No matter where your restaurant is—surrounded by trees or next to a big parking lot—pests are going to be a normal part of life. After all, people come to your restaurant to eat, and so will pests.

Food is food, no matter what type of creature you are, and pests of all kinds love to eat. If there is water present from spills, dripping faucets, or leaking plumbing, pests will thrive. Giving pests ample food scraps and water turns any restaurant into a five-star eatery—for them.

Now, because pests are a part of the restaurant business, they are always going to be around waiting for an opportunity to get in to your establishment and have a party. But there are some things you can do to deal with the pests in your restaurant, and by using these tips, you’ll greatly discourage pests from becoming unwanted dining guests.

#1 — Keep it Clean

Of course, you may already pride yourself on the cleanliness of your restaurant, and that’s a good thing. But cleaning has to be more than just wiping down the counters and sweeping the floor.

Sweeping little bits and pieces of food under a stove or refrigerator is an easy lunch, dinner, or snack for pests, so be careful to sweep everything away from appliances and get everything off the floor.

Mopping every night with a cleaner also reduces any food particles, and leaves a film of unappetizing cleaner behind. Use the same solution for counters, stove tops, cabinets, and anything else that may come into contact with food, and you’ll stay one step ahead of pests wanting in.

#2 — Keep It Dry

Water is the other reason pests want to get into your restaurant—because even if there is no food available, they’ll still stop by for a little drink.

Although water is as common as food in a restaurant, it’s harder to contain. Any little puddle that might be unnoticed by you will certainly get noticed by pests. Even water left behind after cleaning in sinks will allow pests to drink—and if they drink once, they will be back to drink again.

So, wipe up spills, take care of drips, make sure your plumbing is not leaking, and you will make sure those thirsty pests go somewhere else for a drink.

#3 — Keep Them Out

Think about this: All pests that have been getting into your restaurant are getting in from somewhere. If you can keep them out, you won’t have a pest problem or need an insect exterminator. Except, it just isn’t easy.

You’ll have to search inside and out for cracks, crevices, and separations in wood, bricks, stone, and other building materials. Gaps in door jambs are another entrance, and any cracks where a pipe comes in will let pests in, too.

The good news is that you can seal up these places where pests gain entry to your restaurant, and for the most part, this is a do-it-yourself job.

You can caulk gaps around pipes, windows, doors, and even cracks in the foundation of the building. Door jambs can be sealed with new thresholds, and holes can be patched with either plaster or quick-setting concrete.

The Big Three

If you take care of the big three—food, water, and fixing places where pests can get in—you’ll go a long way towards keeping them out. And for any pest problems or questions about how to keep your restaurant pest free, please contact Oliver Exterminating Services. We are a pest and insect exterminator that you can count on.