As a restaurant owner, you're probably aware of the many threats to your business. One of the most dangerous threats is a rodent infestation. If rats or mice invade your restaurant, you face food contamination, lawsuits, bad reviews, and a failed health inspection. Unfortunately, rodent infestations are common in Portland. Learn what it takes to protect your business from this threat.
Why Rodents Are Attracted To Restaurants
In Portland and the rest of the country, rodents seek out the same essentials. For centuries, rodents have relied on humans for food. They count on pantry crumbs, garbage can leftovers, and table scraps to nourish themselves. Because food is abundant in restaurants, there's a never-ending supply of food for Portland rodents.
Mice and rats also seek out shelter. Once again, restaurants often have plenty of shelter for rodents. Basements or supply closets provide hiding spots for rodents. As hard as you might try to make your establishment unappealing to rodents, this is difficult to do.
In a home, it's challenging to make your property less appealing and accessible to rodents. But restaurants have even more obstacles than homes or other businesses that don't serve food. Customers don't care how many crumbs they leave behind, and an abundance of table scraps makes your garbage prime pickings for rodents in Portland. And unfortunately, there's more at stake for restaurant owners than homeowners.
The Trouble With Rodents In Restaurants
Many issues come with rodent infestations in restaurants. For one, there are health hazards, and in addition to being unsanitary, rodents are dangerous. They hang out in revolting places and pick up pathogens, and when rodents enter your restaurant, they bring those pathogens with them.
If a rat or mouse walks across your counters, they could leave behind a disease. The next time a chef prepares a dish, there's a risk of contamination. Once rodents take over your restaurant, it's only a matter of time before someone becomes ill.
In this day and age of social media, one negative review is all it takes to destroy your business. If a single customer complains about becoming sick or seeing a rodent, your reputation could be ruined. Overcoming the bad review could prove more difficult than you think.
Tips For Keeping Rodents Out Of Your Restaurant
If you don't want rodents in your establishment, you should take the following precautions:
Seal Up Your Building
If you have holes or cracks in the exterior of your building, rodents can get inside. Although rodents are larger than some of the other common local pests, rodents have powerful teeth. They're capable of chewing through tiny openings and turning them into large holes.
For this reason, it's essential to seal up cracks and crevices in your building. Keep doors closed to prevent rodents from running inside.
Clean Up Messes Immediately
During the day, countless spills and messes happen. If you don't clean up those spills as soon as possible, rodents may find their way into your restaurant. Make sure the evening crew cleans up before they leave for the night, or you could open up to rodents in your business.
Store Trash In Cans With Lids
How do you store your trash? If you don't have your garbage in cans with lids, you could be in for trouble. Replace all of your garbage cans with ones that have tight-fitting lids.
Receive On-Going Professional Assistance
The only truly effective way to keep rodents at bay is to rely on on-going professional pest prevention assistance. Here at Big Blue Bug Solutions, we want to protect your Portland business. Call us today for help with that.