Having bugs in your restaurant can be disastrous. Here are some things that we do and that you can do to make sure that you pass your next audit from the health department.
Rodents, ants, and other pests are attracted to the wonderful aroma of your restaurant and if a customer sees any of these pests it can be very harmful to the reputation of your business so it is very important to keep this under control.
If you have outdoor dining areas another thing to consider is ticks and fleas. The perimeter of your outdoor dining area should be sprayed to keep these pests out.
By keeping your food safe from these pests you will also help stop the spread of harmful diseases and bacteria. Harmful diseases and bacteria could lead to your customers getting sick and the last thing you need is having your customers getting sick and telling everyone.
Remember, a customer with a good experience will tell 10 people and a customer with a bad experience will tell 100 people.
Here are some tips and tricks to ensure this doesn’t happen.
- The worst areas. Make note of the worst areas that need the most attention. If you need help finding this locations contact OHA to help you out. We know where they are through experience.
- Dumpsters are a main concern for infestation. The health department requires you to have your dumpster on a surface that is easily cleaned instead of on gravel. OHA can treat this area for you to cut down on infestations.
- The warmth of lighting and ultra-violet lights are an attraction to bugs. Make sure that these areas are regularly cleaned and ask us what can be done to further protect these areas.
- Entrances and exits should be sealed properly. After all, these areas are the areas that pests can be spotted the easiest so don’t give them easy access either. Have OHA treat the surrounding areas to make the area less attractive for pests to come and go. Entry points should be guarded for termites as well since they can damage the core structure of your restaurant.
- The dining area should be cleaned and wiped down as fast as possible when the customer leaves. We know what it is like when you get busy but just a minute or two of busting a table can go a long ways. After the customer leaves it would be best to sweep the area very well to get rid of any food particles that can attract pest and at the end of the shift make sure it is swept even better and mopped. OHA can give you pointers on what else you can do to help with this problem area.
- The trash cans in your restaurant should be hands-free where customers can use their foot to open the trash bin if possible and fresh garbage bags should be used to cut down on trash collection falling outside of the container. Be sure to wipe down any visible food particles and take the trash out if it is at least 3/4 full. After each shift make sure you wipe down the area thoroughly and after the trash is taken out be sure to clean up any residual trash that did not make it in the garbage bag.
- Floor drains help keep the area clean but be sure to open them up and clean inside after each shift because this is a breeding ground for pests. OHA treats these areas with an enzyme-based cleaner that follow the health departments guidelines.
- What are the most common pests in restaurants?
- Rodents such as mice and rats are always looking for food so make sure you do not leave any lying around for them. They can spread many diseases so be sure to follow the guidelines of keeping your product off of the floor in your storage areas. OHA can get into the areas that you cannot to protect your resources from these rodents.
- Spiders, ants, cockroaches and other crawling bugs when seen by the customer make a memorable experience for them. Too bad it is a bad experience. Cockroaches can live for weeks if they are denied food and water and that is why they are harder to get rid of. We have ways to get rid of them even if they have no food and water to get a hold of and ants follow distinctive patterns that we know about so that we can get rid of them as well.
- Flies are a real nuisance when you have to keep swatting them away. It is even worse when these disease-spreading pests land on a customers food. Don’t let your restaurant get a bad reputation let us take care of the problem for you. Be sure to keep fly traps out of the view of customers. Just the sight of these churn the stomachs of your customers.