter. By emphasizing preventive techniques, such as facility maintenance and sanitation, IPM can be an environmentally friendly, long-term solution to managing pests.
Work with your pest management professional to implement the following IPM tips:
Exclusion—Prevent pests from entering
Use weather-resistant sealant to fill any unnecessary holes and cracks in floors, walls and ceilings that could allow pests entry. Place screens in windows, and install door sweeps under all exterior doors.
Sanitation—Reduce elements that attract pests
Clean floor drains regularly with an organic cleaner to remove any food debris or decaying organic matter that could offer pests sustenance or a breeding site. Store food in tightly sealed containers at least 18 inches from the wall on open-back shelves. Keep garbage cans tightly covered and lined, and move dumpsters away from the building. Clean up spills immediately.
Trapping pests—Remove the pest populations
Have sticky traps placed in areas likely to be frequented by crawling pests, such as under kitchen appliances and in storage areas. Consider having pheromone traps installed in storage areas to trap and monitor for flying insects. Have fly lights mounted inside entrances to catch flying pests on the sticky boards inside the units.
Partnership—Rely on another set of eyes and ears
Ask your employees to be on the lookout for pests and immediately report pest sightings or signs of pests, including droppings, shed skins, or live or dead pests. Compile a written sanitation program and instruct your employees on their individual responsibilities. Communicate regularly with your pest management professional to keep each other up-to-date on the pest management needs of your establishment.
By employing various techniques, IPM programs can help prevent pest problems—ensuring your customers enjoy their meals without a side of pests.
Frank Meek is the technical director for Orkin Commercial Service and a board certified entomologist.