The lesser-known redlegged ham beetle, also known as the copra beetle or ham beetle, can cause big issues in the pet food industry. These pests prefer to dwell in meat products with a high grease or fat content, making pet food highly favorable to the beetles.

The beetles are known to feed on—you guessed it—ham, but also other potential pet food ingredients such as dried bone meal, dried egg, and cured and dried meats. In the right conditions, females can lay up to 3,000 eggs, depositing them within the cracks and crevices of food items and surrounding areas. Food manufacturers are facing a growing problem as the prevalence of these metallic blue-green pests continues to increase. Without sufficient pest management strategies, a puppy’s dinner may double as a beetle’s habitat.

Not originally native to the United States, the redlegged ham beetle has recently been identified as a serious concern to food manufacturers. As the presence of this beetle is likely to continue to increase in the coming years, pest control providers are at the forefront in identifying, managing, and partnering with manufacturers to stay ahead of the curve.

Help Protect Your Facility

This pest can have serious financial implications in food warehouses and stores if infested items are transported from manufacturing plants. If you notice the following signs around your facility, you may be facing a redlegged ham beetle issue:

• Damage to food items and packaging;
• Live larva and adults; or
• White silken cocoons on infested food items.

So, how does a food manufacturing and handling facility help protect itself against these beetles? By implementing an integrated pest management (IPM) program.

Most food-handling businesses likely have heard of IPM programs, especially if they are regularly audited by food quality and safety inspectors. These programs are implemented by qualified pest control technicians in collaboration with a business’s food safety and quality assurance team to help deter pest activity and prevent infestations. IPM programs focus on preventive techniques such as exclusion, sanitation, and maintenance to keep pests where they belong—outside of your business. When it comes to the increasing threat of the redlegged ham beetle, there are a variety of techniques that can help keep these pests at bay:

• Proper inspection of products is necessary to check for introductions, infestations, and potential harborage areas or areas that require cleaning;
• Sanitation is the most effective way a manufacturer can keep their products safe and untouched, so having a routine cleaning schedule of any cracks and crevices that may contain grease that draws beetles will help prevent introduced beetles from settling in;
• Proper storage of products including protective packaging and product rotation will help to preserve the integrity of the product;
• Exclusion measures such as installing screens on windows and ensuring doors shut properly and are equipped with door sweeps help keep products from being exposed to beetles; and
• Insect pheromone monitoring devices, which are also available to help with early detection and management of pests like redlegged ham beetles.

Infestation Prevention

In case of an infestation, it is important to quickly remove any infested items and ensure un-infested items are stored properly in protective packaging. Treating cracks and crevices near food resources with cleaning agents, probiotic treatments, and/or other special treatments are all ways to immediately reduce populations and help ensure they don’t have easy places to return to. In cases of extreme infestation, more aggressive pest treatments such as fumigation may be necessary.

Investing in a staff training plan to teach your employees how to spot signs of pests is also an effective way to prevent infestation on the front end. Your employees—mainly those on the production floor of your facility—see and hear more than you might know, which makes them invaluable in helping to identify pest issues. Trained staff, paired with an effective monitoring program, helps ensure that beetles are found quickly. Most pest control providers offer complimentary staff training, making this tactic cost-effective for your operations. Once your staff know the types of pests that frequent your facility, persistent hot spots, and the process for reporting activity, they’ll be able to help you address pest issues quickly and effectively.

Make a Plan

Now that you understand the threat of this beetle and ways to help prevent and control an infestation, don’t forget to review your unique IPM plan with your pest control provider. As the prevalence of this pest continues to grow, your pest control provider should stay informed, monitoring your facility year-round to ensure quality and cleanliness. If you don’t have a reliable pest control provider or an IPM program in place, now’s the time to implement a plan before this pest becomes a costly issue. Redlegged ham beetles pose a growing threat to pet food manufacturers around the world, and staying on top of the issue will help keep your products and facilities pest free.

Williams is a technical services manager for Rollins and a board-certified entomologist.

The post The Redlegged Ham Beetle Emerges as a Threat to the Pet Food Industry appeared first on Food Quality & Safety.

