Restaurant and kitchen pest control

Pests covered on this page

German Cockroach Blattella germanica The German cockroach is the most common cockroach living indoors in California and perhaps worldwide, especially in apartment buildings, and it has the fastest reproductive cycle of the common pest cockroaches. Penn State and Kentucky call it the most common cockroach in homes, apartments and other buildings, and Kentucky says it does not live outdoors. American Cockroach Periplaneta americana The American cockroach is the largest of the common pest cockroaches. It prefers warm, humid places and readily lives outdoors, in sewers, storm drains and water meter boxes, coming indoors to forage. Kentucky, Penn State and Minnesota all describe it as the largest cockroach commonly found in buildings. House Fly Musca domestica The house fly is a worldwide companion of people and domestic animals; it breeds in garbage, manure and other moist organic matter and is most numerous in hot summer months. Fruit Fly Drosophila melanogaster Fruit flies, also called vinegar or pomace flies, are tiny flies drawn to ripe and fermenting fruits and vegetables. They can show up any time of year, but they are most common from summer into fall. Drain Fly (Moth Fly) Psychodidae (shown: Clogmia albipunctata) Drain flies, also called moth flies or filter flies, are small, fuzzy, non-biting flies whose larvae live in the slimy film inside drains, toilets and other places where water stands. Phorid Fly Megaselia scalaris Phorid flies, also called humpbacked, scuttle or coffin flies, are small flies that breed in moist, decaying material. Indoors they most often come from drains and plumbing, and a hidden sewer leak can feed a large, stubborn infestation. House Mouse Mus musculus The house mouse is a small, adaptable rodent that lives close to people in homes, schools and food businesses, eating and contaminating food, gnawing wiring and carrying disease. Norway Rat Rattus norvegicus The Norway rat, also called the brown or sewer rat, is a large, burrowing rat found throughout the contiguous United States wherever people live. Roof Rat Rattus rattus The roof rat, also called the black or ship rat, is a sleek, agile climber that nests above ground in trees, ivy, attics and wall voids.

Key Food Code requirements

The Food Code's reasoning is that insects and rodents carry disease-causing microorganisms that can reach people by contaminating food and food-contact surfaces, so effective measures must be taken to eliminate them from food establishments.^[1]

If the building opens into a larger structure such as a mall, airport or office building, the outer-opening rules apply to that larger building's doors and windows instead. Emergency-only exit doors don't need self-closers if they are solid and tight-fitting.^[1]

• If pests are found, control them with trapping devices or other approved methods, and eliminate harborage conditions.^[1]
• Doors or windows kept open must be protected with 16-mesh screens, properly designed air curtains or other effective means.^[1]
• Perimeter walls and roofs must keep out weather, insects, rodents and other animals.^[1]
• Insect electrocution or stun devices must retain the insects and may not be installed over food preparation areas or where fragments can fall on exposed food, clean equipment, utensils or linens.^[1]
• Pesticides must be used according to law and their labels, including label language allowing use in a food establishment, and applied so they don't contaminate food, equipment, utensils or linens.^[1]
• Tracking powder pesticides may not be used; nontoxic tracking powders such as talc or flour may not contaminate food or equipment.^[1]
• Keep the premises free of litter and of equipment that no longer works or isn't used.^[1]
• Store garbage, recyclables and returnables in receptacles that insects and rodents can't get into. Inside, cover receptacles once full or when they hold food residue and aren't in continuous use; outside, use tight-fitting lids or doors and keep drain plugs in.^[1]
• Bags, non-rodent-resistant bins and baled material with food residue may not be stored outside. Clean cardboard waiting for pickup may sit outside uncovered only if it doesn't create a rodent harborage problem.^[1]
• Store food in a clean, dry place at least 6 inches (15 cm) above the floor; packaged food on case-lot dollies and canned or bottled food in waterproof containers are exceptions.^[1]
• Store pesticides and other toxic materials apart from food, equipment and linens, separated by space or a partition and never above them.^[1]
• Before applying a pesticide, remove or cover food, equipment, utensils and linens with impermeable covers, and clean and sanitize equipment and utensils afterward. Restricted-use pesticides may only be applied by a certified applicator or someone under that person's direct supervision.^[1]
• Store brooms, mops and other maintenance tools in an orderly way so the storage area can be cleaned; clutter there gives rodents and insects places to hide and breed.^[1]

What the inspector checks and how fast you must fix it

On the model inspection form in the Food Code, item 38 covers insects, rodents and animals: the inspector watches and asks the person in charge about pest control, including sealed entry points, removed harborage, removal of pests and their evidence, and insect traps kept away from food preparation areas.^[1]

Food Code rules carry one of three weights. Priority items most directly prevent foodborne illness; priority foundation items support them; core items cover general sanitation, facilities, structures and maintenance.^[1]

