Owning or managing a restaurant is a lot of work. In spite of the long hours, it is still one of the most popular businesses for entrepreneurs to pursue. Despite its popularity, the restaurant business is also the one most likely to fail. While there are a number of reasons for failure, one especially troubling reason is bad reviews thanks to cockroaches.
Some problems like bad service or poor food quality can be fixed over time. However, there is no coming back from pest control complaints. Once the complaints start, your Dallas restaurant is forever tainted with the image of unclean. In the case of cockroaches, its even worse. Even a whisper of the possibility of cockroaches can result in immediate bad press. Thats why its important to take action quickly and secure commercial pest control services to combat the problem before its too late.
Problems Cockroaches Bring
Of the many types of pests in Texas, none keeps the customers away as much as the cockroach. It doesnt matter how good the food or service is, the end result is the same – a damaged reputation and a loss of revenue. Besides these detrimental consequences, cockroaches also cause the following problems:
- Impacts employee morale: The restaurant business depends on happy employees who love what they cook, serve, and provide. With cockroaches making everything seem dirty or filthy, the morale of your employees will drop. This manifests itself as apathy while on the job and an inability to retain employees.
- Compromised food: Cockroaches love the same foods you do. For this reason, they will do anything they can to infest your food supplies. When this happens, the food becomes contaminated or spoiled. Since cockroaches can chew through numerous types of food packages, the best-case scenario is food spoiled by air exposure. However, with cockroach contact comes exposure to bacteria thus making the food harmful to ingest. Either way, you cant serve it to customers and will have to order new inventory ahead of schedule.
- Illness abounds: Since cockroaches carry bacteria and can and will get into anything. After cockroaches become a problem, the chance of people becoming sick is quite high. Some common illnesses to watch out for include E. coli, food poisoning, and cholera among many others.
- Failed inspections: Maybe you got lucky and no one saw the cockroach or two that skittered along the floor of your establishment. That wont save you come inspection time. Cockroaches are synonymous with unsanitary conditions which are a surefire way to fail a health inspection. Failed inspections translate to restaurant closure. Know The Warning Signs Despite a restaurants best efforts, its not always possible to prevent a roach infestation. Thats why its critical that all restaurant staff knows how to identify the signs of a roach infestation so that you can tackle the problem before it gets out of hand.Some common signs to remember include:
- Cockroach sighted: By far, this is the most obvious sign of a cockroach invasion. With roaches, its safe to assume that seeing one means there is a lot more on the premises.
- Bad smell: Cockroaches secret an oily pheromone that smells unpleasant. For restaurants, this is a horrible problem since the smell can affect the flavor of the food being prepared. If customer complaints about bad tasting food rise, it could be a sign of a roach problem.
- Droppings: Roaches wont care where they leave their droppings, which means any affected area is automatically unsanitary. These droppings are made of fecal matter and regurgitated food and look like ground pepper flakes. If you see these droppings, its time to call in the professionals.
- Molting evidence: Cockroaches are known to shed their outer protective layer at different stages of growth. Finding missing skin can mean theres a roach problem at hand.
Tips To Prevent Infestation
While commercial pest control should be a regular part of property maintenance for Dallas restaurants, that doesnt mean there arent some helpful tips to remember for day-to-day pest control management.
Weve put together a checklist of items to remember during operation:
- Remove food sources: Roaches like many pests are scavengers and will eat nearly anything in addition to food scraps like cardboard and expired paper products. By removing these items in a timely manner, you eliminate their food source and theyll want to live elsewhere.
- Take away their water: Spilled water on the ground or water left sitting in the sink may not seem like an immediate concern, but they represent watering holes for cockroaches. Shore up any leaky faucets or pipes and keep things ventilated to avoid roach problems.
- Nix their shelter: In general, cockroaches are reliant on human structures to keep living. They need the warmth and humidity buildings naturally provide. Addressing this is as simple as closing off all entry points. Pay close attention to concerns like holes and cracks around the windows and doors.
Commercial Pest Control Services with Delta 1 Pest Control
To ensure that you don’t develop a cockroach problem, its best to call in the professionals. Commercial pest control is the best method to ensure that you never have to deal with cockroaches or other unwanted pests. At Delta 1 Pest Control, we have the experience to keep your restaurant and your reputation clean. We provide unmatched service and attention to our clients in Dallas and Fort Worth. Unlike other companies, we work with you to determine your full range of needs so that we can develop a plan that fulfills all of your pest control issues discreetly and professionally.
Are you ready to explore your pest control options? Contact us to speak with one of our agents about our professional pest control services or fill out our online form to schedule your free quote.
