Pests We Treat - Cockroaches Sneak into Food Facility in Carteret, NJ

Cockroach issues are often associated with sanitation and hygiene issues. When food or food residue is left out and kitchens are not properly cleaned, roach infestations often follow. However, sometimes, for no fault of our own, we can find ourselves with a roach infestation even when we keep our kitchen and other areas are kept spotless. For example, in high density housing, such as with apartment complexes and student dormitories, a roach infestation will quickly spread to other units from the one “guilty” unit that is causing the problems. Also, cockroaches, just like bed bugs, are stealth hitchhikers, and we unknowingly transport them into our homes or businesses. That was the case here.

Recently, my partner and I were sent to one of our commercial accounts, a restaurant in Carteret, NJ. This restaurant had stringent cleaning protocols for its kitchen staff. It was one of the cleanest, well-organized commercial kitchens that we have the pleasure of working with.  Nevertheless, this business found itself with a roach infestation despite its best efforts.

In this particular instance, the restaurant manager was able to identify the source of the roach infestation: a box of produce delivered to the business had roaches hidden inside of its corrugated edges. Cardboard boxes, with all their little nooks and crannies from the corrugated edges, are notorious for harboring roaches, ants, and other insects. Whenever a restaurant or other food service business has a food delivery, it is critical that any boxes be carefully inspected. Also, the contents should be immediately removed and stored and the boxes themselves should be broken down and taken outside for pick-up or recycling away from the kitchen. 

As soon as the manager identified the infestation and its source, he immediately contacted Cowleys. We handle all of their pest control needs including periodic inspections and preventative treatments. It’s the best way to stay on top of problems. When my partner and I arrived for the inspection, We observed light roach activity under and behind some of the kitchen equipment. Roaches are resilient insects that can easily become a living nightmare for restaurants. It was imperative that we get this infestation completely eliminated by throwing everything, including the kitchen sink at it (pardon my pun!)

Roaches like to do their foraging during the quiet of night and, if the lights are turned on, run for cover to their dark out-of-the way hiding places. And, for a roach, what better place to hide than a wall void! We brought out a micro-injector, which allows us to treat inside wall voids that would not be reached with a regular application of product. Using the micro-injector, my partner fogged inside the wall voids as well as the motor housings of all of the kitchen equipment and appliances. That did the trick! The roaches had nowhere to run and nowhere to hide! While my partner was treating the spaces using the micro-injector, I applied a liquid application to catch any roaches that may have evaded the fogging. Once the job was completed, we placed a new set of glue monitors in various locations for our next visit. These monitors allow us to gauge the level of insect activity between visits.

Fortunately, the roach activity was minimal when we arrived because of the quick-acting manager. This is a perfect example that the sooner a pest control service is contacted, the easier it is for us to resolve the infestation. Roach populations grow at astronomical rates. A single egg casing can have upwards of 40 eggs, so it doesn’t take long for multiple generations of roaches to infest your home or business. 

We’re looking forward to our next visit. I’m confident that, after this full-court press treatment, we’ll be inspecting a roach-free kitchen.