Keeping Pests Out of Food Businesses

Cockroaches, mice, rats and flies carry germs onto food and into clean spaces. They also contaminate food with their droppings, hair and shed skin, and they can shut a business down. An inspector who finds an active infestation can order a kitchen closed until the problem is fixed.

Pests need three things: a way in, food and water, and a place to hide. The best pest control takes those away before any chemical is needed. That approach is called integrated pest management, or IPM.

The Food Code rules in this guide come from the FDA Food Code, using the 2026 edition. It's a model code, so your state or local code is the rule that applies where you work. Pesticide use is also regulated by your state.

What You Will Be Able to Do

• Recognize the signs of cockroaches, rodents, flies and stored-product insects.
• Explain the three goals of IPM and why chemicals come last.
• Check deliveries and storage areas for pests.
• Keep doors, drains, trash areas and storage in a condition that discourages pests.
• Work properly with a licensed pest control operator.

Why Pests Matter in a Food Business

Signs of Pests

Look during opening and closing routines, and whenever you move stock.

Cockroaches and rodents are mostly active at night. Seeing one during the day can point to a large infestation. Report any sign of a pest to your manager right away, even a single sighting.

The Three Goals of Integrated Pest Management

IPM prevents problems with sanitation, exclusion and monitoring, and it uses chemicals only as a last resort.

Deny Access

Most pests come in through gaps, doors and deliveries. A mouse can squeeze through a hole about the size of a dime.

• Seal gaps around pipes, wiring and vents with suitable materials.
• Keep exterior doors closed. Check door sweeps and use self-closing doors.
• Use tight-fitting window screens and air curtains, where your building has them.
• Keep floor drains covered, and repair broken ones.
• Inspect each delivery, including boxes, pallets and sacks. The Food Code calls for routine checks of incoming shipments. Reject anything with signs of pests.

Deny Food and Water

• Clean spills right away, and clean under and behind equipment.
• Fix leaks and dripping faucets.
• Keep food in sealed, labeled containers.
• Keep trash in covered, leak-proof containers. Empty them regularly and clean the cans.
• Keep outdoor dumpster lids closed, and keep the pad around them clean.
• Rinse recycling.

Deny Shelter

• Store food and supplies at least 6 inches off the floor, and away from walls where you can.
• Clear clutter. Remove unused equipment and flattened cardboard.
• Rotate stock so that nothing sits for long. Pests love forgotten boxes.
• Keep outdoor areas trimmed and free of debris near the building.
• Fill cracks in walls, floors and baseboards, where roaches hide.

Monitoring

Monitoring tells you whether your prevention works and helps you catch a problem early.

1. Do regular walk-through inspections, including dark corners, under equipment and around motors.
2. Use glue boards or insect monitors where your pest control operator places them. Check them on schedule.
3. Keep a pest log with dates, locations and what was found.
4. Review the log with your pest control operator, and look for trends.

Dead pests must be removed from the premises often, because they can attract other pests. Traps should be kept clean. Traps and bait stations go only where they can't contaminate food or surfaces.

Working with a Pest Control Operator

Most food businesses use a licensed pest control operator (PCO) on a schedule.

• Use a company that is licensed in your state and that has experience in food businesses.
• Agree on a written plan: what's monitored, how often, and what products may be used.
• Walk the premises with the technician, and share your log.
• Keep service reports on site for your inspector.
• Fix the conditions they point out. Spraying alone won't solve a problem caused by a leak or a cracked door seal.

Warning: Do not apply pesticides yourself unless you're licensed and your workplace authorizes it. Do not bring in store-bought sprays or foggers. They can contaminate food and surfaces, and they can scatter pests into new areas.

If chemicals are used, cover or remove food and food-contact items first, and clean and sanitize surfaces afterward. Follow the product label and the technician's directions. Pesticides must be stored in their original containers, apart from food and in a secure location. Keep Safety Data Sheets on hand for any products stored on site.

If You Find a Pest Problem

1. Tell the person in charge right away.
2. Protect food. Throw out anything that has been contaminated, including items with gnawed packaging or droppings on them.
3. Clean and sanitize the affected surfaces, using gloves and following your workplace's procedure. Don't sweep rodent droppings dry, because that can send dust into the air.
4. Call the pest control operator.
5. Find and fix the cause, such as a door gap or a leak.
6. Write down what happened and what you did.

If the infestation is serious enough to contaminate food or the premises, it may count as an imminent health hazard. The person in charge may have to stop operations and contact the regulator.

A Real-World Example

A worker finds mouse droppings, gnawed flour bags and greasy marks along the wall of dry storage. A manager may be tempted to put out traps and move on, but the signs point to several failures in the system:

• Access: A door or a wall gap let the mouse in.
• Food: Flour was stored in paper bags instead of sealed containers.
• Shelter: Stock was stored against the wall or left sitting.
• Monitoring: The signs were not picked up in earlier checks.

Fixing all four solves the problem. Traps alone only remove the mice you catch.

Pest Control Outdoors and at Patios

Outdoor areas need the same attention. Food left on patio tables attracts birds, wasps and rodents. Bus tables quickly, keep dumpsters away from doors where possible, and keep lights away from entry doors, because lights attract flying insects. Yellow or sodium vapor lights attract fewer of them than bright white ones.

Live animals are generally not allowed in a food business, except for service animals and a few listed exceptions. Your local code may allow pet dogs on outdoor patios.

Common Mistakes

Check Your Understanding

1. A case of canned tomatoes arrives with gnawed corners and droppings on the pallet. What do you do?

Reject the delivery, note it on the invoice and tell your manager. Do not bring the pallet inside.

2. You see a single cockroach near the dish machine during the morning prep. It's only one. Should you mention it?

Yes. Seeing one in daylight can mean there are many more. Tell the person in charge and record it in the log.

3. A manager says, "Just spray some bug killer from the hardware store on the baseboards before the inspector comes." How should you respond?

Explain that you shouldn't apply pesticide yourself in a food area, and that it won't fix the cause. Call the licensed pest control operator.

4. Your cooler's condensate line leaks into a floor corner and it has been damp for days. Why is this a pest issue?

Water is one of the things pests need, and damp spots attract roaches and flies. Get the leak fixed and clean the area.

Key Takeaways

• Pests need access, food and water, and shelter. Take those away.
• IPM relies on sanitation, exclusion and monitoring, and uses chemicals only as a last resort.
• Report any sign of pests right away, even one sighting.
• Inspect every delivery, and reject anything showing pest damage.
• Only licensed operators should apply pesticides in a food business.
• Fix the cause, not just the pest.