One surefire way to bring down your restaurant business is the presence of health hazards from rat infestations. It may start with simple signs such as broken equipment and scattered food items but soon progress into severe issues that cause you to close up shop at best or endangering your customers’ health at worst.
“What are the signs of a rat infestation?”
Similar to other pests, rats are attracted to areas that have unsecured food and scraps that are lying around the kitchen area. If an area around your restaurant has plenty of food and water while having limited to no natural light, then there’s a high chance that rats will see it as a viable breeding area. They can even force their way inside your premises if you don’t have the right security and protection for your entrances and exits.
Rats are common pests that are attracted to restaurants due to the presence of various containers and rooms that can be used for hiding and breeding. Listed below are several signs that rats may be lurking silently in your property:
- Scratching and scurrying noises from walls and ceilings
- Urine staining and rat droppings, around trash areas and food storages
- Gnawed wires or chewed pipes
- Rodent hairs along food storage areas
- Dead rats in dark and damp areas like garbage areas and basements
You should always make a clean sweep of your property to see if these signs are present in your restaurant to prevent rats from breeding unchecked inside your restaurant.
“What’s the danger in having a rat infestation?”
Besides the structural damage and mess that they leave behind, you may also be at risk of spreading foodborne illnesses from rat infections. Listed below are some diseases that rats can spread around their breeding grounds:
- Leptospirosis: This causes headaches, high fever, vomiting, and muscle aches, to name a few. This bacterial disease is deadly when misdiagnosed because it can result in permanent kidney damage, liver failure, and, eventually, death.
- Tularemia: As a bacterial infection carried by different insects and pests, it is a result of being exposed to carcasses of infected animals. It can also be passed on through the contamination of food and water sources by infected sources.
- Streptobacilliosis: Encounters with rabid animals or infected rodents can spread this disease, commonly known as rat-bite fever, which has a 10% mortality rate. It causes fevers, vomiting, and muscle and joint pain. Although fatal, it can be treated with antibiotics if it’s detected early.
“What are the consequences of having a rat infestation?”
Rat infestations need to be addressed immediately because you can pay severe consequences for it. Even if there have been no cases yet of customers getting sick from your food, you will still be liable for penalties and lawsuits when you’ve been discovered of harbouring information about having a rat infestation in your restaurant. You may also be due for considerable fines, which could also lead your business to close as a potential health risk.
Conclusion
The best course of action to prevent rat infestations is to ensure that your properties have pest-proof remedies in place to avoid any chances of allowing pests from invading your property. You also should make sure to keep your areas clean and secure before and after your restaurant’s business hours.
When rats are already nesting in your restaurant, you should immediately seek rat removal services from professional pest control companies. They will make sure to keep your restaurant free from the pests in a humane manner while keeping your goods and equipment safe from any damages.
We are a leading pest control service in the UK that’s experienced in handling different types of pest infestations on commercial properties. If you require a local pest control service in Walsall, get in touch with us today!
