James River Pest Solutions helps folks all over Virginia keep pests out of their commercial kitchens. And it is no easy task. Keeping your commercial kitchen safe and pest-free is imperative to your business because pests can contaminate food and run off customers real fast.
According to a food safety article posted on FoodSafety.com.au, “more than 60 per cent of restaurant diners would tell more than five friends or acquaintances about spotting a pest in a food establishment. While three out of ten respondents implied that a pest sighting would stop them from returning to the restaurant in the future.”
That is not good for your reputation or your bottom line. In the following article, the experts at James River offer solutions for pest control in commercial kitchens that can be applied to your home as well.
Common Commercial Kitchen Pests
When pests enter the restaurant, there is no place sacred the creepy crawlies will not go. You’ll find them lurking in waste disposal areas, food storage and pantry areas, food prep stations, outdoor areas, and dining areas too. Of course, cockroaches, flies, and rodents are the most common commercial kitchen pests. However, there are more.
Pests in the kitchen are a significant health hazard. That is why pest solution experts should take the elimination of pets very seriously, and so should the restaurant owner. When you know what insects your area struggles with, you can correctly treat them to ensure the safety of your business and paying customers.
Here are the typical commercial pests you may be unfortunate enough to see. If you happen to witness any of the following in your commercial kitchen, contact James River Pest Solutions for immediate treatment and lasting results.
Rodents:
Rodents can climb and squeeze into almost any opening. They will nest in your storage boxes, attics, basements, walls, roof, crawlspace, and even the sewer. Obviously, they come out at night to look for food crumbs and water sources.
Rodents are attracted to warmth, food and water, garbage, and nesting locations. Here are some of the more prominent rodents that enter commercial kitchens.
- Norway Rats
- Roof Rats
- White-footed Mice
- Deer Mice
Cockroaches:
German cockroaches and American Cockroaches are prevalent in kitchens when not constantly cleaned. They love to find warm areas with humidity, food, moisture, garbage, and worse.
Flies:
Some of the more common flies that are attracted to food services are as follows:
- Fruit flies
- House flies
- Drain Flies
- Phorid flies
These flies look for poor sanitation, food odors, rotting fruits, garbage cans, and open drains.
Ants:
Sugar ants, or Odorous House ants, are common in kitchens. And as you may know, ants are a challenge to get rid of. They are attracted to the following conditions.
- Sugary and starchy food items.
- Moisture
- Grease
- Open food containers
- Exposed garbage cans
Preventing Commercial Kitchen Pests from Invading
As you are well aware, it is critical to do everything possible to keep pests from being lured into your commercial kitchen. Below are several ways to ensure pests do not find a welcoming environment and a lovely feast in your commercial kitchen establishment.
- Regularly clean/sanitize countertops, sinks, prep stations, storage areas, cooking stations, and cookware.
- Remove all clutter from the kitchen, including storage boxes, stacked food containers, etc.
- Daily clean all floor and sink drains.
- Place equipment on rollers to make it easier to clean around.
- Don’t forget the ventilation screens.
- Dispose of food waste in a dumpster placed away from the kitchen entrance and ensure the garbage goes out regularly.
- All garbage and waste receptacles should have tight lids.
- Store food in sealed storage containers that rodents cannot chew through.
- Replace cracked tiles and seal gaps around any fixtures to eliminate entry points.
- Ensure there is no standing water, dripping faucets, and leaking pipes.
- Only open windows with screens and keep the doors closed to prevent them from coming in.
- Install door sweeps on the bottom of doors and on the bottom edge of the garage door too.
- Whenever shipments come in, please be sure to inspect each piece of fruit for the rotten few and dispose of them properly.
- Install fly fans where needed to keep them out too.
Pest Treatment Options for the Commercial Kitchen
The commercial kitchen is the perfect environment for pests to invade and dominate if not carefully treated. Your treatments depend on the types of problems, infestation severity, the kitchen’s condition, and various other factors. Furthermore, your pest control expert should consider weather conditions as well as the businesses surrounding your establishment.
Here are a few of the recommendations we have offered to our commercial kitchen clients over the years.
- Eliminate moisture in the kitchen by ensuring you have proper drainage and no leaking pipes.
- Clean up all food debris and garbage. Scrub equipment, drains, and all areas for food prep and storage.
- Vacuuming with an industrial vacuum will help eliminate the smaller insects and debris your broom may not get.
- Exclude pests by sealing up all cracks, holes, vents, and the like. If they cannot get in, they will not be an issue.
- There are microbial products for kitchens that are struggling with flies. These foams, gels. Mists and liquids will use bacteria or enzymes to eat the gunk around drains.
- Experienced pest solutions professionals can treat the kitchen with insecticides formulated for commercial kitchen usage. Your technician will use a mixture of baits and sprays to rid the kitchen of all pests, large and small.
- Setting traps for rats and mice is safer than poison that can be tracked throughout the kitchen and transferred to food. Just be sure to monitor them well and check the ones inside before the day’s business.
Why Hire a Professional Pest Control Company for Your Commercial Kitchen?
Pests in your business can be unsanitary for sure. But with the use of the internet and social media, one photo placed on the web can ruin your business in a day.
James River Pest Solutions is happy you take active steps to rid your commercial kitchen of insects and rodents. However, there are certain things your local pest control company can assist you with that may not be safe for you to do on your own in a kitchen. After all, that is what pest control companies are here for.
Pest control professionals will inspect your home for the source of the invasion and the entry points. You can avoid possible damage that pests can cause to your business by hiring professionals.
When you hire a professional, you will get quicker results, and you won’t have to do the dirty work yourself. Now that’s a pretty good deal.
James River Helps You with What’s Bugging Virginia and Your Home
If you are fighting a commercial kitchen infestation of any of Virginia’s pests, please call a professional. At James River Pest Solutions, we are ready to fight the good fight for you and your establishment. James River is your friendly Virginia pest control service, serving Metro Richmond, Glen Allen, and Central VA for over 20 years.
Contact our team of professionals today to get those pests out of your space and help keep them out, too.