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Pest control for pubs & bars in London

Pubs and bars combine food service with late-night operations, creating ideal conditions for cockroaches, rodents and fruit flies. Where food is served or prepared, the same legal pest control duty applies as in any food business.

Inspection priorities

  • Cockroaches behind bar equipment and in cellar areas
  • Rodents attracted by food waste and cellar deliveries
  • Fruit flies and drain flies in bar waste areas
  • Wasps attracted to outdoor seating and sweet drinks

Build a practical service specification

Map delivery points, food storage, waste areas, staff facilities and shared routes. Agree when monitoring can take place without disrupting operations and identify the person responsible for following up recommendations.

What to ask your contractor to provide

  • A dated inspection report with findings and evidence.
  • A site plan showing monitoring points where relevant.
  • Treatment and safety instructions appropriate to the premises.
  • Clear escalation contacts and an agreed response process.
  • Written prevention recommendations, owners and review dates.

These apply to any commercial premises. For the legal duty that sits behind them, what an environmental health officer looks for on an unannounced visit, and how to specify scope, reporting and response before you compare prices, read the commercial pest control guide.

The legal duty behind pest control in a food business

If your premises handle food, pest control is required by law rather than chosen as a service. Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, as it applies in Great Britain, states in Chapter IX, point 4: “Adequate procedures are to be in place to control pests.” The duty sits with the food business operator, and appointing a contractor does not transfer it.

  • In England, an environmental health officer can serve a hygiene improvement notice under regulation 6 of the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013. The notice must specify the failure and the measures needed, and allow at least 14 days to comply.
  • Closing the premises immediately needs more than a pest sighting. A hygiene emergency prohibition notice under regulation 8 requires an “imminent risk of injury” to health.
  • Scotland and Wales have their own hygiene regulations. This is general information, not legal advice.

Relevant pest guides

Rats & Mice

Recognise rodent signs and understand inspection, treatment and proofing.

Read guide

Cockroaches

Identify kitchen activity and understand monitoring and prevention.

Read guide

Wasps

Assess a suspected nest safely and prepare for professional identification.

Read guide

Fleas

Understand household flea activity and coordinated home and pet advice.

Read guide

Ants

Trace indoor ant activity and review food storage and entry routes.

Read guide

Further information

Published by Pest Protect London. Updated 2 November 2026. General information; treatment decisions require an assessment of the property. Editorial policy.