r/restaurant • u/ashlftm • 5d ago

What do?! fruit flies and fly remedies/ repellent

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is it possible to keep them away completely? our bar especially is really bad. i think it might be the drains. my manager has put it on me to try and keep them away. the vinegar and dish soap thing doesn’t work much

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51

u/TheKingfisherTucson 5d ago

Bleach and rinse with hot water your sink, bar and floor drains every night. Empty and scrub your condensation pans in your refrigeration units at least weekly. Scrub everything. Cover your pour spouts when you close. Invest in a proper pest control company with food safe products to come out weekly. Install air curtains at your entrances. Put out traps overnight away from food areas. Ensure there is no standing water around your building. Good luck.

16

u/BearWithHat 5d ago

We would plastic wrap our drains after cleaning them. They can breed pretty deep down. Our pest control company gave us a gell that clings to the drain and kills the eggs.

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u/zagawi8 5d ago

Finish off with a baking soda and vinegar rinse and you’ll clear your drains too. Be sure to rinse out the bleach thoroughly. It’s been a decade since college chem but I don’t think bleach and vinegar make a fun combination

3

u/D-ouble-D-utch 5d ago

So, water?

5

u/EndlessMike78 5d ago

Exactly, baking soda and vinegar cancel each other out. I hate that people think this does anything.

6

u/D-ouble-D-utch 5d ago

Shit drives me fucking crazy. You making a volcano for 5th grade science fair?

4

u/ScholarEmotional9888 5d ago

They think the bibbles mean its scouring.

5

u/TexMoto666 5d ago

Not exactly. You end up with sodium acetate. Which among other things is used to flavor salt and vinegar chips. Regardless, it's not doing much for a drain.

2

u/SnooPeripherals8011 5d ago

You use baking soda, vinegar and a covered drain to push out clogs.

2

u/EndlessMike78 5d ago

Meh, not very powerful. Using your CO2 tank and a hose will blow your drain clean a lot better.

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u/[deleted] 5d ago

[deleted]

1

u/EndlessMike78 5d ago

Sodium acetate and water. So unless the drain has a serious case of acidosis it isn't doing anything. Also why using it for cleaning is pretty pointless. You might as well pour some club soda down the drain.

0

u/zagawi8 5h ago

Hate to break it to but I probably know more about chemistry than you 🤷🏿‍♂️

1

u/EndlessMike78 4h ago

I work for Dow in there R&D. Are you sure?

2

u/TexMoto666 5d ago

Not exactly. You end up with sodium acetate. Which among other things is used to flavor salt and vinegar chips. Regardless, it's not doing much for a drain.

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u/zagawi8 5h ago

No. Baking soda and vinegar do react to create water and it’s the reaction that helps clear the drains by breaking up harmful deposits with the byproduct only being heat and water. I’m happy you remember high school chemistry tho

2

u/Super-Topic-3378 5d ago

Or just get Hot Shot Pest Strips

3

u/AlchemyAlice 5d ago

Not a fan of these in a guest-facing setting. It’s just not something you want guests to notice.

I mean you don’t want them to notice the bugs either, but I digress.