At Progressive Pest Management we service many commercial kitchens in the Ipswich area. Due to the nature of business, commercial kitchens are a hot target for pests due to the abundance of food. Even the most pedantic chefs in commercial kitchen can leave food residue which might attract pests. It often doesn’t take much to attract pests into a commercial kitchen.
Pests in hospitality
Not only is maintaining a pest-free food service business a legal requirement, but pest sightings by customers can destroy your reputation.
So make sure you’re familiar with these two pests which pose the biggest risk to your business:
Rodents in commercial kitchens
Now that the weather is cooling down, Rodents are especially a major risk to commercial kitchens.
Even if your commercial kitchen is absolutely free from anything that might attract rodents, if your kitchen is close to any other food service businesses who perhaps aren’t as pedantic as you, your business is still at risk. This is because rodents will nest close to a food source and are capable of rapid population increase in the right conditions.
And the last thing you want is a rodent appearing anywhere near your foodservice business when customers are around.
What are the risks of rodents in commercial kitchens?
- Carrying and transmitting diseases
- Rodent sightings by customers can seriously damage your businesses reputation
How to identify if you have rodents in your commercial kitchen?
- Sightings of dead or alive animals
- Gnawing in the building, packaging of food and electrical wires
- Droppings
What to do if you have rodents in your commercial kitchen?
- Call a professional pest controller like Progressive Pest Management.
Due to the nature of rodents, it’s important to engage in safe and humane methods of rodent control. David from Progressive Pest Management can assist in developing a plan to eliminate rodents from your commercial kitchen quickly and discreetly.
Cockroaches in commercial kitchens
Cockroaches are a commercial kitchen owner’s worst nightmare. They are the most common crawling insect in the foodservice industry due to their ability to hide in hard to reach and see places and the fact they will feast on almost anything. What’s more, cockroaches harbour disease causing bacteria, such as Salmonella and E. coli.
What are the risks of cockroaches in commercial kitchens?
- Carrying and transmitting diseases
- Transmitting bacteria into your food after feeding on decaying matter (like animal carcasses)
- Destroying your reputation if cockroaches are seen by customers
How to prevent cockroaches in your commercial kitchen?
- Attention to detail when it comes to maintaining good sanitation
- Keep all stored food sealed in airtight containers and empty bins every night (this is good practice to avoid other pests such as ants)
- Use garbage bins which can be sealed away from pests
- Regular inspections from a professional pest controller like Progressive Pest Management to identify infestation risks before they happen.
If you own a food service business in the Ipswich region, get in touch with David from Progressive Pest Management today to discuss how we can work with your business to maintain a pest-free environment.