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Sanitation

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Sanitation, I think most of us don’t think about but maybe subliminally it’s there? You throw away garbage because it will spoil and smell bad. Food goes bad and we clean out the refrigerator. We clean the counters and the surfaces because they are dirty. So why don’t restaurants do the same? After binge watching Gordon Ramsey on Hell’s Kitchen. Sanitation is VITAL.

Places people should clean:

Sides of stoves, refrigerators. Fans need to be cleaned, oils cling to everything.
Pull out the refrigerator clean the coils, this will save on electricity.
Tops of everything, stoves, cabinets, lighting – everything.
Doors and windows.
Walk in coolers need to be checked frequently. Never stack chicken on top.
Pantries – rotate stock.
If you notice bugs, call your Pest Management Professional ASAP. Things will not get better over time.
Have a system or plan in place, example – wash floor nightly, clean countertops nightly and always say who cleans what.
This should occur at home as well, daily chores.

You know theres trouble when ….

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This story caught my attention because of the following – “The reports states the inspection was not completed because the “inspector was not feeling safe.” This story is out of Maryland and I was caught off guard when the inspector said he didn’t feel safe because he heard crying noises from a storage area.

I think all restaurants need to have pest control, I check bathrooms before I eat any out at any establishment. If the bathrooms are clean generally speaking so is the kitchen and prep areas. From my point of view we always get that call when it’s an emergency and it has gotten to the point of State Inspections. Now don’t get me wrong there are numerous great restaurants that understand the word -clean. But if you own a restaurant here are a few of my tips.

Cleaning is a daily job, if the employee’s are taught right from the very first day and held accountable it will help.
Set up specific duties on different days to accomplish goals. For example Monday – clean all deep fryers, Tuesday specifically clean under all stoves, pull out heavy items, Wednesday – use Biovade or grease eating scum products to prevent build up – making sure to keep drains full of water and clean, Thursday – clean pantry taking stock of all inventory and making sure to use first in first out premise and Friday – clean anything else specific to that restaurant and no taking off duties on weekends.
Post duties and make sure it gets done.
Management must be just as accountable as employee’s.
Don’t tolerate bad behavior.
Praise staff for cleaning excellence – especially if you pass inspections, I suggest a party after work or free food. If everyone buys in, the place will be clean and draw in more consumers.

Grease traps should be checked and evaluated monthly, along with drains and other areas of spillage.

How important is a clean house or restauarant to keeping out the pests?

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After much research here it is – it appears this quote may have come from Rabbi Ben Yair (Hebrew Proverb) (2nd Century) and appears this way in text –

The doctrines of religion are resolved into carefulness; carefulness into vigorousness; vigorousness into absemiousness into cleaniness ; cleaniness into godliness. (spellcheck went crazy over these words….)

So not from the Bible or your Mother, but I’m going to say it should be right up as if it came from either. I’m not saying that if your home is perfectly clean you will never seen bugs. Ants can trail in looking for food and move right on along unless they encounter something. Moisture is probably another much bigger factor, cockroaches can go months without food but seldom a week without water. A speck of food could be a whole meal for a roach. I think the bigger issue – harborage areas for them to hide in. The more cracks and crevices = more availability to hide and stay hidden.

The BIG picture the cleaner the home or restaurant the less chances of hidden pests.

Photo by PPMA

“The doctrines of religion are resolved into carefulness; carefulness into vigorousness; vigorousness into abstemiousness into cleanliness; cleanliness into godliness.” As you can see, in the quote, ‘cleanliness’ is literally next to ‘godliness.‘ – See more at: http://donnaperuginichildrensauthor.com/2011/03/03/where-did-the-saying-cleanliness-is-next-to-godliness-come-from/#sthash.TK7ImvmE.dpuf

German roaches

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German cockroaches are the scourge of the kitchen and sometimes the bathroom. Let them in and they are there to stay until you call ProBest Pest Management that is. Many people attempt to solve their roach problems and sometimes it works but you have to understand their biology. So maybe you kill a few here or there, you should realize that that is only the tip of the iceberg. I don’t recommend the use of bug bombs; they tend to make the roaches go deeper and further away for the time being. So here are a few tips to keep them out:

Don’t keep boxes in the pantry; put the food into plastic containers.
Don’t allow food to sit around.
Keep the kitchen free from dirt and grease.
Pull out the refrig from time to time and clean it, an extra tip – clean the condenser coils it will save you money.
If you see one, look deeper. Don’t panic but don’t underestimate the finding.

What are the common pest issues in restaurants?