Food processing facilities provide plenty of resources needed for survival—such as shelter, water, ideal temperatures, and food—so they will always be prone to pests. Because pest management accounts for a substantial portion of your facility’s total score for a food-safety audit, it’s important to be ready for anything your auditor will be looking for. Managing a food facility is already a demanding job, and you don’t want to fail an audit due to avoidable pest issues.

In this special collection, we bring together informative articles from Orkin and Food Quality & Safety that detail steps you’ll need to employ year-round to keep your products safe. You’ll learn how to monitor and track pests in your facility, how to be audit ready at any time, and how pests are seasonal and what to expect throughout the year.

This series of important articles will serve as a useful resource for your food facility when it comes to pest management and, ultimately, help you be proactive about pest control and uphold food safety regulations that will protect your business.

Download this resource today!

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In October 2023, Orkin released its annual “Top 50 Rattiest Cities List” and, while many might assume that New York City would be No. 1 on this list, it was in fact the Windy City that stole the least-coveted spot for the eighth consecutive year.

With the drastic increase in rodent sightings during the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers and businesses alike have been concerned about their health and safety. For food manufacturers and distributors, the increase in rodent activity isn’t something that should be ignored.

While gradually resuming pre-pandemic activities has helped to reduce the number of public rodent sightings, the pests’ threat to public health hasn’t decreased. In fact, these filthy pests can spread dozens of harmful diseases—directly and indirectly—such as hepatitis E, leptospirosis, and hantavirus, in addition to contaminating food products and causing structural damage in buildings.

Left unaddressed, rodent sightings within a commercial facility can lead to ongoing infestations and, eventually, failed inspections and stalled operations—costly blows to your bottom line. Knowing how to spot rodent activity is essential in stopping them early. If you notice any of the following signs around your food facility, you might have a rodent problem:

• Capsule-like droppings;
• Grease marks along skirting boards, walls, and tight spaces;
• Gnaw marks on walls, wires, and other materials; and
• Nests in dark areas such as crawl spaces, roofing, and garbage dumps.

So, how does a food manufacturing and handling facility protect itself against rats? By implementing an integrated pest management (IPM) program.

Preventive Measures

Most food-handling businesses likely have heard about IPM programs, especially if they are regularly audited by third-party food quality and safety auditors or subject to frequent regulatory inspectors. These programs are implemented by qualified pest control technicians in collaboration with a business’s food safety and quality assurance team to help deter pest activity and prevent infestations. IPM programs focus on preventive techniques such as exclusion, sanitation, and maintenance to keep pests where they belong—outside of your food facility. When it comes to rodent control, exclusion is particularly important for facility managers.

Because food processing facilities receive and send shipments daily, it’s easy for rats and other rodents to slip into transportation vehicles, packaged goods and, eventually, your building. Not only does this jeopardize your business’s products and your reputation, but employee health is also at risk. Exclusion helps keep rodents outdoors by making sure potential entry points are quickly sealed and any maintenance work is completed in a timely manner. While each business’s exclusion plan will vary based on local pest pressures, climate, and location, the majority of pest control technicians will begin with a comprehensive facility inspection prior to implementing specific tactics. These tactics can include sealing cracks and crevices that rats can slip through, installing weatherstripping, and performing door sweeps.

Another preventive measure you can add to a plan is remote pest monitoring. When you’re running a round-the-clock operation like most food-handling facilities do, your employees might not have time to monitor for pests while also performing their production responsibilities. Remote pest monitoring can help flag pest issues for you to address with your pest control provider before a bigger problem arises. There are a variety of devices that can be used during remote monitoring, depending on your facility’s specific needs and structure, but the results are primarily the same: You’ll be able to track pest activity from any location and involve your pest control provider when needed to identify pest activity trends.

Remote pest monitoring is especially beneficial in automated food manufacturing and processing facilities that see little human activity, reducing the amount of time employees spend spotting pest issues in real time.

