From rodents to roaches, pests can be a restaurant owner's worst nightmare. With the potential to spread diseases, frighten patrons, and tarnish your reputation, these invaders can quickly put your business in jeopardy without proper pest control. If you're a restaurateur, be on the lookout for the following common critters.

What Pests Might You Find in Your Restaurant?

1. Cockroaches

Roaches are unwelcome anywhere, but they're especially offputting in a food-based business like a restaurant. These pests have an uncanny ability to multiply, meaning infestations can quickly spiral. Plus, as carriers of disease-causing bacterias, such as E.coli and Salmonella, these pests can contaminate everything from food packaging to expensive machinery.

As omnivores, roaches are primarily attracted to meat, cheese, sugar, starch, and decaying food items. However, they can eat anything with nutritional value and even survive for months without a food source. Additionally, cockroaches are tough to remove due to their resistance to many sanitation products and ability to scatter.

2. Rodents

Restaurants offer everything rodents seek: food, water, and warm shelter. Plus, with easy access through open windows and doors, rodents can conveniently make themselves at home inside. As a result, mice and rats are among the most common pests restaurateurs face.

In addition to frightening patrons and tarnishing your reputation, rodents can contaminate the food and packaging they come into contact with through gnawing, eating, and breeding. Contaminated food will need to be replaced, which can quickly become costly. Mice and rats also carry several illnesses, from murine typhus to salmonellosis and rat bite fever.

3. Flies

Fly species are as varied as the foods they're attracted to, and they tend to gather near restaurant kitchens. One of the most commonly known species is the fruit fly, which is drawn to sugary liquids. On the other hand, drain flies are attracted to rotting food, which is why it's essential to keep waste to a minimum by regularly disposing of trash. In addition to being a nuisance, flies also carry vector-borne diseases and pathogenic bacteria.

A pest problem can jeopardize your business, so it’s important to call in professionals right away. With 70 years of industry experience and a customer-first attitude, Acme Pest Control Co in Concord, NC, keeps homes and businesses clean with their flexible residential and commercial pest control services. From roach control to rodent removal, they’ll help remove pests efficiently and affordably, so you can maintain a pristine reputation. If you suspect a pest problem in your kitchen, call (704) 786-4166. To learn more about their services, visit them online.