Taking Preventative Steps to Avoid a Shutdown
Nothing can destroy the reputation of a restaurant faster than customers seeing mice or rats during their dining experience, or even if they’re just waiting for a take away pick up. With social media, and local community groups, a sighting of rats and mice in restaurants (or droppings) can in a few clicks go viral across North London and beyond! A simple apology or complimentary meal might not be enough to prevent the damage to the business.
In most instances, we tend to find that restaurants with rodent issues have not invested in a professional pest inspection and monitoring plan. Actioning the support of a pest control company at that point to fix the problem is always recommended, but won’t improve your reputation, at least in the short term. These days most customers expect restaurants to have pest prevention plans in place. It demonstrates that the business takes customers (and employees) health and wellbeing seriously. It also demonstrates that the owner of the restaurant values his business and its reputation.
Rats and Mice in Restaurants
It’s a challenge keeping rodents out of restaurants. Managing food waste can always be a challenge in a busy restaurant, where trails of food residue can be found. Whether it’s in the front or rear of the restaurant, managing waste can be time consuming. If this unpleasant task isn’t done well and like clockwork, then rodents are not far behind. It’s just a matter of time until those rats and mice are inside the building and causing serious problems. Rodents are active after dark when they can forage without being seen. If you’re seeing them active during the day, this could be a sign of a high level infestation.
Rodents and Your Reputation
Signs of rodents can quickly lead to poor google reviews and unfavourable social media attention. Ultimately can cause serious financial damage to a business, but the real concerns about rodents inside a restaurant are the health consequences to the customers and employees.
Physical Damage Caused by Rats and Mice in Restaurants
Rodents will quickly take up any opportunity to enter a restaurant. They’re also equally capable of gnawing holes in the walls, doors, roof, ceiling, and any other obstacle to their entry into the property. Rodents will damage products and contaminate ingredients in the storeroom. Mice often will nibble on so many packages that it seems like they damaged everything.
Once rodents have gnawed their way into large packages or storage bins, they may then just move in, make a nest, and start multiplying inside the restaurant. Rodents also pose a real health and safety issue, by chewing on electric cables and water pipes, causing fires and floods. Repairing this damage can be extremely expensive and time consuming.
Health Consequences
It’s well known that rodents are vehicles for bacteria, inside and out, and, if they are present inside a restaurant , then food contamination is occurring which threatens public health. Pathogens found in rat droppings and urine can lead to the spread of dangerous diseases such as Leptospirosis, commonly known as Weil’s Disease and Salmonellosis. Rats and mice in restaurants will contaminate tables, equipment, prep tables, dishes, and everything that they touch during their nightly explorations and food forays. A rodent in a restaurant is like a living inoculating needle in a microbiology lab – it spreads microorganisms everywhere.
Damage to wiring, food containers, structural elements, and other materials is visible if it can be found. Contamination is not visible. A person who eats in a rodent infested facility can quickly become unwell and not know the source of the bacteria (e.g., which meal, which food item, which piece of food service or surface,) that made them so sick. Rodent faecal droppings, leading to a hospital admission. are visible, however, airborne dust from dried rodent droppings and residue from rodent droppings left on the broom, vacuum, or other facility “cleaning” equipment cannot be seen but can result in contamination.
The extent of food contamination by one mouse is difficult for most people to imagine and it’s even more incredible if there are several rodents present. Rodents are covered in hairs and continuously shed them during their activities. The hairs, whether attached to the animal or not, are loaded with bacteria.
Rodents and Legal Obligations
Property owners have a legal obligation under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 to keep premises rodent free or to report infestations to the local authority. And aside from the reputational costs, there are also fines for businesses found to have a pest problem. This is a reason why ensuring you have a rat and mice extermination plan in place is vital to protect your business. The success or survival of a restaurant today requires a much greater emphasis on rodent prevention rather than on rodent control after an infestation is detected.
Proactive Pest Prevention: Avoid Getting Rats and Mice in Restaurants
Keeping rodents out of a restaurant or food service facility will require professional pest prevention services as well as commitment and effort by restaurant management. Pest control is vitally important for companies that handle food, like restaurants. We understand that your business is paramount to you.
That’s why we believe in offering that personal touch, when you work with Sparta Pest Control, you will have a dedicated and qualified pest control technician who will visit your premises. Despite many food safety regulations and inspections, rodent problems and infestations are increasing in restaurants and food service facilities. The presence of rats and mice in restaurants is a critical food safety concern due to unseen food contamination that occurs.
Summary
Sightings of by customers of rats and mice in restaurants are posted on social media instantly for people to know. The damage to the restaurant’s name and business can be huge and permanent. A proactive rodent prevention program to keep rats and mice out of restaurants and food service facilities is the only good solution to safeguard your business.
Steps to Take When You Suspect a Pest Problem or to Prevent a Pest Problem:
- Contact Us: By phone, email or webform.
- Site visit: We undertake a visit and undertake a survey.
- Plan: We set out our recommendations for a treatment and/or inspection plan and get rid of your pest problem.
- Monitor: We are able to provide ongoing monitoring by putting an inspection plan in place. Working in partnership with an ongoing Review of the Inspection and Treatment Plan.
