The 1-2-3s of Pest Control - Jonathan Boyar [Expert Corner]

Besides health issues and losing credibility with customers, pest control problems can be among the quickest ways to get on the wrong side of the local health department. Jonathan Boyar is Principal of Ecologic Entomology, an ecologically responsible pest management company offering pest management consulting and technical services.  Boyar is also former director of marketing and sales for Watch All — part of the Rentokil family of pest control companies — and a licensed, certified pest control operator of nearly 30 years.  Here he shares his expertise with qsrbuzz™.

qsrbuzz™: What are some basic steps QSRs can take to create a pest-free environment?

JB: Basically, what we tell people is that sanitation is pest control, and there should be a formalized plan for cleaning the front of the house and the back of the house — everything from when the floors are mopped to when the sinks, grease traps, floor drains and the walls are all washed. There should be a formal written plan for all of that. If that is being left to the end of the day when people are tired, it doesn't get done well. A lot of times it doesn't get done often enough.

qsrbuzz™: What's the best way to make sure that kind of daily cleaning happens?

JB: We actually make a checklist for the night crew. When the morning people come in, they check all of those things that have been checked off and sign [the checklist] to make sure that it was done properly. It's a simple operating practice that can make life easier. Also, if you caulk up cracks and crevices, pests will be less of a problem. [Keep up on] the structural aspects by making repairs and ongoing maintenance.

A proactive pest management program doesn't mean just responding to when somebody sees a problem and it’s reported, but being proactive. [Watch All] sets up monitoring traps that act as our eyes between visits. By proactively trying to prevent problems, you dramatically cut down on pest problems and their frequency.

qsrbuzz™: How key are the types of cleaning products used?

JB: Selection of the cleaning products is essential. We sell a few products to restaurants that augment what we do. Microbial cleaning products are ones that actually have live microbes that consume scum — scum that you find underneath ovens and underneath sinks, the kind that you find in drains. That's where flies breed.

I've gone into a number of restaurants where they're spending big money on these microbial cleaners. But then [owners] have the night crew mopping the floor with bleach. They are literally throwing money down the drain.

qsrbuzz™: How much of a factor is employee training?

JB: Pest control is a team effort. To be successful, you need to train the client and client staff on how they play a role. We provide [this training] free. Usually the need comes up when [restaurant clients] have fruit fly infestations. The Board of Health is cracking down on fruit fly problems like never in the past. I go around to restaurants and train the wait staff. There is no pest control solution for fruit flies. We educate on what we call the “spill culture.” They may think that after they spill a product, someone else behind them will clean it up. Those are the problems that you need to address. Fruit flies literally need food products just a few minutes or hours to be exposed and they are already breeding and laying eggs in them.

qsrbuzz™:  Are they any certifications or licenses that an operator should look for when selecting a reputable pest control company?

JB:  It’s not the company that gets licensed, but the people.  Make sure the person is licensed by the state.  Also (they should be) certified. You want to look for companies that are involved in the trade associations:  there is a New England Pest Management Association and also a National Pest Management Association.  Good companies are generally members of both.  In New England, there is a New England IPM Registry.

qsrbuzz™:  What is the process after a client hires a pest control company?

 JB:  We would do an initial assessment -- we’d take a bunch of notes [on] the current state of affairs, sanitation issues, evidence of pest activity, structural issues … anything that factors into the pest equation. We would then prepare a formalized plan — not a pre-printed template but a [customized] work plan based on the restaurant’s specific operations. Then we’d submit it to the restaurant for review.

Once a sign-off was obtained, we’d begin work; we begin with an initial set up service (the more costly component) and continue with a predetermined service frequency going into the future.  However, if a more prevalent problem exists, initially, Watch All may come back every week.

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Selecting a pest control company is difficult because there are so many. Here are Boyar’s take-aways for choosing the best one for your business:

* Talk to other restaurant operators to find out what company they use.

* When interviewing, ask for references.

* Observe and ask what they are doing and what chemicals they use.

* If the company is talking about fogging or spraying on a periodic basis, beware: it’s an antiquated procedure.

* Ask for a work plan: What will the service look like?  What will it entail?  A signed contract is not enough.