At the heart of the uptick in forced closures around the county and state due to health violations is California’s new Poison-Free Wildlife Act (AB 2552), which took effect January 1, 2025. The legislation bans the use of nearly all anticoagulant rodenticides, including second-generation poisons (SGARs) once considered highly effective in urban pest control. Backed by wildlife advocacy groups and environmentalists, the law aims to curb secondary poisoning in predatory species like owls, hawks, bobcats, and mountain lions.
While exemptions were carved out for agriculture and public health emergencies, food businesses were not granted any such relief. Pest control companies are now left with limited options - slower and less effective methods like live trapping, steel exclusion barriers, and time-consuming monitoring. These alternatives come with increased costs and complications, particularly for restaurants located in older buildings or dense urban areas where neighboring properties may be vacant or poorly maintained.
In downtown San Diego and across commercial corridors in neighborhoods like Hillcrest, Pacific Beach, and Barrio Logan, these vacant retail spaces have become breeding grounds for pests. Restaurateurs say they are being penalized for conditions beyond their control, with rodents and cockroaches migrating into kitchens and storage rooms through shared walls and ceilings.
"It's incredibly frustrating," one San Diego restaurant owner told SanDiegoVille. "We’re meticulous about cleaning, we have pest control service, but if the vacant unit next door is infested, what can we do?"
Also contributing to the surge is an unusually wet winter in the preceding year. The National Weather Service reported that from December 2023 through March 2024, San Diego experienced over 10 inches of rainfall - well above average. Atmospheric river events soaked the region, pushing vermin from sewers and basements into higher, warmer spaces - like restaurant kitchens.
These challenges are further compounded by the way San Diego’s health inspection records are made public. The County’s Department of Environmental Health and Quality (DEHQ), which pioneered California’s first restaurant grading system in 1947, posts inspection summaries online at SDFoodInfo.com. But violations are listed by generic labels such as "Vermin-Major," offering no specific context. That means anything from a few isolated droppings to clear signs of infestation might trigger the same classification and immediate closure, as well as results in the public, understandably, assuming the worst.
"It’s like a scarlet letter," another restaurateur said. "The health inspector might find a dropping or two, and we’re shut down with ‘Vermin’ plastered across the internet. There’s no explanation, no appeal in the public eye.”
The health department’s workforce has also evolved. Where once many inspectors had experience in food service or hospitality, the new generation of health enforcement professionals comes from more clinical or bureaucratic backgrounds. Critics say this can create a disconnect in understanding the daily realities of operating a restaurant, particularly amid rising costs, labor shortages, and environmental constraints.
Another unintended consequence of recent environmental policy? Mandatory composting. Under California's SB 1383, restaurants are now required to separate organic waste for composting. While well-intentioned, this practice can increase pest attractants if not meticulously managed - and many restaurants, especially older ones, lack proper storage areas to do so hygienically.
Among those impacted are some of San Diego’s most well-known dining establishments. In the past year alone, popular spots like Las Cuatro Milpas, Breakfast Republic, the Catamaran Resort & Spa, Civico 1845, and many others have been forced to temporarily close due to vermin-related violations. While all were able to reopen after addressing the issues, the damage to public perception and the financial toll can be significant.
With around 300 restaurants already shuttered for vermin-related violations from mid-2024 to mid-2025, and more sure to come, the industry is on high alert. Some businesses have begun lobbying for targeted exemptions or for the development of more effective pest control alternatives that comply with the new law. Others are investing heavily in exclusion-based strategies, enhanced staff training, and costly daily cleaning regimens to reduce pest vulnerabilities - costs that smaller or independent operators often cannot afford.
While the spirit of AB 2552 is rooted in ecological protection, its real-world consequences for the hospitality sector are clear. Unless more tools or support become available, the clash between wildlife protection and food safety may leave more restaurateurs caught in the middle — and more doors temporarily closed.
Another unintended consequence of recent environmental policy? Mandatory composting. Under California's SB 1383, restaurants are now required to separate organic waste for composting. While well-intentioned, this practice can increase pest attractants if not meticulously managed - and many restaurants, especially older ones, lack proper storage areas to do so hygienically.
Among those impacted are some of San Diego’s most well-known dining establishments. In the past year alone, popular spots like Las Cuatro Milpas, Breakfast Republic, the Catamaran Resort & Spa, Civico 1845, and many others have been forced to temporarily close due to vermin-related violations. While all were able to reopen after addressing the issues, the damage to public perception and the financial toll can be significant.
With around 300 restaurants already shuttered for vermin-related violations from mid-2024 to mid-2025, and more sure to come, the industry is on high alert. Some businesses have begun lobbying for targeted exemptions or for the development of more effective pest control alternatives that comply with the new law. Others are investing heavily in exclusion-based strategies, enhanced staff training, and costly daily cleaning regimens to reduce pest vulnerabilities - costs that smaller or independent operators often cannot afford.
While the spirit of AB 2552 is rooted in ecological protection, its real-world consequences for the hospitality sector are clear. Unless more tools or support become available, the clash between wildlife protection and food safety may leave more restaurateurs caught in the middle — and more doors temporarily closed.
To view current inspection records and closure notices in San Diego County, visit SDFoodInfo.com. For ongoing coverage of this issue, follow SanDiegoVille.
Originally published on July 12, 2025.
