How Should Food Workers Deter Pests From Outdoor Dumpsters?
When having a restaurant or any type of food business, proprietors tend to ask themselves which is the best way to prevent pests. And, believe it or not, the best way to do so is by being careful about the things you throw in the trash! Today, we’ll go over how food workers should deter pests from outdoor dumpsters.
When it comes to the impression that customers of a restaurant can take and that it encourages them to return there is absolutely no shortcut. Obviously it is essential to offer good food and drink and good service at a reasonable price.
However, even a five-star service and a multi-star restaurant can be ruined if a single customer sees a cockroach or the sign of a rodent.
As places where food is handled and stored on a daily basis, and also because of structural factors, restaurants, bars and other hospitality businesses are prone to pests that go wherever they can find food.
That is why you should follow this guide to learn how to keep all these animals away from your premises and from your garbage.
Why Should You Worry About What You Throw Away in Your Trash?
When having a dumpster for your business, you must consider it part of your management plan. After all, it’s a feature that you use on a daily basis to get rid of your waste. Sadly, waste and trash are the perfect place that attract pests from many kinds. So, if you don’t take care of this aspect, you will have serious problems with wildlife animals. It’s better to consider all these points so you don’t have to invest more money to hire Wildlife Removal Services in the short term.
The type of pest activity you might struggle with depends on the type of business you have. For instance, construction businesses might experience termites due to old wood. On the other hand, restaurants and other food businesses experience a wide variety of pest issues, such as rodents, flies, and cockroaches.
For this reason, you should beware of common red flags that pest issues present. These are some signs that you’re experiencing a pest problem in your restaurant:
- Cockroach egg casings
- Lots of flies on around the dumpster
- Constant droppings from mice and rats
- There’s a strong urine smell
- You can see lint and fabric nests
Not only do pests bring all sorts of disease and safety hazards, but they also can bring down the look of your business as well. That’s why you must count on an Integrated Pest Management Program for this sort of situation. We’ll go over the main steps of pest control further on in this blog.
How Should Food Workers Deter Pests from Outdoor Dumpsters?
Counting on a commercial dumpster can many times mean responsibility. That’s why business owners must provide regular maintenance. Along with your regular dumpster service, they must be aware of the Do’s and Don’ts of having a dumpster for their business.
Here are some basic things food businesses can do to deter pests from outdoor dumpsters:
- Clean up recyclable materials. Be sure to rinse glass, plastic, and metal containers to be recycled.
- Clean out the trash cans. Washing both the inside and outside of your garbage containers should be a monthly task. It is easier to do this outdoors if you use a garden hose, as well as a brush with a long handle. With the hose rinse and with the brush to clean those areas of the cans that are difficult to reach.
- Close up your trash. The lids of the garbage cans will keep insects away, at the same time that they will avoid bad smells and infestations. For this it is recommended to choose bins with lids.
In general, the most common species that affect the hospitality sector are cockroaches, mice and rats, ants, flies, mosquitoes and termites. It is very important to take precautions to help prevent pests from entering the establishment.
Prevent Pests to Gain Access by Blocking Entry Points
First, businesses must make sure to prevent any potential access points a pest might have. This includes keeping your dumpster covered up at all times. By keeping the lid on the garbage bin, you prevent any type of large pests, such as racoons. Covering the dumpster will prevent any loose garbage as well, thus keeping pests at bay.
Additionally, it’s best if you count on a lid that has a lock, since racoons can sometimes open basic lids. Not only that, but they can also chew any straps in case you decided to tie down the lid.
Also, if you want to prevent any pests entering your business, it’s always a good rule of thumb to keep the dumpster 100 ft away. You can also place it next to a sewer drain. That way, any liquids the trash might have will go directly to the drain and not puddle up.
Lastly, if you start to notice that your dumpster is rusting or cracking up, then seriously consider replacing it. The reason for this is because these issues can make your dumpster develop holes for all types of animals.
Remove Sources of Food, Water, and Shelter
Next, you need to make sure to NEVER throw away any food items. Food can easily bring all types of pests, from flies to raccoons. Also, any food rotting can serve as a petri dish for all sorts of bacteria. Not only that, but it will also stink up the whole container.
You should cover garbage cans with tightly sealed lids to contain odors and empty them several times a day. In addition, garbage should be deposited in the sealed bins in tightly tied plastic bags. It is also advisable to place garbage cans at a distance of at least 5 meters from the building.
Make sure to empty and clean the laundry containers and the soil around them at least once a week. They also keep parking areas and sidewalks litter free and water them regularly.
Have Your Dumpster Placed in Concrete
Furthermore, among the common ways in how food workers should deter pests from outdoor dumpsters, we have placed it on concrete rather than grass. When a trash bin is placed on grass, it invites in both rodents and insects. Moreover, when any liquid drips from the dumpster, it’s easier to clean up if it’s on concrete.
In case there are any bushes or trees nearby your business or dumpster, you’ll want to keep them trimmed up.
You must bear in mind that the waste management of your restaurant is a very important issue. Bad buying and consumption habits, as well as inadequate food management and handling in general, and in restaurants in particular, cause a huge loss of resources and food. Therefore, that importance is based on both economic and ethical reasons.
Keep a Clean Environment and Use Repellents
Additionally, be sure to keep good hygiene with your dumpster. It’s common for businesses to overlook cleaning their commercial dumpsters. After all, this is where all the trash goes. However, by keeping it clean, you’ll be amazed at how it deters pests!
It’s always a good idea to power wash your dumpster on a regular basis. Also, you should make sure to never overflow it with trash, as well as sealing all bags properly.
Lastly, you can use natural repellents to keep pests away, such as ammonia diluted in water.
Most home remedies for mice that people often think work, such as peppermint, mothballs, or ultrasounds, don’t really work at all!
They may be useful for a short time and you may not see mice for a few days, but these methods will not permanently remove mice and rats from your home or business.
If you think you have a possible mouse infestation, we recommend seeking professional help, home remedies can work to some extent but are not always the best solution.
Call an Expert to Help You Get Rid of Pests
The reason we advise you to leave your rodent problems in the hands of a professional is because they have the skills and knowledge to do so.
We know that rodents are very cunning creatures. This makes getting them out of the house can be complicated.
Tests carried out on the behavior of the mouse show that they are much more receptive to the bait placed in a dirty, used tray, rather than in a new one. This is because they prefer to collect food from a place they are used to, and they know it is safe.
Experts know exactly how to act and be efficient in the presence of pests. In other words, this is the fastest and most effective way to get rid of pests.
You Must Learn to Manage Your Restaurant Waste
The management of waste in restaurants concerns all the people linked to the hospitality sector. This is a health issue that should be understood as a public health issue.
The correct management of restaurant waste is important since, due to its high organic content, this type of garbage can harbor a multitude of microorganisms and even pests. In this sense, the accumulation of restaurant waste can be a major health problem.
Restaurants and bars generate a lot of organic, plastic, glass and even chemical waste. Some of them are recyclable and we can use common services for recycling as long as you do the appropriate classification:
- Green container. Crystal and glass.
- Blue container. Cardboard and paper packaging and materials.
- Yellow container. Plastic and brass containers and materials, and cans for preserves and / or drinks.
- Gray / brown container. The brown bin is intended for organic waste
If you have a correct control of waste then you will make sure to keep away the pests that haunt your premises.
