Pest Control for Restaurants: A Practical Guide

In short: pests come for food, water and shelter. Keep them out with proofing, keep them starving with cleaning and good storage, check for signs daily and every delivery, use a competent contractor and record everything. If you find a problem, act at once.

About 7 minutes to read. General information as of October 2026. Duties and approved methods differ by country; check your authority and use a qualified pest controller for treatment.

One mouse dropping on a shelf can close a restaurant. Pests spread bacteria, contaminate food and, in an inspection, are among the quickest ways to lose a hygiene rating or even have a kitchen shut. They are also a reputation problem: a single photograph on social media travels fast.

What the rules expect

Food law in many countries requires food premises to be kept clean, in good repair and protected against pests. In Great Britain, the Food Standards Agency's Safer Food, Better Business packs help small caterers write down their controls, and GOV.UK says a food safety management system must follow HACCP principles (GOV.UK). Pest control is normally part of the basic hygiene conditions, the prerequisites, of that system. See HACCP for restaurants and food hygiene inspections.

Know the common pests

• Rodents: mice and rats, which gnaw, leave droppings and carry disease.
• Cockroaches: active at night, drawn to warm, damp places.
• Flies: house flies, fruit flies and drain flies, which spread bacteria.
• Stored product insects: beetles and moths in flour, rice, spices and dry goods.
• Birds: pigeons and gulls near outdoor seating and waste.
• Ants and wasps: drawn to sugar and waste.

Ask a pest controller what is common in your area, because pests and seasons vary.

Signs to look for

• Droppings, urine smells, gnawed packaging or food.
• Smear marks along skirting boards and pipes.
• Nests of shredded paper, cloth or plastic.
• Live or dead insects and egg cases.
• Footprints or tracks in dust or flour.
• Damaged stock, holes in bags.
• Sounds at night, or signs that staff have noticed something and not said.

Train every team member to report signs at once and without blame. See staff training.

Step 1: Keep them out (proofing)

• Seal gaps around pipes, cables, vents and doors. A mouse can fit through a very small gap.
• Fit brush strips or door sweeps on external doors, and keep them closed.
• Use fly screens on windows that open, and insect electric fly killers placed away from food areas, following the guidance of your authority.
• Cover drains and check them.
• Keep outdoor areas tidy, with no standing water, no stacked pallets next to the wall and bins away from doors.
• Repair cracked walls, floors and ceilings. Good repair helps cleaning too.

Step 2: Take away food, water and shelter

• Store food off the floor, in sealed containers. See FIFO and food storage.
• Clean spills and crumbs straight away, and clean behind and under equipment on a schedule. See cleaning schedule.
• Take waste out often, keep bins lidded, and clean bins and the bin area.
• Fix leaks and dripping taps.
• Keep stock moving, and do not leave old stock or cardboard to pile up.
• Remove cardboard from the kitchen as soon as you have unpacked a delivery.

Step 3: Check deliveries

Look at every delivery on arrival for gnawed packaging, droppings, live insects and damp or damaged boxes. Reject deliveries that show signs of pests. The FSA's guidance for caterers advises checking deliveries carefully and not accepting any that show signs of pest activity. See suppliers and ordering.

Step 4: Inspect on a schedule

• Daily, as part of opening and closing. See opening and closing checklists.
• Weekly, a closer look at storage, behind equipment, drains and outside areas.
• After a delivery or a change, such as building work next door.

Record what you checked, what you found and what you did. The FSA's pest control guidance for caterers advises keeping a diary of checks and recording contractor visits and recommendations.

Use a contractor

A professional contractor can inspect, advise, place and check bait or traps in a safe way and keep records. When choosing:

1. Ask for qualifications and membership of a recognised trade body in your country.
2. Ask for insurance and for a method statement.
3. Ask how often they will visit and what reports you will get.
4. Make sure they use approved products in a way that keeps food safe.
5. Keep their contact details, visit reports and recommendations with your food safety records.
6. Act on their recommendations and write down what you did.

Do not place poison or bait yourself without proper training. Pesticides and bait must never touch food, packaging, equipment or surfaces. Treatments in a food area must follow strict rules.

If you find an infestation

1. Protect food: cover, move or discard exposed food and clean affected areas.
2. Stop the source: close gaps, remove waste and fix the cause, with the contractor's advice.
3. Clean and disinfect surfaces and equipment that may have been contaminated.
4. Call a pest controller the same day.
5. Record what you found, where, when, what you did and who you told.
6. Decide whether to close until the risk is controlled. Serious signs in food areas may mean closing part or all of the kitchen. Your authority can tell you what it expects.
7. Check your rules. In some places you must tell your local authority, and in any case be honest if an officer visits.
8. Review how it happened and fix the process.

Pest control and inspection ratings

Inspectors look for signs of pests and for your controls: proofing, cleaning, storage, contractor reports and records. A tidy store, a clear diary and a contractor's report show that you manage the risk. See food hygiene inspection.

Sharing the responsibility

Make it part of everyone's job.

• Give each area a named person.
• Add pest checks to opening and closing lists.
• Tell staff to keep external doors shut, keep personal food out of the kitchen and report anything unusual.
• Include the topic in induction.

DineHarbor's team and shift tools help you plan who is on shift and who is responsible, but the checks themselves are done by people and recorded in your own food safety diary.

A checklist

1. Gaps sealed and doors fitted with seals.
2. Food stored sealed and off the floor.
3. Waste out often and bins clean.
4. Daily and weekly checks recorded.
5. Deliveries checked and cardboard removed.
6. Contractor in place, reports filed.
7. Team trained to report signs.
8. A written plan for an infestation.

Want to organise the team and the checks? Start the 30 day free trial with no card needed.