Restaurants rely on walk in coolers to preserve the freshness of their ingredients. With proper cleaning and maintenance, they can serve as a sanitary way to have prepped ingredients on hand for busy lunch rushes and dinner services. Neglecting to clean the cooler can lead to problems, however. Despite the colder temperature, pests will still be attracted to the smell of spoiling produce and meat. Because insecticides cannot be used in preparation areas, only a solid integrated pest management strategy will keep the area insect free.
Here's how to properly maintain a walk-in cooler:
According to the Washington Food Coalition, organization is just as important as cleaning. Food that is stacked too close together can raise the temperature of the cooler, which could cause food to spoil faster. Likewise, raw meat needs to be stored away from produce.
Taking a daily inventory is necessary because one piece of bad fruit or produce can cause others to go bad. Fruit flies can infest whole boxes of fruit, meaning they have to be tossed away. Therefore, anything that is beginning to go bad should be thrown away before it has the chance of attracting insects. Large infestations will require the intervention of a professional pest control agency.
Staff should check the temperature of the walk-in cooler every day, according to National Resource Management Incorporation. A shift of even ten degrees in either direction could ruin the food. Condensation build up can likewise harm ingredients and should be wiped up before it attracts mold.
Spills should be cleaned up with soap and water only. Chemicals tarnish metal surfaces and often aren't safe enough to be used near food. Soap and water will clean up the spill and deter pests from infesting the area. If food and water are out of reach, insects will have no reason to enter the cooler.
Most restaurants will only need to deep clean their walk-in coolers once a year if they practice daily maintenance. SRC Refrigeration recommended cleaning the evaporator coils annually. This prevents sediment build up which can cause inefficient cooling. Door gaskets should also be cleaned with soap and water to prevent the buildup of mold.
Maintaining a clean walk-in cooler with keep pests away and keep food fresh longer.
As the weather cools, you'll probably see fewer pests than you did during the warmer months, but that doesn't mean they're all gone just yet. Some insects can actually come out in full force during the autumn, while others might seek refuge in your warm home. Here are some key tips to keep in mind as fall gets underway:
Not every creature that visits your property is a dangerous nuisance. Many animals actually offer a number of benefits that keep your yard healthy. Predatory animals, in particular, actually offer natural pest control. Here are five common suburban creatures that can help keep more difficult or annoying animals at bay:
The customer is always right, and this is especially true if he or she is complaining about seeing a mouse or cockroach. Pests have no place in your organization, as bugs and rodents will turn away potential business or even lead to a possible lawsuit. Keeping your company protected requires a proactive approach. Work with a pest removal specialist to identify the best ways to stop creatures from infesting your business. Here are just a few ideas for successfully mitigating and preventing any issues:
You might see an influx of rodents at this time of year, because as the weather cools mice and rats seek warmth anywhere they can find it. Unfortunately, that often means inside residential homes. Many homes may experience rodent infestations at this time of year more than any other. Whether they're getting into your garage, basement or kitchen, it's important to put a stop to them before the problem becomes too serious and requires the intervention of a professional pest control agency.
Summer is almost here and before you head out on a family trip or even if you travel for work, consider doing a little research so you become familiar with bed bugs. This will help you identify them quickly and it could keep you from bringing them home unknowingly!
With the promise of summer also comes the promise of bugs. Homeowners have to stay vigilant, lest they find ants - or worse - rifling through their food.
You might've heard that cockroaches can survive a nuclear blast. If the worst should happen and the world succumbs to nuclear war, the cockroaches would reign supreme as the one and only organism left on earth. This hardly seems fair - consider how much time humans have spent trying to control cockroach populations. You might've chased one of them out of the bathroom this morning! So, if they really can withstand a nuclear blast, what chance do we have of managing cockroach infestations at home?
