— By Patricia Hottel, BCE — All pests will have certain environmental preferences and survival needs. When the right conditions are met, pests thrive. Sanitation, employee practices, facility processes, and structural and equipment design can either hinder or help pest’s survival. In fact, not all areas within a facility will meet the needs of the pest equally and certain areas will have a higher risk for pest development than others. Here is a list of some of the 10 most common areas of pest activity by product type, structural …
pest control
— By Patricia Hottel — Managing pests during the pandemic. Characterizing the effects of the pandemic on restaurant pests can be difficult due to the varied responses across the industry. Coping with COVID-19 challenges has resulted in varying degrees of business innovation, dependent upon the type of facility and geographic location. Reduced hours to complete shutdowns have been a common practice. Just as businesses have continued to adapt, so have pests. Restaurateurs should continue taking the steps that help limit threats to food safety, as risks are still present. …
— By Dr. Nancy Troyano — The most common pest issues in restaurants by month — and what you need to know to defeat them. With plenty of food, sugar-rich beverages, moisture and heat, restaurants are essentially the perfect environment for pests. Battling pests is a daily, year-round war, but it can be hard to prepare if you don’t know what the enemy looks like or from what direction it is coming. Based on an analysis of 2 years’ worth of data from restaurants, we were able to determine …
— By Carol L. Carey — How to control social media and news coverage of your establishment through effective, preventative pest control. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, local news outlets and even national television cover everything: the good, the bad and the ugly — and not all publicity is good publicity. Contrary to the types of stories you want printed about your establishment, negative stories can “go viral” quicker than positive ones. If someone finds a rat in the produce section at a local grocery store, or food poisoning at …
— By Mike Watt — How to get rid of the frequent diners you do NOT want. There is no privacy anymore, and no privacy can often turn into terrible publicity for restaurants. For instance, go to YouTube and type in the query “video rats in a restaurant” and more than three pages come up all showing rats running around a restaurant kitchen. But, that’s not the only rodent restaurant owners and managers may have to grapple with. If rats are present, very often mice are as well. …
— By Shane McCoy — How technological developments are changing pest management. Pest management is an ancient practice, one that has existed since crops have been cultivated for food. Just because it’s been around since the beginning of time, though, doesn’t mean it’s stayed the same. In the last 10 to 15 years, technology has revolutionized how we communicate, how we socialize and how we do business. The pest management industry is no exception. The use of technology, whether created specifically for or adapted to the pest management industry, has …
— By Angela Tucker, Ph.D. — It’s not just a restaurant problem: Here are some common pests in retail facilities. With frequent deliveries, changing inventories and new visitors every day, retailers face a unique set of pest control challenges and problems. Customers may be alarmed by signs of a pest issue, and these unwelcome visitors may even lead to costly damage to inventory and facilities. Retail facility executives should familiarize themselves with general pest control processes and ensure they are followed. Of course, some pests call for special attention. It’s …
— By Carol L. Carey — It’s also what’s OUTSIDE that counts with customers. Your company has prepared by making sure the market research has been done, you have all the latest gadgets, toys, clothing and items everyone would want to buy. Each location is stocked, product and staffing budgets are approved, but are you really prepared? Do you see what I see? Many companies plan and budget for interior cleaning and maintenance. They outline preventative maintenance programs for janitorial services, HVAC, flooring, painting and even lighting. Their focus is …
Memphis, Tenn. — Terminix Commercial, a division of ServiceMaster, has released its first-ever Pest Perceptions Report, an in-depth study of the pest problems businesses such as hotels, restaurants, retailers and apartments face, as well as their confidence in taking them on. The report reveals surprising truths about pests in commercial settings, and commemorates Terminix Commercial’s new brand launch.