Commercial Kitchen Insect Pests
Commercial kitchen insect pests are a health hazard for commercial establishments. Most common insect pests include German cockroaches, flies & ants. Below are a few tips and facts about pests in the kitchen and how to deal properly with these concerns.
German cockroaches are historically the worse of the commercial kitchen pests. They multiply very quickly and will feed on almost any food source. The female carries an egg case that holds an average of 35 eggs with the entire life cycle from egg, nymph to adult takes about 100 days in the best conditions. German cockroaches avoid light, love cracks and will emerge in a darkened room. Other common cockroaches are American and Australian cockroaches.
Flies In The Kitchen
There are a number of fly species had can cause problems. First house flies can enter the kitchen area from open doors and windows that don’t have screens or air curtains. House flies are highly attracted to open rear doors in kitchens especially if the garbage dumpster is nearby. Red-eyed fruit flies can develop around bar areas, dishwasher areas, and uncleaned garbage containers. Populations can increase quickly as one female fruit fly can produce up to 500 eggs.
Additional flies that can develop in commercial kitchens also include drain flies, dark fruit flies, and phorid flies. Drain fly larvae will develop feeding on the organic material in drains and the flying adults are hairy and moth-like. Dark-eyed fruit fly larvae will develop in drains and cracks in tile floors with the adult fruit flies having dark eyes. Phorid fly larvae will also develop inside dirty drains with the small flying adults having a humped back appearance.
Kitchen Ant Pests
Various ant species are also a major concern because of their ability to find their way into food storage containers via small cracks and also feeding on any crumbs or exposed food waste. Many ants may also enter the kitchen area from the outside when garbage dumpsters or trash cans are too near the building.
Interesting facts about commercial kitchen insect pests
- A German cockroach will spend over 95% of its life in a crack or crevice only coming out in the dark
- Red eyed fruit flies can go from egg to adult in 7 days
- The phoridae fly has a habit of running before flying when disturbed
Basic pest management in commercial kitchens
Inspection is most important in setting up a pest management program for commercial kitchens. You must identify the insect pest before you can set up the control measures. Second sanitation is key for proper control. Communication with management about proper cleaning programs, cleaning garbage cans, food storage and dumpsters away from the building to reduce pest populations. Excluding entry and harborage by caulking cracks, sealing window and door framing and screen or air curtains will affect and reduce insect populations. All the above should be completed before any control products are utilized.
