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Everybody likes food, and unfortunately for restaurant owners that includes pests. The almost unlimited abundance of food, a warm environment, and lots of places to hide makes restaurants an absolute favourite for pests small to large, from insects to mammals and everything in between.
From something as minor but still unwanted as flies in your dining room to rodents in your dry storage, there are useful measures to take that can help you avoid and control such problems.
The first step to fixing any problem is identifying it, ideally before it becomes significant. This is true of restaurant pest problems as well which is why a regular inspection of your preparation, storage, waste disposal and dining areas is essential. Look for areas where waste food particles are collecting, holes in walls, torn fly screens on windows, garbage cans that need cleaning and don’t have properly sealing lids, drains that require unclogging etc.
Address any issues you find that might allow for pests to get established; this can include patching holes or cracks that they might use for entry, cleaning up bits of food or edible materials that may have fallen behind or under shelving counters. Make sure that drains that have gotten clogged up or that are allowing moisture to accumulate (moisture is excellent for breeding flies) are cleaned up, unclogged and properly sealed. Regularly disinfect and use an adequate and approved for restaurant use cleaner to make sure that counter, floor, wall and shelf surfaces are all hygienic and offer nothing for pests to work with.
If you have confirmed that you have pests, then it is essential to identify the pest(s) in question accurately. A professional exterminator can help with this. Knowing what you are dealing with is critical to making sure that you select the appropriate treatment. You want to make sure that not only will your current problem be gone, but that all contributing factors which led to the pest problem are dealt with effectively so that you don’t get a recurrence. Maybe the pest problem was bad luck; maybe it was a result of bad habits. Expert exterminators can not only help get rid of the pests, and they can provide advice and tools to make sure that future occurrences don’t occur or at least are easier to deal with.
You have called in the professionals and now know what you are dealing with. The exterminator will take care of selecting the right chemical agent, trap or preventative barriers. If chemical toxins are needed the professionals are knowledgeable in choosing one that is safe and approved for use in the food preparation industry, and also valid for the type of pest you have.
Once you have eliminated the pest problem, you need to make changes to ensure that whatever attracted the pests is reduced or removed and that there is no reason for them to come back. Pests don’t stop, so it is essential you don’t either. Most commercial exterminators can offer ongoing monitoring and maintenance programs to help ensure that pests stay gone!
Because restaurants are usually heavily regulated and things like health and safety inspections or food safety audits can make or break your business it is essential to clearly, accurately and professional document your pest control activities. Your professional exterminator can help you with documentation and make sure that your establishment is meeting all the required regulations pertaining to pests and their safe eradication.
The X-Terminators are one of greater Vancouver’s most experienced commercial pest control companies. We have extensive experience with offices, restaurants, warehouses, food processing facilities, hotels, and all other commercial properties.
Protect your business (and bottom line!) from pests, and contact us today for a FREE on-site inspection, consultation, and quote.
Our mission is to completely eradicate your pest problem as quickly as possible, at the best possible price.
