Regulations · Food businesses

The Pest Control Plan Costa Rican Law Requires for Your Food Business (and How to Set It Up Right)

Published: Jul 19, 2026 ~5 min read

Many restaurant, soda, and bakery owners in Costa Rica believe "fumigating every now and then" is enough. The regulation says otherwise: Executive Decree N° 37308-S (Regulation for Public Food Services, in effect since 2012) requires a pest control plan that is permanently in execution and documented in a log. Here's what that means in practice, what the plan must contain, and how to keep the log using the format published by the Ministry of Health itself.

In brief

The plan is mandatory for any business that prepares or serves food (article 61 of Decree 37308-S).
Fumigating isn't enough: every activity and application must be documented in a log.
Products must be registered with the Ministry of Health, and the applicator company must be authorized by the Ministry of Health.
The Ministry publishes an official log format you can download for free (link below).

Rodent control station number 21, labeled, with its signed service log on the wall — Every station is numbered and has its log beside it: date and signature on each visit, which is the evidence article 61 asks for.

What article 61 actually requires

Article 61 of the regulation ("Pests and Animals") states that establishments "must be kept free of pests" and requires, among other things:

That the person in charge or owner of the business develop and keep "a pest control plan in execution."
That whenever the control requires pesticides, the application be carried out by trained personnel.
That "a record of activities and applications that can demonstrate compliance" be kept.
That the products be authorized by the Ministry of Health.
That if the service is provided by a company, that company be authorized by the Ministry of Health.

The same regulation adds related requirements: non-perishable food must be stored in a place that is "clean, dry, and protected from pests," on pallets or shelving (art. 42), drains must have grates to keep rodents out, and windows in processing areas must have insect screens.

The 5 pieces of a plan that actually passes inspection

1. Diagnosis and map. Which pests are present or could get in (cockroaches, rodents, flies), through where, and a floor plan of the business marking critical points and numbered bait stations.
2. Preventive measures. Sealing cracks, drain grates, trash management, storage on pallets. Even the best product application can't make up for a disorganized storeroom; see our guide on how cleaning prevents pests.
3. Treatment with registered products. Gels, bait in closed stations, and targeted applications, with each product's Ministry of Health registration number noted down.
4. The log. The record of every visit: date, area treated, pest, trap type, product, frequency, and person responsible. The Ministry of Health publishes an official Excel format with exactly those columns: use it as-is, or ask your provider to hand it over in that format.
5. Provider evidence. The pest control company's sanitary permit, chemical oversight (regencia química), product safety data sheets, and the service report from each visit. Without this, the plan falls apart in front of the inspector.

Four bait stations numbered 1 through 4, labeled and dated before installation — Devices are numbered and dated before they go in, so the plan’s floor map and what is actually on site match.

How often does a restaurant need to be fumigated?

The decree doesn't set a fixed frequency: it requires that the plan be "in execution" and that the log prove it. In practice, for food service businesses the market standard is monthly, because products lose their residual effect, rodent stations need to be checked, and the log needs to show continuity. A business that shows up with a log listing a single fumigation from eight months ago has, in the inspector's eyes, no plan in execution.

If you sell to supermarkets or export

For food processing plants and warehouses, the Central American Technical Regulation for Good Manufacturing Practices also applies (RTCA 67.01.33:06, section 5.7): a written program, station mapping, safety data sheets, and a written inspection log. It's a prerequisite for HACCP and the audits that retail chains require.

We'll set up the full plan for you

Monthly commercial plan with a log in the Ministry of Health's official format, certified, station map, and safety data sheets, starting at ₡49,900/month.

Call 8607-9594 WhatsApp

EcoPlagas Technical Team

Pest control specialists · EcoPlagas

Content written by the EcoPlagas technical team (Ecofumigadora Hermanos Paniagua S.R.L.), a pest control company licensed by the Ministry of Health, with chemical oversight and trained technicians. Over 10,000 clients served from 12 locations, green-label products. Learn more about us.

References:

Executive Decree N° 37308-S, Regulation for Public Food Services (full text, arts. 42 and 61)

Ministry of Health – Pest Control Log Format (official Excel)

Ministry of Health – Inspection Guide for Public Food Services

RTCA 67.01.33:06 – Good Manufacturing Practices, food and beverage industry (COMEX)