Five Tips To Keep Pests Out Of Your Commercial Kitchen
The last thing you need is rodents, ants, roaches, or other pests making their way into your restaurant kitchen. The following tips can help you run a pest-free business.
1. Use Pest-Proof Storage
The main draw for pests when it comes to a commercial kitchen is access to an easy food source. Your goal is to make that source more difficult to access. Transfer products from plastic bags and boxes into glass, metal, or heavy plastic containers. Every container needs a tight-fitting lid. The goal is to choose containers that pests can chew through. Keep in mind that rodents are powerful enough to chew through thin plastic containers, so the thicker they are, the better.
2. Elevate Everything
Don't leave any items sitting directly on the floor. Although many pests can climb, the food is less likely to be discovered if you store it on a shelf. If you don't have shelves, pallets can be used in a pinch. Another benefit of storing items on shelves is that it makes it much easier to spot spills and to clean them up without having to move everything.
3. Clean Thoroughly
Deep cleaning is a daily job if you don't want pests in your kitchen. Floors must be swept and mopped in every corner and beneath every shelf. Counters and prep surfaces need to be wiped down thoroughly between uses so there are no crumbs to attract pests. Dish pits can be a major attractant for pests, especially if you are in the habit of only having a night dishwasher on staff. Someone needs to keep on top of dishes, even during slow periods of business or during prep sessions. Otherwise, the access to food scraps and water may draw in pests.
4. Set Up Monitoring Stations
Part of both preventing and eradicating pests is knowing what you are dealing with. Monitoring stations are sticky traps that are set up in hidden areas around the kitchen. They may be placed beneath a shelf, along baseboards, or near outside exits. They are checked regularly to see what kind, if any, pests are making their way into your kitchen. Your pest control service can use the information for a more targeted attack plan.
5. Treat Appropriately
A monthly pest treatment will help prevent any pest population from becoming established in your kitchen. This treatment is typically sprayed outside the building, along the perimeter of the walls, to keep pests from making their way inside. If monitoring stations find pests inside, a more targeted pesticide spray can be used in the kitchen,
Contact a commercial pest control service to schedule a treatment today, and visit sites like https://www.bugbusterssc.net/ for more information.