Using rodent bait outside a covered, tamper-resistant station, using a toxic tracking powder, or applying a pesticide against its label are priority violations. The general duty to control pests is both a priority foundation and a core item, and sealing outer openings, walls and roofs and the placement of insect zappers are core items.^[1]

Priority and priority foundation violations are supposed to be corrected during the inspection. The health department can allow up to 72 hours for a priority item and up to 10 calendar days for a priority foundation item. Core items must be fixed by an agreed date no later than 90 calendar days after the inspection.^[1]

A permit holder must stop operating and call the health department when an imminent health hazard may exist; the Code's examples include a sewage backup and a gross insanitary occurrence or condition. Pests are not named in that list, and operations can resume only with the health department's approval.^[1]

Your state, county or city enforces its own adopted version of the Code and may add rules, so its inspection report and food rules are what count for your business.^[1][6]

Running an IPM program

Restaurants are especially vulnerable to pests because they offer a steady supply of food, shelter and warmth. New York City's health department recommends IPM: monitor where pests might live, take steps to prevent them, and use targeted treatment only where it is needed.^[6]

Keep a written description of monitoring devices, where each one is, and a daily checklist, so staff can spot problem areas and report conditions that attract pests to the pest management company.^[6][8]

DuPage County's health department lays out four steps: clean the whole facility and get rid of unused equipment, shipping containers and other clutter; caulk cracks and crevices, especially around plumbing; have the pest control operator set traps and monitors and report any activity to them right away; and leave chemical controls to the licensed operator.^[7]

Inspect incoming shipments and pallets before they go into storage, check powdered products for weevils, and cut down on cardboard boxes. Discard leaking or damaged packages.^[8][1]

In storage, keep products off the floor and away from walls so you and the pest control technician can see underneath and behind them, and rotate stock first in, first out. New York City adds that goods stored flush against a wall can hide an infestation.^[8][6][1]

Who may apply pesticides depends on where you are. The Food Code itself lets a food establishment use pesticides labeled for that use and requires a certified applicator only for restricted-use products, while some local rules go further: New York City requires every food service establishment to contract with a pest management company licensed by the state.^[1][6][7]

German cockroaches in kitchens

The German cockroach lives and breeds where food is prepared or stored, including restaurants, and favors warm, humid spots close to food, water and dark harborage. Adults can hide in a crack 1/16 inch wide, and the young use even smaller ones.^[2][5]

It breeds faster than any other common pest cockroach. UC IPM says each egg case holds about 30 young; Texas A&M's food service training gives 30 to 40 eggs per egg case.^[2][8]

Skip foggers, bombs and aerosol sprays: they can be hazardous and may scatter cockroaches to other areas without killing them. Baits are slow; it may take 7 days or longer to see fewer cockroaches, and removing other food sources makes them work better.^[2][5]

Texas A&M's food service IPM training gives example action thresholds based on the average German cockroach count per sticky trap in a zone: 1 to 2, place bait stations and check sanitation; 3 to 6, spot-treat cracks and crevices, add or replace baits and review sanitation; 7 to 15, a thorough bait and crack-and-crevice treatment with a revisit in two weeks; more than 15, close the facility for a thorough inspection, sanitation work and more baits, then monitor every two weeks.^[8]

• Inspect food deliveries before putting them in kitchens, and check appliances, furniture and boxes coming in.^[2]
• Use sticky traps to find where cockroaches are concentrated and to judge whether control is working.^[2]
• Baits in cracks and crevices are the main tool; sprays alone won't eliminate German cockroaches.^[5][2]
• Clean under and behind kitchen equipment and appliances and vacuum cracks and crevices, since even tiny crumbs or liquids can attract cockroaches. Our German cockroach and gel bait guides cover the full treatment.^[2][8]

Flies and rodents

House flies and blow flies breed in garbage, food waste and other decaying organic matter, and can pick up bacteria and viruses there and deposit them on food. A female house fly lays several batches of about 100 to 150 eggs, and in summer a fly can go from egg to adult in as little as 7 days.^[9]

In an FDA study, 100 flies collected from the dumpsters of 10 urban restaurants were tested for food-borne bacteria: 14% carried Cronobacter, 6% Salmonella and 3% Listeria monocytogenes. The Food Code cites this work in its pest-control references.^[11][1]

UC IPM says nuisance flies such as house flies found indoors have almost always come in from outside, so screens, tight doors and air curtains are the first defense. Keep garbage bagged in lidded containers placed as far from entrances as practical, and remove it at least weekly; poor exclusion and poor sanitation are the main causes of house fly problems. Fly baits in trash areas help only if flies can't get at the garbage.^[9][8]

UC IPM warns never to use a bug zapper near food preparation, because insect bodies can burst on the wires and parts can be thrown several feet. The Food Code calls these devices a supplement to sanitation, not a substitute. See our bug zapper guide.^[9][1]

