QSR Magazine: Why Restaurants Should Care About Zika

Mosquitoes and the possible presence of Zika make for an unpleasant dining experience. According to a recent QSR Magazine article, Zika has caused customers to limit their outdoor time and restaurants need to take steps to prevent becoming hot zones for mosquitoes.

“Summer is the higher breeding time for mosquitoes. There’s a lot more rain, too. We do have a lot more standing water in the summer,” says Desiree Straubinger, an etymologist and the Southeast market director with Rentokil North America, which provides pest control services for businesses.

Mosquitoes have life spans from around eight to 14 days, but during that short lifetime will lay up to 200 to 300 eggs in standing water. Restaurants that have places that collect water—gutters, mop buckets, dumpsters, and trashcans---can all be susceptible to becoming ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Contrary to popular belief, the species that carries Zika flies during the day, as opposed to the nighttime when many people might be expecting to take precautions.

Barrier treatments of larvacide and even fans can help since mosquitoes are not strong fliers. While experts say it is rare for them to breed inside of a restaurant, stray bugs can make their way into establishments when doors open and close.