While monitoring pest activity remotely is beneficial in places in which staff aren’t always present, it’s helpful to have other observation methods in place. Staff training in pest control might not be high on your list of priorities, but take it from the experts in commercial pest control: It can save you a lot of money and time. Your employees, primarily those on the production floor, see and hear more than you might know, which makes them invaluable in helping to identify pest issues. Once your staff knows the types of pests that frequent your facility, can identify the persistent hot spots, and understands the process for reporting activity, they’ll be able to help you kick these pests to the curb. Don’t forget to do your part as a leader by making sure pest activity logs are accessible to your employees and including your sanitation team in trainings, as they’re most likely to spot pest issues during cleanings.

Now that you know how to spot signs of rodent activity and can implement processes and procedures to reduce their impact on your business, don’t forget to review your IPM plan frequency with your pest control provider. Rodent activity can fluctuate with the seasons, so it is important to regularly evaluate the effectiveness of your plan to make sure food safety remains a top priority.

If you don’t currently have an IPM program in place or employ a reliable pest control provider, now’s the time for action. Whether your food facility is located in one of the top 50 rattiest cities or not, prioritizing preventive pest control measures will help you avoid extensive problems down the line, and your customers and employees will appreciate that you are prioritizing their health and safety.

Ramsey is a senior technical services manager for Orkin. Reach him at gramsey1@rollins.com.

The post How to Prevent Rodent Issues in Your Food Facility appeared first on Food Quality & Safety.

Many parts of the United States are in for a blistery cold winter season this year, which brings new challenges for pest management in food processing facilities. One of the most notable challenges these facilities face is increased pressure from rodents who seek out food and shelter in extreme weather. These issues are amplified by erratic weather and extreme snow, to which many areas have become accustomed. A rodent infestation could shut down a food processing facility and lead to a loss of product and profit. Additionally, these pests can transmit diseases to employees.

Rodent infestations are extremely dangerous to the health and safety of employees who work in the facilities, as these pests can transmit Salmonella, which can also contaminate food manufactured in the facility. In fact, rodents are known to contaminate or consume about 20% of the world’s food supply.

To prevent infestations, it’s very important for facility managers and their employees to have some baseline knowledge of the different rodent species they could be facing. The most frequent invaders found in the U.S. are deer mice, house mice, Norway rats, and roof rats.

• House mice. These are the most commonly encountered rodent in the U.S. and, despite their name, they are the most common invader of commercial facilities. They usually nest in dark, secluded areas such as storage rooms and basements. These pests can cause serious property damage by chewing through drywall and wires, which can then spark electrical fires. House mice also pose a significant threat to food processing facilities, contaminating food products and spreading disease. House mice have been implicated in the spread of Salmonella through their feces.
• Deer mice. These mice typically live in rural, outdoor areas and are less common in urban areas; however, this does not reduce the risk they pose to food processing facilities located in more rural settings. They will often prepare their nests in old fence posts, tree hollows and log piles but will also seek shelter in commercial buildings, storage areas or vehicles. Deer mice present serious medical concerns as they can be carriers of hantavirus, a characteristically influenza-like illness which can be accompanied by kidney, blood, or respiratory ailments and is potentially fatal.
• Norway rats. Similar to house mice, Norway rats often nest in basements, in piles of debris, and in other undisturbed areas and materials. They especially like burrowing into soil underneath sidewalks, slabs, or low-growing shrubs. Norway rats have a propensity to gnaw through almost everything, including plastic and lead pipes, which can damage food processing machinery and spark dangerous electrical fires. Norway rats are also carriers of serious diseases including rat-bite fever, leptospirosis, trichinosis, and salmonellosis.
• Roof rats. Named for their tendency to find shelter in the upper parts of buildings, roof rats not only damage materials by gnawing through them, but they also contaminate stored food and serve as vectors of dangerous diseases. Roof rats are willing to eat practically anything available to them; however, their preference to feed on seeds, nuts, fruits, and berries which may draw them to food processing facilities. Roof rats secured their place in history by spreading the highly dangerous bubonic plague. Though transmission is rare today, there are still a handful of cases in the U.S. each year.

