Rodents and Food Industries | Copesan (2024)

FAQs

Are rodents a problem for restaurants? ›

Rodents are familiar pests in foodservice environments because their three basic needs – water, food and shelter – can all be met in a restaurant setting. Rodents, like humans, like to be comfortable. So when the weather gets colder, they want a warm haven.

Rodent infestations are extremely dangerous to not only the health and safety of employees who work in the facilities, but these pests can also transmit serious diseases like Salmonella, which can contaminate food manufactured in the facility.

Types of Damage Caused by Rodents

They can infiltrate food storage areas, chew through packaging, and contaminate food items with their droppings, urine, and fur. This contamination poses severe health risks to consumers and can lead to foodborne illnesses.

As a result, many rodents are dangerous transporters of food-borne pathogens through their saliva, urine, and droppings. In just one day's time, a single rat can produce 50 half-inch droppings – that's over two feet of coverage per rat.

Every enclosed workplace shall be so constructed, equipped, and maintained, so far as reasonably practicable, as to prevent the entrance or harborage of rodents, insects, and other vermin. A continuing and effective extermination program shall be instituted where their presence is detected.

Mice contaminate food. When mice chew into packaging and leave droppings, urine, and bacteria, they can taint items with salmonella, E. Coli, and more.

For every ¼ cup of cornmeal, the FDA allows an average of one or more whole insects, two or more rodent hairs and 50 or more insect fragments, or one or more fragments of rodent dung. Don't tell the kids, but frozen or canned spinach is allowed to have an average of 50 aphids, thrips and mites.

The FDA allows few foods to contain whole insects. But insect parts? That's another story. Heads, legs and other fragments of these little pests are more commonly allowed in foods, according to the handbook.

Food products that have been exposed to filth, like rats, mice and other rodents, can make you or your family members sick. This includes food and drinks for people as well as food for animals, like pet food, bird seed or fish flakes. Throw away food products in plastic and paper containers.

If even a single mouse is found in a restaurant's kitchen, the health inspector can force the restaurant to close until they have an exterminator handle the problem and then have the entire place deep cleaned. In addition to these costs, the restaurant loses days or even weeks of profits.

Are rodents a health hazard? ›

Rats and mice are known to carry many diseases. These diseases can spread to people directly, through handling of rodents; contact with rodent feces (poop), urine, or saliva (such as through breathing in air or eating food that is contaminated with rodent waste); or rodent bites.

Traps – Snap or box traps are useful in eliminating rodents. Rats are more distrustful of anything new in their environment and it may take 4-5 days before they are used to the traps. Live traps are good to use near runways used by mice and rats.

Keeping the dock area, the receiving parking lot free of debris, damaged food stuffs and trash is an important part of the process. Policing and cleaning around the perishable closed dumpster is important as making sure the gaskets and rubber flashing keep pests and rodents out.

Large mammals.

Coyotes are relatives of the wolf and dog and will also eat rats. Foxes eat rodents as well as vegetation such as grass and berries. Some large cats such as mountain lions usually go for larger animals but will happily eat small rodents and birds if nothing else is available.

Rodents are a common problem for restaurants and other dining establishments in the Bay Area, such as catering halls and cafeterias, especially high-traffic areas. Rodents frequent and sometimes invade these establishments for the same reasons we do; they come for the food.

co*ckroaches.

co*ckroaches are the most common type of insects that infest facilities and establishments that produce or serve food. co*ckroaches are sheltering in the daytime and coming out at night to find food and other sites for shelter.

Keep your restaurant as clean and sanitary as possible, and remove food scraps from counters and floors. If rodents don't have easy access to food, they may go elsewhere to feed and breed. Repair cracks and holes in walls or the roof, and install doorways with door sweeps to prevent rodents from squeezing under them.