Rodents are one of the worst pests that plague restaurants which means that many restaurateurs look for solutions on how to keep rodents out of a restaurant. These pests can cause significant problems for the food industry and an infestation needs to be addressed immediately. Find out how to keep rodents out of your restaurant, what the signs are of an infestation, and how to effectively eliminate them.
Why Rodents are Dangerous to Your Restaurant
Cause diseases
Rodents carry all of their bacteria and microorganisms in their fur, droppings, and urine. While these organisms don’t affect the rodents themselves, they will affect human beings through zoonotic infections where these bacteria jump from animal to human host. Hantavirus, tularemia, salmonellosis, listeriosis, and leptospirosis are just a few examples of highly contagious diseases that have spread from rats to humans.
Contribute to structural damage
Rodents are incessant chewers and will chew through anything, whether it is organic or synthetic/man-made. This means that an infestation that has been harboring for some time can result in severe structural damage to the drywall, rubber, plastic pipes, gas lines, and even electrical wiring that can cause fires in restaurants.
Shuts down businesses
In many jurisdictions, a health inspector will determine whether or not it’s safe for customers to dine in or order takeout from your restaurant. A major rodent infestation is not winning anyone any points. Take into account the fact that anyone can post anything to social media, so even getting one glimpse of a rodent can cause irreparable reputational damage.
How to Keep Rodents Out of Your Restaurant
The best solutions are precautions. If you want to think ahead of how to stop rodents from even entering the establishment, then you will want to lay out a few different strategies ahead of time and before the problem gets uncontrollable.
1. Make sure to take out the trash
Some of the simplest solutions can easily be overlooked. By not taking out the trash, you are actively inviting pests into your restaurant. Rodents have a powerful sense of smell and discarded, and half-eaten food products can lead them to your restaurant. By setting and sticking to a schedule for who takes out the trash and when you can greatly eliminate this issue. Take it a step further and make a routine cleaning schedule where you clean the entire restaurant on a regular basis.
2. Block off entry points
By checking for small holes and cracks that rodents can slip through and blocking them off with mesh screens or metal covers for pipes and drains, you can lessen the likelihood of rodents getting into your restaurant. While it is a messy business, the net gain will be less worrying about the pesky creatures.
3. Stay on top of building management
Old windows, walls, and doors have small cracks and holes that make it easy for rodents to slip through. These exterior cracks and crevices eventually become a porthole from which rodents can enter, with rats being able to enter through cracks as large as a quarter and mice from cracks as large as a dime. A professional pest control company can create an Integrated Pest Management plan that meets the specific needs of your restaurant and maintain a level of pest control maintenance.
4. Make sure your landscaping is on point
Trimming the tall weeds and grass around your restaurant does two things: 1. It makes it more suitable for your customers to enter through your doors and 2. It makes it less suitable for rodents that live in the surrounding areas around your building.
Pest Management for Restaurants
Dealing with a rodent infestation is an issue that needs to be addressed quickly. Tackling it yourself can be challenging especially when considering how demanding running a restaurant is. ASAP Pest Control are experts in helping restaurants becoming pest free. Trust us as your rodent control partner for your restaurant. We can deploy traps for rodent removal and work with you to create an Integrated Pest Management plan that will prevent further rodent entry. Contact us today and get peace of mind.