Signs of an Infestation

To keep their facilities safe, food processing facility managers need to regularly inspect the building and machinery for signs of an infestation. Here are the top signs of a rodent infestation facility managers should keep an eye out for:

• Droppings: Mouse or rat droppings found around the facility are some of the most common signs of rodent infestation. These pellets are often left behind in places where food is stored, as well as under sinks, inside chewed cardboard boxes, along baseboards, and on top of wall beams.
• Gnaw marks: Rodents can cause serious property damage by chewing through almost any type of material—including plastic and lead pipes—to obtain food or water. House mice and Norway rats are also known to gnaw on wires behind walls, sometimes causing fires.
• Nests: Rodents prefer to nest in dark, secluded areas where there is little chance of disturbance. House mice, specifically, like to build their nests out of shredded paper products, cotton, packing materials, wall insulation, and fabrics. If facility managers find these materials scattered around guest rooms or common areas, it might be a sign that rodents are nearby. Norway rats typically nest in underground burrows, often near building foundations, while roof rats may nest in ceilings or attics.
• Tracks or rub marks: Rats tend to leave dark grease or dirt marks along walls and floorboards as they follow a trail through the building between their nest and food sources. Facility managers should keep an eye out for these rub marks, which are caused by the rat’s oily fur.
• Strange noises: Getting complaints that employees are hearing strange noises in the walls? Chances are these sounds can be attributed to rodents scurrying about the facility, between the walls and up in attics. Rodents are especially fond of storage spaces because they prefer dark, secluded spots.
• An actual rodent: Mice can breed rapidly, so if a facility manager or a customer spot one mouse in the building, it’s likely there are others playing hide and seek. In fact, a female house mouse can give birth to a half dozen babies every three weeks, producing up to 35 young per year.

Rodent Prevention

Food processing facilities are likely required to work with a licensed pest control company for ongoing pest inspections, routine maintenance visits, and treatments as needed. Working with a qualified pest control company is essential to ensuring your food processing facility remains pest-free. Your pest control partner will work with you to implement an integrated pest management (IPM) plan. An IPM plan is a comprehensive pest control method that that focuses on three basic techniques: inspection, identification, and treatment by a pest control professional. This method will help to ensure that pests are properly controlled and deterred as well as to ensure that your facility is clean and compliant.

In addition to working regularly with your pest control partner, facility managers should implement these prevention tips to avoid unwanted rodent run-ins:

• Trim back trees and foliage close to the foundation;
• Seal any cracks or holes on the outside of the building;
• Repair any broken vent covers, loose siding, or shingles;
• Keep storage areas clean and organized to eliminate any potential nesting grounds;
• Properly ventilate storage areas and machinery to prevent moisture buildup that can attract pests;
• Keep food products sealed and stored properly in air-tight containers;
• Clean high-volume areas often, including employee break rooms, bathrooms, and lobby areas where crumbs and trash accumulate daily; and
• Dispose of garbage regularly and store in sealed receptacles placed at a distance from building entrances.

Rodents will be a continued threat to food processing facilities, but facility managers can ensure they’re prepared through proper education, prevention, and—most importantly—a partnership with a reliable pest control professional.

Dr. Fredericks is senior vice president of public affairs for the National Pest Management Association. Reach him at jfredericks@pestworld.org.

The post 6 Signs of Rodent Infestations at Food Processing Facilities appeared first on Food Quality & Safety.

Warm temperatures spur an uptick in pest activity, making the spring and summer months peak seasons for pest threats. The abundance of food, water, humidity, and places to hide in food processing facilities make them the ideal sanctuary for pest populations, which means it’s imperative that proper pest control be a top priority for food processing facility managers.

Threats to Pest Control

Understanding the pests that frequently invade food processing facilities and the threats they pose can help facility managers identify and address any issues that may arise before an infestation has a chance to take hold. Food processing facilities present the perfect conditions for various pests, including rodents, flies, cockroaches, and stored product pests, such as Indian meal moths and merchant grain beetles to thrive thanks to an abundance of food, shelter, and moisture. In the spring and summer, food processing facility structures are also susceptible to termites.

These pests can cause serious issues for food processors because they contaminate food with their droppings and are known to spread many diseases to humans, including E. coli and Salmonella. Rodents are also known for chewing through wiring, which can result in electrical fires and damage to essential machinery. While pantry pests do not transmit disease, they can still infest ingredients, resulting in the contamination of food products made in these facilities. The main threat posed by termites is their ability to cause extensive property damage. They cause $5 billion in property damage in the United States each year, which can be extremely costly to your business.

