Keep Pests From Sneaking In The Back Door Of Your Restaurant

Like many battles and conflicts, the war we wage against restaurant pests is most often fought from the inside out, which works great in a lot of ways. However, it does leave out one critical area where preventative pest control measures can actually have a tremendous impact: the exterior of your business.

If the area surrounding your eatery is attracting pests, that increases the risk that your business will become infested as well. Just like the walk-in traffic you attract with menus in your window, proximity to food is a huge factor for how pests decide where to have dinner.

Divert Pests Away from Your Doors 

Start by evaluating potential “hot zones” of pest activity surrounding your restaurant. The dumpster and/or any recycling bins are the first, most obvious place to inspect. Some dumpster best practices to consider:

• Your dumpster should be at least 50 feet, but preferably 100 feet or more, away from your restaurant.
• Dumpsters need to be positioned on top of surfaces like a thick, unbroken pad of concrete so rodents and other pests can’t burrow beneath them.
• There should be a nearby sewer drain collecting runoff.
• Make sure there are no shrubs or other vegetation near the dumpster that animals could leverage to get into the trash.
• Dumpsters should be serviced regularly, especially if they’re already attracting pests. 

Next, scope out the properties surrounding your restaurant, and pay close attention to all types of bodies of water, including:

• Natural -- In other words, be mindful if your restaurant is situated near or alongside natural sources of still water like lakes, ponds and swamps.
• Man-made -- This can include decorative garden ponds, fountains, bird baths, or reservoirs.
• Accidental accumulations -- This can include any small accumulation of standing water, such as sizable puddles after a storm or water collecting in an outdoor flower pot or discarded tire. 

Why pay such close attention to these bodies of water? The fact is, no matter its source or reason for existing, any body of water can attract an array of water-loving pests, such as mosquitoes and aphids, so you don’t want it near your restaurant. 

However, if the body of water is on your property, one way to prevent an infestation from migrating into your restaurant is to cover the water with netting or a mesh grill. If it’s on an adjoining property, it might be worth asking the property owner if you could do the same to keep pests under control.

Besides water, what does the surrounding vegetation look like? Is it neat and trimmed, with appropriate mulch or is it wild and overgrown like something that belongs in the jungle? Not only does a well-landscaped restaurant attract more customers, it actually deters unwanted guests as well. Consider hiring a landscaper to shape up any wild overgrowth that may be bringing more pests to your door.

Finally, if you have an outdoor patio there’s a whole list of things you need to stay on top of to prevent pests:

• Make sure any grass or plant life on or surrounding the patio stays neat and trimmed. 
• Do not store garbage anywhere near the outdoor dining area.
• Keep the area clear of crumbs and debris and mop up any spills immediately. 
• Make sure lighting, which can attract insects, isn’t positioned directly over diners.
• Maintain a robust pest-management strategy all year long, not just when the patio is open. Once pests gain a foothold, they’re harder to manage. 

Want some extra tips for how to keep your restaurant pest-free? Contact us to schedule a free inspection with one of our commercial service planners.