German Cockroaches' Impact On The Restaurant Industry

8 Reasons German Cockroaches Are A Threat

1. Access: An adult German cockroach grows to between ⅝ of an inch and ½ an inch. But, before it gets to this small size, it is even smaller. Nymphs are tiny enough to fit through the hole on an electrical outlet or slip easily through a gap on a cardboard box. As adults, they are able to chew their way into cardboard boxes, and their size no longer matters.
2. Illness: German cockroaches get into some very nasty places. They are as comfortable on the rim of a toilet as they are in a silverware drawer. For this reason, they can transport harmful bacteria from drains, trash cans, toilets, and other dirty places to food prep surfaces, plates, utensils, foods, and more. This can lead to sickness for employees and customers. Cockroaches are linked to several bacteria-related illnesses including gastroenteritis, food poisoning, enteric fever, typhoid fever, diarrhea, giardia, listeriosis, Cholera, E.coli, and dysentery.
3. Allergens: The excrement and shed skins of German cockroaches cause an allergic response in most people. Symptoms of allergic reaction include congestion, skin rash, watery eyes, sneezing, and asthma. When German cockroaches get into air ducts and ventilation systems, these allergens can become airborne.
4. Pheromones: German cockroaches increase their populations quickly, and as population levels increase, the pheromone scent these roaches produce becomes quite noticeable. But, beyond the unwelcome odor, these pheromones can taint food and cause food to have a foul taste.
5. Employee Impact: The presence of German cockroaches within a restaurant can have a demoralizing effect on employees and lead to a decrease in productivity, and the illnesses listed above leads to an increase in employee absenteeism.
6. Customer Impact: Since German cockroaches reproduce so quickly, and are tiny enough to gain access to every location within in a restaurant, it doesn't take long for customers to start seeing them. There was a time when this would only lead to the loss of one customer, but we live in an age of online reviews, and almost everyone has a smartphone. Reviews can make or break a business.
7. Litigation: If cockroaches are present in a restaurant, it opens the opportunity for customers to bring a lawsuit--even if they don't get sick from the food served.
8. Failed Inspection: There are few conditions that can cause a government inspection to fail quicker than the presence of cockroaches. At worst, this can lead to a complete closure of the restaurant and permanent damage to the reputation of the business.