StopPestInfo Warns About Increasing Number of Cockroach Infestations in Restaurants

Disturbing news is coming from all over the United States. StopPestInfo experts have analyzed media reports and came to the conclusion that an increasing number of public places do not ensure protection from the unrelenting Lord of Filth — the cockroach. One by one, multiple Health Department inspections result in closing roach-infested premises, particularly restaurants. However, it is not just cockroaches’ repulsive appearance that makes people’s lives miserable.

These insects can carry Salmonella and other bacteria causing various diseases including urinary tract infections and sepsis. Defecating on food, spitting up their saliva and leaving the dead skin around, they contaminate what eventually ends up in human stomachs. Cockroaches can bite causing wounds and can be extremely aggressive towards people. There were even incidents of roaches penetrating the human’s ear or nose. And certainly, these pests is a nightmare for all allergic and asthmatic people as they leave allergens with the skin and saliva.

None of this is news to owners of restaurants, hotels, and apartment complexes. Then, why is this problem neglected so often?

Be it an ice cream or sushi, roaches will kill the pleasure and health

The cockroach issue is particularly acute in the light of recent events widely reported by the media. In early March, two restaurants were closed in California due to a heavy cockroach infestation, with health permits being suspended. It seems that Mexican grill fans were consuming not just their favorite dishes there… On March 15, Miami Herald featured a story about 11 restaurants closed in the state due to “live roach violations.” Upon arrival at one of their destinations, health inspectors immediately detected almost 20 cockroaches roaming under a food prep table and resting in its corners. It was revealed that the restaurant personnel did not even care of discarding dead insects since scores of roaches’ corpses were discovered on the floor. At the other restaurant, it was the bar area that was home to dead cockroaches while the live ones were thriving inside the oven and other kitchen equipment.

Eight more restaurants were shut down in mid-March in San Fernando Valley, with their health permits being suspended because of cockroaches. Although no details about the nature of the roach infestations are provided by the Health Department, it is reported that sanitary conditions in the outlets posed hazards to public health. One may think that inspections and relative measures will prevent other restaurant owners from violating sanitary regulations. Sometimes it works, sometimes does not. As Virginia Health Department stated, “In our experience, it is unrealistic to expect that a complex, full-service food operation can routinely avoid any violations.” Just as an example, one Thai restaurant in Las Vegas was closed on February 6 because of a multi-generational cockroach infestation. Nevertheless, within a week the outlet reopened. The owner claims he hired pest control operators. But it is common knowledge that one-time roach extermination is by no means a substitute for clean habits and proper attitude to work in food service.

People are actually trapped. It is impossible to do without eating outside the house since lots of time is spent at work, going on trips or simply walking around the neighborhood. And there always comes a moment when people get hungry. After all, people have the right to enjoy the life and taste something delicious! But what do they get instead?

Those who like to treat themselves to an ice cream cone, may have found their appetite spoiled after reading the following piece of news. On March 3, the media reported about inspectors discovering live cockroaches crawling peacefully in front of an ice-cream machine at one of the fast-food restaurants in Jacksonville, the most populous city in Florida. There were also some dead roaches in the mini burger reach-in cooler… Well, looks like a full-fledged lunch! And here is also some bad news for Florida’s lovers of Japanese cuisine. In February, as many as 60 live cockroaches were noticed by a state inspector at a sushi restaurant inside the hotel on South Beach. Sixty. Much more than the number of sushi rolls on the plate.

Hotels, dorms, and hospitals are increasingly becoming home to cockroaches

The situation is no better in places where people spend much more time — apartments, university dorms, and hotels. So, Howard University students have nothing left to do but protest against housing conditions in the dorm. On March 9, they rallied on the campus to stand for their rights. One of the activists, Kiara, said that, among other issues, she had to deal with a cockroach infestation: “To be paying $4,000, $5,000 a semester and have no heat, no hot water, roaches, and mice is ridiculous,” she lamented.

On March 9, the media reported about a woman encountering cockroaches in her motel room in Chandler, a city in Arizona. She took a photo of roaches crawling on the wall and stains on the furniture. How is that fair? She paid $444 for the accommodation and certainly had the right to the proper level of services. “He crawled out from underneath the covers. It was just not a good feeling. It was icky. Cooties all over!” she told the media. Another report came a week later from the Californian City of Concord, where residents of an apartment complex complained about filthy conditions infested with cockroaches. They got united and called on the local authorities to take action. This was not simply a question of a handful of insects inhabiting the dwellings. As the tenants put it, cockroaches were all over. Some people even collected the roaches to show them as an evidence. Surprisingly, the residents of the infested apartments face rental increases instead of the compensations they deserve.