With small flies, find where they breed. Fruit flies breed in spilled syrups, wine and beer in moist places such as under commercial kitchen equipment, bars, soft drink dispensers and cracked tile, and in floor drains; Texas A&M notes that health departments consider fruit flies in a food business unsanitary. Phorid and drain flies breed in drains, garbage and broken disposals.^[10]

To find a breeding drain, tape clear packing tape across part of the opening and check it for stuck flies. Bleach and drain cleaner barely touch the film the larvae live in; scrub pipes and traps with a stiff brush and flush with hot to boiling water. Our small flies guide covers each fly.^[10]

Rodent signs to report to your pest management company include droppings (about 3/4 inch for Norway rats, 1/4 inch for mice), dark greasy rub marks along baseboards and openings, runways, gnaw marks, burrows and holes in walls. In commercial buildings, house mice often arrive inside packaged goods or from delivery vehicles.^[6][3]

Seal openings larger than a quarter inch, including where utilities enter. New York City recommends sealant with copper mesh around pipes, two-piece escutcheon plates under sinks, backer rods for gaps wider than a quarter inch, and rubber-encased steel fabric or high-density brush sweeps on doors; UC IPM adds that plastic, rubber, foam and wood are useless as plugs because mice chew through them.^[6][3]

Outside, sources differ on how much clearance to leave: New York City recommends a 3-foot vegetation-free strip around the building and branches cut back at least 10 inches, while Texas A&M's food service training suggests an 18- to 24-inch strip between the building and green areas.^[6][8]

For an active infestation, New York City's health department says bait blocks inside tamper-resistant stations are the preferred choice indoors, and snap traps set inside tamper-resistant stations should be used where food is prepared and stored, checked daily until the problem is under control. Sticky traps are allowed only as monitoring tools within an IPM program and must be emptied as soon as they catch a rodent.^[6][1]

• Seal holes and gaps where pipes, vents and cables enter; house mice fit through openings 3/8 inch wide.^[3][1]
• Store food in sealed containers and clean up spills and grease; take garbage out often and keep bins clean.^[4][3]

Common questions

Can a restaurant use glue boards for mice?

New York City's health department allows sticky traps only as part of an IPM program, as a monitoring tool to show whether rodents are present, and says to remove them as soon as they hold a rodent. Check your own health department's rules.^[6]

Are bug zappers allowed in a restaurant kitchen?

Yes, but the Food Code requires electrocution or stun devices to retain the insects and bans them over food preparation areas or anywhere fragments could land on exposed food, clean equipment, utensils or linens.^[1][9]

Do I have to hire a licensed pest control company?

Not under the Food Code itself, except that restricted-use pesticides need a certified applicator. Local rules can require it; New York City does, and DuPage County's guidance leaves chemical control to a licensed operator. Our guide to choosing a pest control company covers licenses and contracts.^[1][6][7]

Why does the health department care about a few dead bugs in a trap?

The Food Code requires dead or trapped pests to be removed from traps and the premises often enough that they don't accumulate, decompose or attract more pests; its rationale is that carcasses draw in other pests and make the problem worse.^[1]

Sources

1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “Food Code 2022, Recommendations of the U.S. Public Health Service (January 18, 2023 version), sections 6-202.13, 6-202.15, 6-202.16, 6-501.111, 6-501.112, 6-501.114, 7-202.12, 7-206.12, 7-206.13.” www.fda.gov/media/164194/download (accessed 2026-11-10)
2. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Cockroaches (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/cockroaches/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
3. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “House Mouse (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/house-mouse/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
4. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Ants (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/ants/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
5. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Cockroaches, Publication 7467 (revised December 2019).” ipm.ucanr.edu/legacy_assets/PDF/PESTNOTES/pncockroaches.pdf (accessed 2026-11-10)
6. New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, “Best Practices for Pest Proofing Food Service Establishments.” www.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/rii/keep-pests-out-of-food-establishments.pdf (accessed 2026-11-10)
7. DuPage County Health Department, Illinois, “Integrated Pest Management (Food Safety Program handout).” www.dupagehealth.org/DocumentCenter/View/138/Integrated-Pest-Management-PDF (accessed 2026-11-10)
8. Texas Cooperative Extension (Texas A&M AgriLife), Southwest Technical Resource Center, “Food Service IPM (training presentation).” extensionentomology.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2010/11/Food_Service_IPMSmall.pdf (accessed 2026-11-10)
9. University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Flies (Pest Notes, Home and Landscape).” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/flies/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
10. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, “Indoor Flies and Their Control.” agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/library/insects/indoor-flies-and-their-control/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
11. Applied and Environmental Microbiology (PubMed 22941079), “Pava-Ripoll M, et al. Prevalence and relative risk of Cronobacter spp., Salmonella spp., and Listeria monocytogenes associated with the body surfaces and guts of individual filth flies. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2012;78(22):7891-7902.” pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22941079/ (accessed 2026-11-10)