One Popular Pest Hangout in your Restaurant
Drain flies, and a number of other pests, tend to thrive in areas where cleanliness is less than ideal. For a food service business, their presence can be a turn-off for would be diners whose food is compromised by bugs that are known to carry potentially dangerous bacteria. Don’t let your business become a target.
These pests are often the source of costly health department citations, and can leave your reputation in a state that
is less than reputable. That is why effective fly control techniques are essential for any business that prepares, packages, or serves food.
Our Training and Technical Specialist, entomologist, Jennifer Brumfield, reveals how often, many business owners and employees think they can solve drain-fly problems on their own, by just pouring bleach down the drain. But, bleach simply doesn’t work to remediate these pests – and can even make your fly issue worse.
Prevention Tips:
Below is a quick list of tips that can help you keep flies out, and diners in:
- Cover trash containers and keep trash areas free of debris and rotting food
- Seal doors and windows
- Repair torn screens
- Keep counters, appliances and fixtures free of food debris
- Eliminate areas where water may pool and attract flies, paying special attention to drains
Drains hold onto just about everything, particularly in restaurants where food debris, grease and other unknown biological remains invariably end up. But, with proper sanitation, you can eliminate a potentially horrific drain or pest problem.
“Fruit flies are attracted to drains because of the gunk and grime that is caught in them, not only because it provides an excellent food and water source for them, but because it provides a spot for them to breed. And simple tactics like cleaning with bleach and conventional cleaning products will not work.”
Brumfield suggests cleaning the drain with a biodegradable cleaner or an enzyme-based product that will eat the grease and other slime inside the drain. That way, you will stand a much better chance of eliminating the material that is lining your drain pipe – thus eliminating fruit flies’ food and water source.
Keeping this area clean will not only get rid of your fruit fly problem, but will also keep away certain pests like cockroaches that love to lay their eggs in this spot.
Brumfield recommends that regular drain maintenance be introduced for those who have recurring fly problems. If you suspect you have a fruit fly or pest issue and can’t figure out where it’s coming from, contact a pest control professional right away.