Pest Control for Food Businesses: Staying Ready for Your Hygiene Inspection

If you run a café, restaurant, takeaway, bakery, butcher’s or food production unit, a single mouse sighting can cause real damage – to your stock, your reviews and your food hygiene rating. Food businesses are legally required to keep their premises free from pests, and an inspector will expect to see that you are taking that seriously.

Here is what that means in practice, and how a regular pest control contract helps you stay on top of it.

What inspectors look for

When an environmental health officer visits, pest control is one of the areas they check. They will typically look for:

• signs of pests such as droppings, gnaw marks, insects or nesting material
• gaps around doors, pipes and walls where pests could get in
• how food is stored, and whether bins and waste areas are kept clean and covered
• evidence that you have a pest control plan in place and act on any problems

That last point is where many small businesses fall down. Even if you have never had a problem, being able to show regular checks and a written record makes a real difference.

The pests we see most in food premises

• Mice and rats – especially in winter, when they move indoors looking for warmth and food
• Cockroaches – often brought in with deliveries and packaging, and they hide in warm spots behind equipment
• Flies – around bins, drains and back doors in warmer months
• Stored product insects – beetles and moths in flour, grains and dry goods
• Birds – around loading areas, bins and outdoor seating

Simple steps you can take

• Keep doors shut or fitted with brush strips, and screen windows that open
• Store dry goods in sealed containers, off the floor
• Check deliveries before they go into storage
• Keep bin areas clean, lidded and away from entrances
• Clean behind and under equipment regularly
• Train staff to report any sign of pests straight away

How a commercial contract helps

Our commercial pest control contracts are designed for busy local businesses. You get:

• scheduled routine visits by RSPH-qualified technicians
• written reports after every visit, ready to show an inspector
• monitoring and bait stations placed safely and discreetly
• fast call-outs between visits if you spot a problem
• advice on proofing, so problems are prevented rather than just treated
• a fixed price agreed up front

We visit in unmarked vans, so your customers will never know we have been.

Covering businesses across three counties

We look after cafés, pubs, restaurants, shops, farms and warehouses across Staffordshire, Cheshire and Derbyshire, including Stoke-on-Trent, Stafford, Macclesfield, Buxton and Leek.

Call 07971 571 171 or freephone 0800 999 7378 to arrange a free site survey, or get in touch online.