A food truck generates heat like other food processing facilities. As such, the heat attracts flies and other pests seeking out a high-temperature range for reproduction. 

In most cases, the summer season means food, fun, and, unfortunately, pests. If too many unwanted ants, bees, cockroaches, flies, mosquitoes, rats, and wasps fly around, they may ruin your food truck business. Besides being an annoyance to customers, they can also transmit diseases. 

So, how can you keep flies and other pests out of your food truck? We’ve got you covered!

Preventive Measures

Prevention is better than cure. Such a saying goes true when keeping flies and other pests out of your food truck. Keeping your food truck clean all the time is the best preventive measure to keep insects away. Have your bins, garbage, and waste securely covered. Get rid of them as often as possible as they can be a breeding ground for cockroaches, flies, and mosquitoes. During the summer months, you may consider requesting extra pick-ups from your waste manager. This is because flies and other pests are most troublesome during the hot weather. They also love moisture and oily surfaces. So, make sure that you frequently wipe dry the surfaces of your food truck. 

Odor Management System

Food truck operators can drastically eliminate or reduce issues from flies and other pests through an odor management system. It is also a health check step on your food truck business.  Flies and other pests love meat and its odor. So, you need to find technology and ways to keep odors away from your food truck. Some install exhaust fans to drive hot air and unwanted odor away from the food truck’s interior. Others use compact odor masks and neutralizers that are easy to maintain. 

Sanitation

Ensuring a high level of hygienic practices can also keep flies and other pests away from your food truck. Keep foods fully sealed in cans, containers, and packages. Flies and other pests can transmit bacteria and germs once they get in contact with the foods you are selling. 

Raw food should be kept refrigerated when not in use. It is important to choose the right refrigerator and cooler to preserve your food items.

Dispose of expired ingredients and empty food containers – especially those that contained sugar. Areas in the food truck used for preparation and production should always be kept clean and dry. Always remember that flies and other pests are attracted even to the littlest pile of food or liquid. 

What’s utterly important to keep your food truck sanitized is regularly cleaning the cooking area, equipment, floors, machinery, storage spaces, utensils, etc. inside and outside your food truck.

Truck Maintenance

Another way to keep flies and other pests away from your food truck is to prevent them from entering inside. It can be done through proper truck maintenance. Engineer your HVAC system to reduce the amount of air from escaping the inside of your food truck. Positive air pressure can deter flies and other pests away. Inspect the breaks and exterior of your food truck for loose sealants or weather strips. Seal any opening immediately such as breaks, cracks, holes, or pipes. Even tiny holes in the drains, electrical outlets, HVAC system, vents, and water pipes can be an entry point for unwanted pests. 

Organic Solutions

Flies and other pests despise the scents of some organic solutions available in most gardens and kitchens. You may consider putting them in small containers within strategic places in your food truck. Among these organic solutions are:

• Apple Cider Vinegar. Flies and other pests love the smell of apples and vinegar. Mixing apple cider vinegar in a bowl of natural liquid soap can trap flies attracted to its aroma. 
• Basil, Cinnamon, and Garlic. Placing small basil plants in your food truck prep and production table can drive flies and other pests away as they hate their smell. Cinnamon can also act as an air freshener and deter flies and other pests. It isn’t only vampires that are afraid of garlic. They also repel ants, flies, and mosquitoes.
• Cornstarch. Sprinkling cornstarch around the corners and joints of your food truck kept ants away from crossing the line. 
• Essential Oils from Eucalyptus, Lavender, Lemongrass, and Peppermint. Spraying essential oils inside your food truck will create a beautiful aroma that deters flies and other pests, too. They also dispel the scent of food that attracts these pesky insects. 

Physical Solutions

A lot of physical solutions are also available in local stores to keep flies and other pests away from our food truck. These include:

• Chemical Sprays are ideal for treating infested areas. Use them at night after operations. Flies and mosquitoes die immediately due to asphyxiation. They are also unwelcomed among bees, beetles, cockroaches, hornets, and moths. 
• Citronella Candles spruce up your food truck with lovely evening lights but can also knock down the population of mosquitoes roaming around.
• Electronic Pest Repellent Devices are cheap and compact physical solutions to knock back black flies and mosquitoes within hours. 
• Heat Treatments can be held among food trucks for 8 to 30 hours daily. They can destroy insect life in all stages. They also kill bacteria, germs, and viruses in your food truck. 
• Insect Traps are a great alternative to chemical sprays. Some are coated with adhesive glue to trap insects. Others work by emitting UV light that draws flies and other pests away. 
• Running the Fans in your food truck can help drive insects away as they don’t like moving air. 

The Bottom Line

There is no general solution on how to keep flies and other pests away from your food truck. Infestation issues will be unique for every food truck, depending on its environment, food offerings, and food preparation processes. The best ways to protect your mobile truck against flies and other pests are to keep them regularly cleaned, maintained, and sanitized. These measures will also ensure that your mobile truck is compliant and safe within foodservice standards. 

Thinking about buying a new truck to expand your business? At UsedVending, we have a wide range of food trucks to suit any niche you have in mind. You can also sell your mobile trucks and food trailers through our platform. 

Visit our website today!