Tips for German Cockroach Control in Commercial Kitchens
Transcript from Video
In commercial kitchens, the invasion of German Cockroaches can be as inevitable as the arrival of warm spring weather after a long winter. However, there are ways to prevent their infestation and stop them from taking over. To help with this issue, our president, Matthew S. Hess, has compiled this list of Tips for German Cockroach Control in commercial kitchens. By following these tips, you can ensure a safe and hygienic environment for your employees and customers alike.
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It’s common for food and supplies to be contaminated with cockroaches and their eggs. To prevent infestations, it’s important to monitor and check your supplies as they arrive. When inspecting for signs of cockroaches, keep an eye out for egg casings, different stages of the cockroach life cycle known as instars, exoskeletons that have been shed, live cockroaches, and dead ones. This way, you can catch any incoming cockroaches and take necessary measures.
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It is possible for employees to bring German Cockroach infestations from their homes. This risk increases when employee stations and break rooms are used for storing personal items. As a precautionary measure, it is advisable to encourage employees to leave their personal belongings in their vehicles whenever possible.
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German cockroaches usually harbor close to their food source and travel very little when food is plentiful. Locating food sources will help locate harborage areas. Eliminating those food sources will directly impact the harborage.
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German cockroaches tend to hide in cracks, crevices, and voids, including those within the equipment. Inspecting and treating these areas can reduce the number of hiding spots and ultimately eliminate the infestation.
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To effectively eliminate German cockroaches, it’s important to identify their hiding spots in cracks, crevices, and voids and seal them off or repair them to minimize these areas. By doing so, you can disrupt the roaches’ ability to harbor and make it easier to eradicate them. Roaches without hiding spots are much simpler to eliminate.
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Building components like electric conduits, water pipes, and cables have the potential to connect to multiple areas within a structure. As a result, they may also act as transportation highways for roaches to move from one area to another. These transportation highways should be eliminated when possible (by means of sealant or structural modifications) or regularly treated and monitored to avoid infestation.
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When dealing with a German cockroach infestation, it’s important to understand that these pests reproduce extremely quickly. In fact, they hold the title for the fastest reproduction rate among all cockroach species. To ensure successful eradication, it’s crucial to stick to a consistent weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly treatment schedule until the population is eliminated.
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Locating and accessing wall voids can be challenging, and treatments may not effectively target these areas. This can lead to infestations persisting and increasing in size. When dealing with German Cockroaches, locating and accessing wall voids where the pests may be hiding is important. However, this can be a challenging task that requires specialized equipment and expertise. High-powered flashlights, specialized inspection mirrors, insecticidal flushing equipment, monitor traps, and other tools can help.
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It’s relevant to note that Female German Cockroaches don’t release their egg casing, also known as ootheca until they’re ready to hatch. These females tend to gather in cracks, crevices, and voids while keeping their ootheca firmly attached. Failing to target these areas during treatment can result in population growth despite efforts to control their numbers.
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To ensure successful German Cockroach treatments, it is crucial to locate and treat key harborages. By considering where cockroaches are likely to hide and anticipating their behavior, it becomes easier to identify these areas. Thinking like a cockroach requires skill and education, but plenty of pest control companies have such skilled and educated staff ready to work!
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Improper sanitation practices are the leading cause of ongoing cockroach infestations in commercial facilities. To effectively control existing infestations and prevent future occurrences, it is crucial to hire competent staff to maintain the cleanliness of your commercial kitchen. This may mean firing your current team and hiring skilled, qualified, and able staff who can maintain the proper level of sanitation required for a commercial kitchen.
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It’s a good idea to store your supplies in airtight containers when possible. This will prevent any potential infestations from spreading. Certain supplies may not be suitable for storage in airtight containers.
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Regularly clean and sanitize your storage areas to further reduce the risk of cockroach infestations. It is common for businesses to overlook their storage areas, but small infestations in these areas can lead to bigger issues in the kitchen. It is important to stay on top of these infestations in order to maintain control throughout the facility.
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Sticky traps may not eliminate a roach infestation, but they can provide some assistance. Putting them in spots where cockroaches have been seen makes it possible to identify where they are coming from and isolate their hiding places. Additionally, these traps can be placed in areas with little to no activity to observe if there is any movement beyond the known locations and to prevent further infestation outside the known infested zones.
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It may be in your best interest to hire a professional pest management firm to control cockroaches in your facility. When you do, choosing a professional and reputable company is important. To do so, you can start by asking other facilities for recommendations and conducting a quick Google search to find companies in your area. Choosing a company with high review ratings and a good reputation is best. Additionally, it’s worth visiting their website to see if they offer helpful information on creating a safer environment for everyone. By following these steps, you can be confident that you will receive top-quality service.
As a business owner or manager, it’s vital to take action to prevent cockroach infestations and their hiding places. However, inadequate resources, equipment, and knowledge may require assistance from a professional pest control company. In fact, commercial kitchens may be required to hire outside experts for pest control.
Working with a professional pest control company is crucial to cover these 15 tips for German cockroach control in commercial kitchens. They have the expertise and tools to identify and address all areas that may be affected by pests. You can ensure a comprehensive and effective solution by following these steps with your staff and chosen pest control company. This will safeguard your property, provide peace of mind, and keep your customers happy, healthy, and returning for meal after meal!
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