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There are always issues with occasional invaders within building but lets just focus on the Top 2 – Flies and Cockroaches

Flies – the first and foremost most important is the inspection, after you decide on which species it then can treated. Each pest we deal with has unique and often times complex life cycles which must be addressed. House flies are common in building but are usually an issue with door being left open, while Fruit flies are a result of ripening fruits or decaying organic matter. So lets look at a few:

House flies – is there animal waste or garbage outside which could bring this pest to your door? If this is a home its easy to reduce house flies by just removing or cleaning up animal waste. If this is a restaurant, just how close is the garbage or dumpster? Is the lid closed, this in itself could reduce flies and scavenging birds and animals.

Fruit flies – Drains are the biggest culprit, they need to be clean and screens should be in place. Just pouring bleach into a drain will never work, the scum collects on the sidewalls and just pouring bleach will only maybe touch the surface of the scum. Phorid flies prefer areas like cracks and crevices and are similar to Fruit flies in liking decaying organic matter. The product of choice should be a scum eater, like a bio agent. I love those products because they eat grease which often builds up in somewhat hidden areas. Don’t forget areas like mops or kitchen equipment.

Bottle or Flesh flies, if you encounter these it is often associated with dead rodents or decaying matter.

Cockroaches – both German and American can create some issues within restaurants. American or lots of people call them Sewer Roaches, usually associated with drains and grease traps. So keeping the place clean is essential. German Roaches are probably those ones that cause the most sleepness nights to owners, they can be brought in via boxes or materials and can quickly set up shop. Cleaniness is important but these roaches are experts at muliplying and taking advantage of every single opportunity. If you see one there are probably hundreds, just take my advice and call a Pro right away. You need the right tools and the knowledge and you need to get a handle on this ASAP.

Don’t forget it is about the inspection, followed up by detection and then treatment and prevention. (BASF flies Smartsolutions guide)

Photo by PPMA

Cockroaches: An Asthmatic’s Worst Enemy.

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Cockroach. Just the word is enough to send a shiver down anyone’s spine, and it’s no mystery why. Besides being unpleasant to look at, these creepy critters readily transmit disease, produce offensive odors, and trigger severe allergic reactions. Plus, they’re everywhere – according to the National Institutes of Health, detectable levels of cockroach allergens can be found in at least one location in 63% of all US homes.

For asthma sufferers, this is especially problematic – exposure to the insects can aggravate symptoms, trigger asthma attacks, and make life miserable. The link between cockroaches and asthma has been extensively studied, and experts agree that they pose a significant risk. Cockroach allergens are found in the feces, saliva, shells and shed body parts of the insects. It may sound strange, but dead roaches pose a greater risk than living ones! That’s because all of the aforementioned toxins readily diffuse into the air, and into your lungs – even if you’re not spotting the bugs on a daily basis, you still might be exposing yourself to the allergic culprits without knowing it.

Unfortunately (and ironically), the chemicals used to eradicate roaches can exacerbate asthma just as much as the pests themselves. Luckily, there are plenty of steps you can take to make your home a roach-proof, less-triggering place – without all the nasty chemicals. Read on to learn about how to kick the creepers to the curb for good, and get relief from the asthmatic complications they cause.

1. Don’t Let Them Get a Free Meal – Cockroaches will eat anything – crumbs from last night’s pot pie, stale dog food, and even the glue from book bindings! Obviously, you shouldn’t burn all your books, but you should restrict their access to food. Keep your kitchen clean – clean up crumbs and spills, make sure food is kept in tightly-sealed bags or containers, don’t leave pet chow in Fido’s bowl overnight, and take out the trash regularly.

2. Keep it Sealed – If there’s food and moisture in your abode, chances are that roaches will want in – but if you don’t provide any entrances, they’ll be out of luck. Carefully examine your home for cracks in the walls, ceilings, and floors; the openings around pipes are also common entryways. Close up any crevasses with a caulking gun, and make sure to fix leaky pipes or faucets – cockroaches are attracted to water.

3. Get Rid of the Grease – Grease and grime are irresistible to cockroaches, and the longer you go without cleaning your counter-tops, drains, ovens, and vents, the greater the risk of unwelcome visitors. Don’t give in to the temptation of leaving your dirty dishes to sit in the sink overnight, and clean vents, counter-tops, and drains often.

4. Vacuum. It’s not so much the roaches themselves that causes problems for asthmatics – it’s the microscopic particles they leave behind. Once you’ve made strides in roach-proofing your home, it’s important to tackle the debris. Vacuum your floors frequently, wipe down furniture with a wet washcloth, and consider investing in an air purifier to improve air circulation.