Worse still, the institutions supposed to take care of the people’s health turn out to be places where the health can actually be lost. In February, a scandal broke in Quebec, Canada, where a terrible cockroach infestation was reported in the kitchen of Hull hospital. It is hard to believe, but there was virtually an ocean of roaches so that employees had no choice but to catch the insects in containers and dump them into a garbage can on a daily basis. Josée McMillan, the head of the local trade union, described those unsanitary conditions very vividly: “As soon as they lift anything, cockroaches pour out from underneath,” he said. Once these violations were revealed, the administration resorted to the services of exterminators. And yet, despite the pest control treatment been carried out several times, it did not get any better. As it turned out, what should be done first was to clean the kitchen and remove unused equipment. This is a glaring example of how people’s ignorance in the field of pest control makes all their efforts to eliminate the problem futile. For this reason, StopPestInfo.com have prepared a detailed guide based on scientists’ opinions regarding what measures should be taken to eradicate cockroaches in the house, public catering outlets and any other premises.

How to cope with these violations

Now, what should be done in case roaches are detected in a hotel, dorm, restaurant or hospital? First, photos or preferably video showing the presence of cockroaches should be taken. A focus should be brought not just on the insects themselves but on their trails like droppings as well. This will demonstrate a real level of the roach infestation. Secondly, the hotel room and services should be better paid with a credit card. This will subsequently help to claim a compensation. Thirdly, it is crucial to file corresponding complaints to local authorities and health departments.  

How to get rid of roaches in the house

While cockroach infestations in restaurants, hotels, and outlets fall under the owners’ responsibility, at home, it is the family members who make decisions and these decisions should be based on relevant knowledge. As an example, here is a lesson in what not to do. Some people are desperate to eradicate cockroaches but do it without the necessary knowledge. And that is what comes of ignorance: in Australia, a house exploded when a man was attempting to exterminate roaches, the media reported on March 8. The explosion occurred when he lit a match after spraying a repellent around the house. According to the police, if the unlucky man had followed the label directions, the incident would not have happened.

Now, let’s have a look at the main rules people should follow to get rid of roaches successfully. StopPestInfo has prepared a guide comprising the best methods of fighting cockroaches suggested by scientists. These methods can be loosely grouped into two categories:

Solutions killing cockroaches instantly on contact. Roughly speaking, there are two options:

• First, sticky traps. They should be set when an infestation is low or in order to determine its level. However, this method will eliminate only the captured cockroaches, just some of the colony members.

• Another tool is a roach spray killing the pests on contact. It should be applied if the number of roaches is small and just a handful of them have been seen scurrying around the house or lurking over a garbage can. Such sprays should not be used where food is stored or the pet is fed.

Long-term solutions that do not produce an immediate result but lower the existing roach populations and prevent the new ones from emerging. This approach includes three types of products:

• Poison gel baits are designed to eradicate the entire population of cockroaches and do not entail an immediate death of the affected insect. Once a roach consumes the bait, it transfers the poison to the colony infecting a large number of its members. The baits are recommended to be put into special stations to prevent the pets and kids from contacting the substance. As Barb Ogg, Ph.D., with the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension has noted, placement is important. “For German and brownbanded cockroaches, set bait stations next to walls and flush in corners. For American and oriental cockroaches set bait stations in the basement near floor or sewer drains or in damp crawl spaces,” he said.

• Insect growth regulators (IGRs) make the adult roaches infertile and block the growth of the larvae. This a slow-acting but a sure way to suppress the entire colony. A good option to solve the cockroach issue for the future, which, however, is not helpful in doing away with the existing infestation. So, IGRs should be applied as an extra measure.

• There are always reasons to avoid using chemicals at home: some people are allergic while others have excessively curious pets. For these cases, there are low-toxic solutions such as boric acid pellets dehydrating cockroaches. They work slowly but do not contain any toxic compounds. By the way, boric acid is highly recommended by entomologists as an effective natural way to get rid of roaches.

For more details about these methods, read a review on StopPestInfo.

But above all, it is essential to understand that an integrated pest management approach is required when dealing with a cockroach infestation. As scientists from Alabama Cooperative Extension highlight, this includes sanitation, exclusion, and chemical techniques. So, before anything else, entry points used by roaches should be blocked, water and food sources removed while their harborage should be eliminated… Her Majesty Сleanliness always defeats the Lord of Filth.  

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