Pest survey, proofing and a visit contract

Get a pest control survey done before you open, fix any proofing gaps it finds (door seals, drain covers, external openings), and put a contracted pest controller on a regular visit schedule. This is not a one-off spray — it is an ongoing contract that gives you paperwork to show an EHO.

Evidence of pest activity, or no evidence of a pest control system at all, is one of the fastest ways to fail an inspection outright and can trigger enforcement action or closure. Food businesses are also a magnet for pests that a domestic property would never attract, so this is not optional risk management — it is close to guaranteed to matter eventually.

Watch out for

• Treating pest control as a reactive call-out once something is spotted, rather than a standing contract with regular visits — by the time you see evidence, an infestation is often already established.
• Ignoring proofing recommendations because they cost money to fix — a good bait station contract cannot compensate for a gap under a delivery door that pests use every night.
• Not keeping visit reports on file — the EHO wants to see the contract is live and the visits are actually happening, not just that you signed up once.

Sources

• BPCA — Find a pest controller checked 2026-09-02

See also

• Put your HACCP system in place
• Get ready for your first inspection
• Pest control visits— this becomes an ongoing job once you’re open →