by Alvey Group Ltd
Guide

Keep pest monitoring records for a takeaway or café without a monthly contractor visit

How do I keep pest monitoring records without monthly contractor visits?

Your staff can do the routine checks. Write down what they found (including “no signs found”), keep the record on site, and call a pest professional only when activity needs investigation or treatment. You do not need a monthly all-clear visit just to create a paper trail.

Pest Intel is built for that pattern: a non-toxic monitoring kit, guided checks on a phone, and downloadable records. It does not replace Safer Food Better Business, a full HACCP plan, or a contractor when treatment is needed.

Can I keep EHO-ready pest records without a full monthly contract?

Yes — for many small sites, dated in-house checks plus clear follow-up when something is found are what matter. Expectations vary by local authority and by your site’s risk level; there is no single universal EHO checklist.

In practice food premises are often expected to show that pest risk is monitored and managed, which usually means:

  • Date of each check
  • Who did it (staff name or contractor)
  • Areas checked
  • Findings — including a clear “no signs found” / “no evidence of activity” when nothing was found
  • What you did next if something was found (clean, proof, recheck, or call a professional), with a date

Keep records on site with your SFBB pack or equivalent. Undated or blank rows carry little weight. Your own EHO or audit scheme may ask for more or less than this list — follow what they require for your premises.

How do staff do pest checks between contractor visits?

  1. Assign one person per shift pattern to walk the high-risk points: dry store, waste area, external doors, under units, and any known entry points.
  2. Use a torch. Look for droppings, gnaw marks, damaged packaging, and gaps.
  3. Write the date, name, areas, and finding — even when the finding is “no signs found”.
  4. If you find activity, note the action and the follow-up date. Do not leave a gap with no explanation.

That paper diary already helps. A guided kit makes the same habit faster to keep and easier to show.

What Pest Intel adds (facts only)

  • Eight supplied routine stations for a Small site (six mouse points M1–M6, two rat points R1–R2), with room in the app for up to 20 named points as the site grows
  • Guided phone checks that record clear / review soon / priority action, with next-step guidance
  • Downloadable records that keep point codes, locations, dates, findings and follow-up together
  • Pricing: £89 to start (£60 kit & setup + first month), then £29 a month; or £348 a year with the starter kit and UK delivery included free — save £60 in year one compared with monthly. Alvey Group Ltd is not VAT registered, so no VAT is added. Monthly has no 12-month minimum.
  • No existing pest-control contract required
  • Optional snap-trap response modules are separate and supplied unset; professional treatment is not included

Best suited today to straightforward small sites — takeaways, kiosks, small cafés — that need clearer routine checks and due-diligence records. Medium and Large plans are not open for ordering yet.

When you still need a pest professional

Call a competent pest contractor (BPCA / NPTA or equivalent) when:

  • There is active infestation that needs investigation or treatment
  • You need specialist assessment, proofing work, or chemical treatment
  • Your local authority or audit scheme requires contractor involvement for your risk level

Pest Intel can sit beside an existing contractor and strengthen records between visits. It does not guarantee compliance, an FHRS rating, or an inspection outcome.