Cockroaches prefer to feed on rotting organic matter and to lay their eggs in gelatinous organic goo. While they will certainly eat fresh food; they don't have a preference for it. This is important to understand if you want to keep German cockroaches out of your Arlington restaurant.
Foods We Eat
It is a good idea to protect the food in your restaurant from German cockroaches. These tiny, tan roaches can gain access to all of the many areas where food is stored, even if they are well-sealed. When they do, they can contaminate your food. But protecting food won't make German cockroaches go away. You can seal every ounce of food in your walk-in and still have lots of German cockroaches in your restaurant.
Rotting Organic Matter
The key to controlling German cockroaches is eliminating decaying food sources within your restaurant and implementing a sanitation program that reduces food options. You can do this by:
- Removing trash daily
- Deep cleaning on a routine basis
- Keeping floors mopped
- Keeping counters washed
- Cleaning drains
- Removing food packages that are past their due date
Moisture
An attractant for German roaches that is often overlooked is moisture. A room with high humidity can create food options for cockroaches that you may not consider, such as moist cardboard, wallpaper, and cloth. Dampness also promotes the decay of organic material. This will be highly attractive to cockroaches. Along with increased food options, moisture gives cockroaches what they need to keep their skins moisturized and healthy.
Bugs
Cockroaches feed on dead bugs. If bugs have gotten into your wall voids and died, these will become food for German cockroaches. An effective commercial pest control plan includes exterior treatments to keep cockroaches and their food sources out of your restaurant.
Cracks
If your restaurant had no unsealed food and every nook and cranny was spotless, you could still have a German cockroach infestation simply because you have nooks and crannies. Cockroaches are thigmotactic. That is to say, they prefer to be squeezed into hard places where their bodies are being touched on all sides. It makes them feel safe. So, sealing cracks, gaps and holes is an important way to resist cockroach habitation.
How German Cockroaches Are Unique
The German cockroach is the most successful structure-infesting insect in the world. This is because, as a cockroach, it is highly adaptable to environments that contain harmful chemicals, such as those used to control pests. Cockroaches develop several skins as they mature into adults. These skins can become increasingly resistant to chemicals found in their environment. Among cockroach species, the German cockroach is the worst because it gets in, stays in, and reproduces quickly inside man-made structures. It has all of the resilience of a cockroach, without the need to be in damp, outdoor locations in order to survive.
What To Do About German Cockroaches
There are many ways German cockroaches can impact your business. Spreading illness and making your customers and employees uncomfortable are just the tip of the iceberg. Protect your business with a commercial pest control plan developed by All-Safe Pest & Termite. We use industry-leading pest control methods to establish a pest-resistant environment with the least amount of pest control products. This type of pest control is ideal for managing complicated pest threats such as German cockroach infestation. Reach out to us today for a consultation and let us help you protect your business from this and other pest threats.