Pests Can Cause Disease and Ruin Reputations and Businesses

Naperville, Ill. (April 22, 2024) -- Brad Michael, 41, of Chicago felt fine one minute and was convulsing the next. “I thought I was going to die,” he said. “I knew it wasn’t the flu because my girlfriend didn’t get sick but I couldn’t imagine what could have made me so sick so fast.”

It was listeria, likely caused by a recent outbreak in dairy products across the country.

“Listeria is just one of the foodborne illnesses that kill about 3,000 people each year in the U.S.,” said Stan Cope, PhD, a renowned public health entomologist and technical director with Rose Pest Solutions, www.rosepestcontrol.com. “It can live in food without being detected, lurking in our refrigerators for up to a month, poised to make anyone eating it very sick.”

The recent listeria outbreak in several U.S. states is just one potentially deadly foodborne illness that experts say make 1 in 6 Americans sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s roughly 48 million people with 128,000 of them requiring hospitalization.

“If merely thinking about listeria is not enough to make you queasy, this one could do the trick: Most people don’t know that the common house fly is really known as a filth fly,” Dr. Cope said. “They transport bacteria. They literally eat filth. They lay eggs on filth. They regurgitate on food to liquefy it then eat it again. And the crowning moment is when they contaminate food and surfaces by defecating on them. It’s not a pretty picture,” he said.

Other common filth flies include blow flies, flesh flies, stable flies, fruit flies and drain flies and the list goes on.

Of course, cockroaches are another common disease carrying vector. They can transmit Salmonella, Staphylococcus, E.coli, typhoid fever and gastroenteritis, to name a few dread diseases.

“The key to controlling and getting rid of any pest is to find the source and correct the problem,” said Dr. Cope. “These are not a do it yourself projects. You need a professional with experience who knows what they are doing. If issues like these are ignored and word of mouth doesn’t cause patrons to leave for good, the financial impact alone could ruin a business,” he added.

The National Library of Medicine estimates “that the cost of a single foodborne illness outbreak ranged from $3,968 to $1.9 million for a fast-food restaurant, $6,330 to $2.1 million for a fast-casual restaurant, $8,030 to $2.2 million for a casual-dining restaurant, and $8273 to $2.6 million for a fine-dining restaurant.” These figures were based on an outbreak with five people getting sick, “with no lost revenue, lawsuits, legal fees, or fines, to a 250-person outbreak, with high lost revenue (100 meals lost per illness), and a high amount of lawsuits and legal fees ($1 656 569) and fines ($100 000).”

A hit like that can encompass not only the restaurant’s annual marketing costs but also the entire year’s profits and revenue.

The NLM concludes that “The cost of a single foodborne illness outbreak to a restaurant can be substantial and outweigh the typical costs of prevention and control measures.”

“This is precisely why it’s critical for restaurants and hospitality establishments to institute a comprehensive pest and rodent control program to not only protect customers but also your bottom line,” Dr. Cope said. “If your establishment becomes known for foodborne illnesses, there may be no way to recover.”

Rose and sister brand Franklin Pest Solutions has been protecting restaurants and bars from pests throughout the Chicago area for generations, longer than any other pest company in the industry.

“Our business is dedicated to maintaining public health in your business, providing the greatest experience possible for patrons,” Dr. Cope said. “Successful restaurant pest prevention begins with a strong pest management partnership between an establishment’s staff and our specially certified experts. It’s these relationships that have kept our business thriving for over 160 years.”

For a free evaluation of your dining establishment, call 800-GOT PESTS?

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About Rose Pest Solutions, Inc.

Since 1860, Rose Pest Solutions has been trusted in the Midwest to keep homes and businesses free from insects, rodents and more. Using cutting-edge technology, environmentally friendly methods, and personalized unique solutions, Rose and its sister company Franklin Pest Solutions are dedicated to creating and maintaining healthier living environments.

Owned by the Dold Family, Rose Pest Solutions proudly serves communities in all of Chicagoland, the Greater Milwaukee area, the Greater Rockford region and South-Central Wisconsin Franklin Pest Solutions proudly serves Indiana and Kentucky. For more information, see www.rosepestcontrol.com and www.franklinpestsolutions.com or call 800-GOT PESTS?