Ever since you were young, you have always dreamt of having your own business someday. You would not want to stay being an employee all your life; not that you are looking down on people who opt to be employees until you retire. It is just that you feel you are destined to have a different path from the rest of the world. From most of them anyway. Now that you have your own restaurant, you know it is just the start of something big. And to achieve those big things, you have to work hard to keep your business growing and protect it from any challenges within and outside your restaurant premises.
Three Problems Business Owners Face
Among the many challenges, you as a restaurant owner will face include maintaining quality, keeping your staff happy yet disciplined, and of course, pests! These are the three main problems for the restaurant business.
Of these three, it is the pests that give the most headaches. Why? You can always rebound from low quality; you will just have to work harder to improve. If you are having issues with your staff, you can always train them and if the problems persist, you can always hire new and better ones. The thing about them is, there are always second, third, fourth, or even unlimited chances to get back on track.
This is something you may not have when pests are the problem.
In today’s world of Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social media, the image has never been as important as it is now. Just imagine the damage that a pest like a roach or a rat could bring to your restaurant's reputation. If people find out about it on social media, it will surely result in losses and worse, closure.
Business owners suffer the loss of reputation, fines from local governments, and damage claims from customers.
What Are The Main Types Of Pests In Businesses?
Who would forget that scene in Sesame Street, where the customer told Grover the waiter that “there is a fly on my soup". After lots of arguing, Grover finally agreed to replace the customer’s soup. After a few minutes, he came back with a bowl of “cream of mosquito soup”, which resulted in the customer fainting. Now, Sesame Street did not reveal what happened next after the customer recovered from fainting, but it could be that lawsuits followed.
Unfortunately, this scene does not happen in fiction only; it probably happens every day in restaurants all over the world. As a restaurant owner, you are obliged to keep your premises free of pests.
Pests can be defined as insects or animals that negatively affect human activities and businesses. Pests can be a nuisance just with their presence alone. A nuisance pest like lizards or gnats, though harmless, can have a negative effect on customer experience. This will result in a loss in repeat business.
Before looking for a good pest extermination service provider, determine the pests in your surroundings. What are the types of pests you should worry about as a business owner? Below is a rogue’s list of these pests:
Cockroaches
There are more than 4,000 identified species of cockroaches, and they are found all over the world. Fortunately, we only have 4 roaches that are identified as pests: American, German, Oriental, and brown-banded cockroaches. Cockroaches are the dirtiest creatures there is. They thrive on filth and eat anything from feces, rotting animals, dead insects, and trash. Due to these filthy feeding habits, they carry with them lots of bacteria and viruses. Roaches can transmit diseases like salmonella, E. Coli infections, typhoid fever, and cholera.
For restaurants and hotels, the most common of these four is the German cockroach. German cockroaches are small types of roaches and are tan to clack in color. They are usually brought inside establishments through packages or boxes because German roaches are very good hitchhikers. They thrive in areas with plenty of moisture, warmth, and of course food. They are nocturnal, but if you see them during the day, it means there are plenty of them already. That is, of course, going to be a PR nightmare for you.
To prevent having German cockroaches, or any other type of cockroaches, good housekeeping is important. Make sure you dispose of your garbage regularly and properly. Put a lid on your trash cans as these can be food sources for the roaches. Do not keep food lying around and place them in sealed containers. Do not leave unwashed dishes overnight on the kitchen sink. Sweep or vacuum food crumbs or food particles. Wipe off drink spills.
Rats & Mice
Rodents are another type of pests that will surely put you out of business. Once a customer finds one in your restaurant, he or she will surely take pictures of it and send them out on the internet in no time. Next thing you know, you are viral for all the wrong reasons. Rats and mice are just as filthy and dangerous as cockroaches. They cause damage to property with their incisors that are constantly growing. Rodents need to constantly chew on something to keep them from growing. They chew on cardboards, boxes, books, papers, food, and they chew through walls. They are fire hazards because they chew on electric cables and gas pipes. And worse of all, they can make all of us sick through their droppings, urine, saliva, and vomit. They transmit deadly diseases like leptospirosis, rat-bite fever, salmonella, and Haverhill fever. As you can see, rodents have no place in businesses no matter how cute they look.
Rats and mice are nocturnal creatures so they forage for food while everyone else is back home sleeping. To keep them away, check around your restaurant for cracks, crevices, or holes. Rats can enter a hole half an inch in diameter. Seal them off by caulking. Place your food inside sealed containers. Dispose of your trash regularly and put a lid on your trash cans. Fix leaky pipes and faucets since rodents love moisture. You can also set up traps, but be sure to place them beside walls since rats and mice prefer to crawl near them and are uncomfortable crawling out in the open.
Flies
The presence of flies will give a negative dining experience to customers. Flies are not only pesky insects, but they are disease carriers as well. Their filthiness is matched only by cockroaches. Like the roaches, flies eat anything from rotten food, dead animals, feces, and garbage. Flies can transmit deadly diseases like cholera, typhoid fever, and salmonella. They are perhaps the most irritating insects. To keep flies out, place a lid on your trash cans and garbage bins. Throw away your garbage regularly. Always keep your doors and windows closed. Keep your food inside sealed containers. Always wipe off food debris and drink spills.
Ants
Ants may get some love because of their hardworking ways and their use of teamwork, but they should not be in your business establishment. Though ants are not really known to transmit deadly diseases, they are surely an embarrassment to have in your restaurant. If people find out you have ants, they could take it as a sign that your restaurant is not hygienic at all. Ants are also known to sting even without provocation, and their stings are painful. They can also steal some of your food. It is even said that ants can cause structural damages more than termites could. To get rid of ants, regularly dispose of your garbage. Keep your food in sealed containers. Sweep or vacuum food debris. Wipe off drink spills.
Mosquitoes
They may be small and fragile-looking, but mosquitoes are terrifying. They are not called the “most dangerous creatures on earth” for nothing. They have killed more people than all the wars in history combined, and continue to murder millions every year. Mosquitoes can make your staff sick, because these tiny insects are capable of transmitting dangerous diseases, including malaria, dengue fever, West Nile fever, encephalitis, and elephantiasis. Female mosquitoes suck blood so that they can produce eggs. They breed in standing water, and in restaurants, there are plenty of areas with standing water. Get rid of mosquitoes by getting rid of items that can hold water for a week, like old tires, old cans, old gutters, water containers, and abandoned birdbaths. Put on insect repellents with the active ingredient DEET for added protection.
No pests are the same. They have different behaviors, habitats, diets, and even circadian rhythms. The most important thing, therefore, is learning how to identify them and how they act.
Businesses who know how to prevent pest infestation problems are more likely to have no pests within their premises. They become more productive than those who do not have pest prevention measures.
Most Trusted Pest Control Company In North Carolina
If your business in Cornelius still needs help with pests, you may call the best pest control company since 1959, Lake Norman Home Services.
Lake Norman Home Services Has earned the trust of millions of residents and businesses in Cornelius.