The words “rat” or “cockroach” are like swear words to a restaurant owner in New York. If a patron in your restaurant sees a single cockroach or if your staff sees a single rat, it can shut down the restaurant for days or even weeks, not to mention the damage that can be done to your reputation. People in the Bronx are afraid of these pests for good reason: they’re disease carriers and contaminated food could make people very sick.
Related: How Your Business Can Benefit From Commercial Pest Control in Brooklyn NY
Hire a Professional
The first and foremost thing to have for pest control in a restaurant is to have a professional Bronx pest control company come out on a regular basis to inspect and treat the property. A professional pest control company will know exactly where to look and what you will need to keep problems at bay. They’re trained and experienced to know what the hot spots are, and they will be your best line of defense against pests.
Of course, there are other things that should be done to protect you, your staff, and your customers from the unfortunate issue of coming into contact with these creatures.
Ingredient Protection
When you receive ingredients from outside vendors, it is crucial that you inspect the ingredients and make sure that they are not coming into your restaurant with uninvited guests. Your vendors may not even know that there could be an issue with a roach or 10 in their supply. Therefore, they wouldn’t know that they shouldn’t sell you their product.
Regularly inspect your own refrigerator and any food you have in storage. Be sure to be thorough with your inspections and pick up ingredients and look into their storage containers. A useful tool to keep on hand is actually a simple black light; rodent urine actually glows under a black light. The refrigerator should be cleaned on a regular basis as well. Sometimes ingredients can fall onto the ground and go out of sight. When this happens it can rot and invite fruit flies into your refrigerator, contaminating your entire food supply.
High-Risk Areas
Keeping a clean refrigerator, storage area, and kitchen are vital to pest control. If you’re not keeping your restaurant clean, even the best defenses can falter. This is due to the fact that a single entryway can allow a roach inside and a mess can allow them to hide, feed, and multiply. When your business is kept clean and orderly, not only does it allow for a clear view to spot anything that may not belong, but it also helps your Bronx commercial pest control company be able to move around the kitchen and do what needs to be done without anything hindering them.
Take care not to ignore the exterior of your restaurant as well. If where you dispose of your trash is messy or has rotting food, this is just inviting pests into the area. If they are in the area, then your restaurant is at a greater risk. We all know that New York has rats that run around, but there’s no need to give them reason to be even more attracted to your business. Make sure that your dumpsters and trash cans are located away from your building and have lids that shut tightly.
Related: Why Your Manhattan, NY, Business Needs Reliable Commercial Pest Control in 2020
