Roaches in Restaurants?!

Roaches in Restaurants?!

Perfect Conditions for Roaches

It’s not surprising that roaches are drawn to such inviting atmospheres. Restaurants are warm and they offer protection from the elements. There is also significant access to moisture from steam, to sinks, to drainage systems; and, of course, there is a plethora of food as well.

In the case that the dining room or kitchen is poorly kept, roaches can be even more attracted to the restaurant. Some examples of this include:

  • Food scraps being left around
  • Dirty dishes remaining overnight
  • Food spills left for any length of time
  • Not storing left over food
  • Poor hygiene from staff
  • Grease left on kitchen surfaces
  • Floors left un-swept and un-mopped
  • Garbage left out in the open
  • Garbage not taken out

Underlying Conditions

Even if the aforementioned conditions are met, there can still be some areas that are overlooked. Some of the more obscure underlying conditions include:

  • Spills beneath tables
  • Food, liquids, etc. trapped under utilities
  • Grease that has ended up on walls from cooking for a long time
  • Cracks in the walls and foundation
  • Collections of empty boxes
  • Leaking pipes

How Do Roaches Get In?

While poor sanitation in restaurants can encourage infestations, even clean restaurants can fall prey to these nasty pests. Roaches have a tendency to lurk in sewers and pipe systems, finding their way into restaurants through these means. They are also masters of hitchhiking, just like bed bugs. Items they hitchhike in include boxes of produce, bags and items from customers, bags from employee’s, etc. Roaches also start out their lives rather small, making it easy for them to squeeze through tiny cracks and crevices in the building to make their way in.

Keeping Them Out of the Kitchen

Unfortunately, DIY products and treatments for roaches are overwhelmingly ineffective. Roaches are extremely resilient and persistent pests, making them incredibly difficult to get rid of. They are also highly prolific breeders with a single female possessing the ability to produce several hundred offspring in a year. Luckily there are some measures you can take to help prevent a roach infestation from ever starting in your restaurant.

  • Be sure all cracks and crevices are sealed around the building
  • Secure doors and windows using door sweeps and weatherstripping
  • Ensure windows don’t have any cracks in the glass or tears in the screens
  • Eliminate flutter
  • Consistently check for, and remove spoiled food
  • Ensure all food is properly sealed in airtight containers
  • Consistently sanitize all surfaces both in the kitchen and dining room

The most effective way to defend against these nasty pests is by partnering up with your local pest control company Green Pest Services. Not only will we eliminate any existing roach infestations, we can help prevent such a problem from ever happening in your restaurant.