5. If all else fails, call a professional. Tackling a roach infestation takes a massive amount of time and energy, and it may be weeks or even months before your condition starts to improve. If you’re still having problems, reach out to a pest control company – but do some background research beforehand to see if they may offer low-toxicity, environmentally-friendly treatment methods. Do NOT try and take matters into your own hands with harmful chemicals – they will only make symptoms worse!

Cockroaches have been creeping around longer than mankind’s entire existence – hundreds of millions of years longer, to be exact – but that longevity need not translate into misery. By taking preventative measures against these meddlesome insects, you can protect yourself and your loved ones from asthma attacks and other pulmonary troubles.

Zoe Camp is an avid home sealing for http://www.justnebulizers.com and a student at Columbia University who spends her time researching and writing about health care, specifically pulmonary health issues. She hates cockroaches as much as you do.

Photo courtesy Univar

What do you suppose cockroaches will eat?

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What do you suppose cockroaches will eat?

Well I would imagine almost anything! They will eat wallpaper paste, sweets, starch, glue, leather, hair, dog or cat food, grease and oils, soap – well you get the picture almost anything. They are not as picky as Bed Bugs who only live on blood! It is important to understand what they eat because if you are putting a gel bait out and they have enough food they may never get to the gel. I have on many occasions had to inform a homeowner that they must clean the refrigerator because there was grease running down the sides and it was competing with my program.

German Roaches (BugInfo.com) are the ones to watch for, here are a few tips to keeping them out!

Open food boxes after shopping and discard the box, roaches love to hide in between cardboard.
Sanitation is the key, isn’t there a saying “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”.
If you spot one roach, find it and see if there are others.
Handle the situation immediatley or call a Pest Management Professional

How the bugs get in? Part 3

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How the bugs get in? Part 3 – This part will talk about keeping them out.

I watch a lot of those Police, Forensic, True Detective type shows and I think the reason I do this is because I like to figure out the clues. I think “if I was a bug how would I get in”? Then I use those clues to come up with the plan of attack, without the inspection there would be no clues, no insights and no plan of attack.

So from Part 1 and Part 2, we see the problem and now my recommendations to stop the American (sewer) Roaches from continuing to get into the facility. Install screens and make sure to put water into the S-trap or P-traps whatever you may call it. I also noticed a grease trap outside the back door, after I had made this observation it became obvious where these roaches were spending their time.

There is plenty of room inside the lids and the top and sides for roaches to hide and disgusting as it may be plenty of food for them to eat – remember what they need to survive – food, shelter and water – the trifecta for roaches. So that P-trap or S-trap becomes essential in keeping gases and them out of the building. They also have drain net or baskets to keep foreign debris from getting into the grease trap, I once saw a fork and drinking glass inside a grease trap – no idea how that worked itself way down into that trap.

Book em Dano I mean Keith!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just the facts please…. provide info to expedite the treatment!

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Just the facts please…. provide info to expedite the treatment!

Today I received a new lead from an online referral site and I’ll tell you I love getting referrals but I need more information. So here is a list of things to tell the bug guy when they show up at your home.

When you call the office please tell the receptionist what you’re experiencing, for example are you being bitten. It is really important to answer the questions like Who, what, where, when, why and how. To me its almost like being a detective, we need all the information so that we can make an intelligent recommendation on treatment.
After receiving the information the technician comes up with the treatment plan and discusses this with the homeowner.
We have talked about this before but before the technician arrives please reduce clutter and vacuum the area (if you have a bag vacuum please throw it away). I remember years ago in Florida, someone had vacuumed and put the entire vacuum with bag into the closet. I was amazed at the numbers of fleas in the closet and elsewhere in the home, but they were concentrated within that closet.
A lot of the treatment plans may include a followup visit – remember this occurrence took time to build up and probably will take time to completely solve it. Don’t think for one minute that we are magicians and can make this outbreak disappear overnight, won’t happen…. This usually surprises me the most, even after discussing this with some customers they are upset that they still might see the occasional roach or two. I learned many years ago, we attempt to eradicate at least 97% on the first visit to get control but depending on a variety of circumstances this number may change. Sanitation is a leading cause of failure, if the place has grease or oil everywhere all the pesticide in the world won’t change the outcome. The pesticide will lose it efficacy and the roaches will have plenty to eat and not be affected by the product.
Work with the technician and follow any advice, he has probably seen it all so it won’t be a big surprise to him. Clean behind the stove and refrigerator yearly, pay particular attention to the fan motor (warm and probably close to the overflow pan).