As much as we don’t like to think about it, pests can (and often do) find their way into even the cleanest restaurants. From seasonal ants and beetles to cockroaches and rodents, there is a wide range of critters and creepy crawlers waiting for the right opportunity to infiltrate your building and make your eatery their next home sweet home. The best way to effectively manage a pending pest infestation is to recognize that you have one. Here are four telltale signs that you may have a pest problem and need an exterminator.
Nesting Evidence
While most of us can identify an indoor anthill, other bugs, insects, and vermin all have different nesting habits that may be a little tougher to notice. Many small pests like to make their home in quiet, dark spaces. Look under furniture and in unoccupied, shadowy corners for indicators that something has set up residence in your kitchen. Some types of pests prefer to burrow into the walls. In between meal services, take a moment to listen for scurrying or rustling noises, either in the walls or even overhead in the ceiling. Finally, accumulated materials, like shredded newspapers, wood shavings, cardboard, and cloth can also be signs of pests nesting somewhere in your establishment.
Droppings
While not every pest leaves behind droppings, many do. Rodents and cockroaches will produce excrement that you may find around your kitchen or dining area. Additionally, if you have a large cockroach infestation, you may notice an unpleasant smell permeating throughout the space.
Food Damage
Unfortunately, pests aren’t content to simply live, nest, and breed inside your restaurant; these voracious creatures also want to eat there as well. Bugs and rodents can make their way into your kitchen’s shelves and cupboards, looking for their next meal and contaminating everything they come across. Bite marks, tears, and holes on the packaging of any of your ingredients could mean that you’re feeding some unwanted guests in your eatery.
You (or Your Customers) See One
The biggest telltale sign that you need an exterminator? Seeing an actual pest on the premises. As a restaurant owner, it’s essential to take any sightings or customer complaints seriously. Insects and rodents are more than just unsightly; they are also unsanitary and can quickly spread a multitude of pest-borne illnesses and diseases to any of your patrons. Also, it’s worth noting that certain pest species, like cockroaches, are nocturnal animals. If you or your diners see one during daylight hours, there’s a fairly high chance that you have a large infestation onsite.
Hire Professional Restaurant Extermination Services
If you’ve seen any of these pest indicators at your restaurant, it’s important to get professional help as quickly as possible. A licensed and certified pest control services team can quickly, effectively, and safely eliminate entire populations of pests where they live and breed. Want to hear more? Contact Pest Control Unlimited at (888) 649-9919 for more information.
