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10 Things That Make Your Retail Store Pest-Friendly

A majority of people agree with the importance of commercial pest control, but do you know that a food retail store is equally vulnerable to pests? Be it a retail store, restaurant, or food factory, pest control in the food industry is a must. 

Food is one of the prime things that attract all kinds of insects. Regular restaurant pest control can help you keep the food pests away. It will not only help prevent damage to the products and the premise but will also help adhere to the standard food compliance and audits. 

Through this post, we aim to acquaint you with what leads to pest infestation in food premises and retail stores other than food.

Table of Contents

• Food Pests that Lurk in Food Retail Stores
• 10 Things that Attract Pests to your Retail Store
• Conclusion
• FAQs

Food Pests that Lurk in Food Retail Stores

When it comes to pests that intrude inside food retail stores, most of the time it’s the food pests that lurk inside. Not just in food retail stores, these insects get infested in restaurants, grocery stores, and supermarkets. In short, wherever there is plenty of food, these insects creep in. 

Most of the time, pests that infest these stored food products are the common SPP or Stored Product Pests.

Some other common food pests that infest food retail stores are:

• Mice and Rats
• Cockroaches
• Ants
• Beetles
• Meal Moths
• Fruit Flies and Houseflies
• Birds like Crows and Pigeons

10 Things that Attract Pests to your Retail Store

So, without wasting any more time, let’s head toward our main discussion. What attracts pests to your food retail stores? Have a look at the 10 top things that make your retail store pest-friendly:

1. Frequent Entries and Exits: One of the prime reasons for insects to get attracted inside your retail store is easy to access in and out of the store. Since these stores have doors that are opened and closed frequently, there are more chances of rats, cockroaches, mosquitoes, and other pests entering the store. They can enter and exit very easily due to these frequently opened doors.
2. Poor Garbage Disposal: The second main attraction for pests inside your retail store is the garbage disposal system. Dumpsters and trash cans with improper disposal systems can make your store vulnerable to insects like bees, cockroaches, rats, beetles, and even birds. 
3. Water Leakage: After food, if there is something that attracts insects inside your store it is water. Stores with leaking water pipes and clogged drainages are most likely to be infested by all sorts of pests such as mosquitoes, rats, cockroaches, termites, and flies.
4. Dry Goods: Pests don’t just get attracted to water all the time, sometimes, they are lurking inside a retail store because they store dry goods there. All kinds of dry grocery food items like rice, flour, seeds, cereals, and nuts make up a good treat for pests like grain beetles, meal moths, and mice. 
5. Spilled Food: Another common reason for which pests get attracted to your food retail store is spilled food. Being a place where a lot of food products are stored daily, these stores are often scattered with spilled food. Due to this, ants, flies, and cockroaches come flying or creeping inside these commercial spaces.
6. Improper Food Storage: Storing food improperly makes way for pest infestation at a place like a retail store. Food products must be stored properly on clean shelves. Many times, there are food items that are stored without any packets like grains, rice, and dry fruits. These open food products act as pest magnets attracting all types of food pests to your store. 
7. Lack of Cleanliness: Do not overlook the cleanliness factor inside your food retail store. Lack of cleanliness and hygiene can be a spoilsport for any outlet, and not just for a food retail unit. Cleaning the store helps with decluttering and to detect early signs of any pest infestation to make way for timely pest control. 
8. Structural Flaws: Sometimes, despite putting all your efforts into a professional cleaning of your store, you face the problem of pest infestation. It usually happens when there are structural flaws in the store. There are cracks in the walls, holes in the floor, and other similar structural flaws that allow pests easy entry to your retail store. 
9. Contaminated Deliveries: It is a fact known that food retail stores are places where goods are loaded and unloaded at regular intervals. There are higher chances of receiving deliveries that might already be contaminated or infested by pests like rats, ants, cockroaches, and SPPs. 
10. Overgrown Grasses Outside: Last but often the first main reason to attract insects inside your retail store is the presence of bushy grasses outside your store. Get them trimmed down to prevent insects from hiding behind them while waiting for an entry inside your food store. 

Conclusion

Do you own a retail store and do not want to compromise your business due to pest infestation? Then, consider booking regular commercial pest control for your retail store. HiCare is a prestigious pest control company that offers all kinds of commercial pest control services at affordable pricing in more than 30 Indian cities. 

If you wish to make pests disinterested in your food store, make sure to book regular services from HiCare. The hygiene experts of the company will provide the best pest control procedures in the food industry to keep all kinds of pests at bay.