[Cockroach Control Issue] An Inside Look

According to a recent survey commissioned by BASF — The Chemical Company and conducted by Harris Interactive, about three in four U.S. adults (77 percent) would not return to a restaurant where they, or a friend or family member, saw a bug. Consequently, it is critical for restaurant personnel to invest in their businesses and improve client retention through a partnership with a trusted pest management professional. Together, pest management professionals and restaurant staff can identify the facility’s greatest pest threats and choose the appropriate treatment methods to prevent and eliminate potential infestations.

Restaurants generally face four chief pest concerns — No. 1 on the list is the cockroach, followed closely by flies, stored product pests and rodents. Below are several tips pest professionals can provide to restaurant owners to help them prevent costly infestations.

THE HUMAN FACTOR. Proper sanitation and maintenance is essential. Kitchen equipment should not only be cleaned, but sanitized. It is a common misconception that clean means sanitized. To clean is to simply remove dirt or debris, whereas sanitizing actually removes surface bacteria and microorganisms. Dirty floor drains should be cleaned regularly to prevent fly infestations, and missing or broken wall and floor tiles should be replaced immediately.

Additionally, proper mop storage is critical to the success of any restaurant IPM program. Mops should be hung clean and allowed to dry in a closet away from food preparation areas. Employees should never leave mops moist, as the moisture creates an ideal breeding site for pests. Finally, restaurant staff must maintain a clean outdoor Dumpster area. Any food debris that is left behind will accumulate and become the perfect food source for disease-carrying pests.

Thorough inspections, regular maintenance and proper sanitation of pest control hot spots should be standard practice for all pest management professionals. Combined with a comprehensive knowledge of professional pest management treatment options, these skills and protocols will ensure that facility management will be prepared to effectively treat and prevent future pest problems.

The author is market development specialist for BASF. He can be reached at amenon@giemedia.com.

New Treatment Options

Even the most rigorous inspection and maintenance practices are sometimes not enough to keep the bugs at bay. Scientific advancements in professional pest management are delivering new products to the marketplace that can be used to supplement any Integrated Pest Management program. Versatility is key in this area because all pest issues are different.

Non-repellent insecticides, like Phantom termiticide-insecticide from BASF, can be applied as crack-and-crevice or spot treatments inside, including food-handling areas, and to the exterior pest entry points of the restaurant. The treatments are undetectable to the insects, the company said, so pests unknowingly contact or ingest the active ingredient. The active ingredient acts slowly enough to allow the opportunity for the treated pest to return to their nests or colonies and expose nestmates to the active ingredient.

While insecticides like Phantom can control pest problems like never before, the long-term success of the program ultimately depends on an open relationship between the restaurant manager and the pest management professional.