Pest Prevention

The most important step managers can take to ensure their facility is protected from pest threats is partnering with a licensed pest control company to perform regular inspections and implement an integrated pest management (IPM) plan. IPM is a holistic and customized approach to pest control that comprises three steps: inspection, identification, and treatment to help ensure that commercial facilities are clean, compliant, and pest free. By enlisting the help of a professional, you can rest assured, knowing your facility is well protected from pests year-round, allowing you to instead focus your time on delivering quality products safely and efficiently.

In addition to recommending that mangers partner with a professional, the National Pest Management Association recommends that they add the following steps to their maintenance checklists to protect their facilities from pests:

• Ensure employee kitchens and eating areas are clean by wiping down countertops and sweeping floors to remove crumbs and residue from spills;
• Vacuum and clean all areas regularly, including offices, hallways, lobbies, and public bathrooms;
• Routinely check under sinks and machinery for areas of moisture, and repair any leaky pipes or clogged drains;
• Store all food products in sealed containers, and organize empty boxes to prevent harborage areas;
• Keep trash in sealed containers inside the building and remove from the facility regularly. Ensure dumpsters are far away from any building entry points;
• Inspect the exterior of the building to ensure there are no entry points; pay close attention to areas where pipes and utilities enter the building, and seal any gaps or cracks in the foundation;
• Install door sweeps on exterior doors to seal the gap between the floor and the door where pests can enter;
• Remove debris from gutters and direct water away from the building through properly functioning downspouts, gutters, and splash blocks; and
• Ensure that grounds surrounding the facility are properly maintained, because overgrown vegetation can attract pests to the property.

The spring and summer seasons are exciting times of year that can quickly be ruined by a pest infestation. Help keep your employees and products safe this season and year-round by following these tips and working with a trained pest professional.

Mannes is senior vice president of public affairs for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA).

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As temperatures rise and strict pandemic regulations begin to lift, you may notice an uptick in foot traffic entering your restaurant. During these times, customers may not be the only visitors scurrying in for a good meal. The same elements that bring in customers can also, unintentionally, invite in unwelcome guests. If you’re not careful, your restaurant can easily become a dining destination for pests.

These tormentors reproduce rapidly, and small populations become full-blown infestations in very little time. Rat feeding habits are destructive, and through their gnawing, defecation, and nesting behaviors, the structure of infested buildings can be compromised. Your customers may also be harmed, because rodents are responsible for the transmission of many diseases. That is why it’s important to have an expert complete regular inspection of all areas of your restaurant; however, there are also steps you can implement to help prevent infestation and maintain a rodent-free restaurant.

Being proactive with your pest control measures can save you a lot of headaches and money.

Food storage. Food for humans is also food for rodents, so it’s important to store your goods so that rodents cannot easily access them. Dry goods should be kept in sealed metal or glass containers to prevent contamination. Fruits and vegetables should be stored in refrigerators; if they are in a walk-in refrigerator, they should be at least six inches off the ground and at least 12 inches away from walls to allow easy inspection for rodent evidence and effective placement of rodent control devices. Ensure proper ventilation in your food storage spaces to keep moisture down, which discourages pest activity as well.

Dispose of cardboard. Remove these objects from your kitchen area. The material attracts rodents, which tend to chew them up and use the shredded pieces in their nests.

Seal openings. Due to their body shape, rodents are capable of squeezing through spaces that appear to be much too small for them: Rats can fit through holes the size of a quarter, and mice can fit through ones the size of a dime. All holes should be sealed to help prevent entry and reentry of rodents.

Keep garbage cans and dumpsters clean and secure. Waste from the restaurant is most likely what is attracting rodents. Once they discover food outside, they will go inside to search for more. It is essential to cover trashcans and dumpsters with tight-fitting lids to avoid piquing their appetites. Accessible trash also nourishes a rodent population, allowing their numbers to grow and increasing foraging activity around your building. Keeping trash areas clean is also crucial to keeping any type of exterior bait programs successful.

Maintain a clean workspace. Any scraps, crumbs, or odors will attract unwanted rodent attention. A clean environment minimizes temptation and reduces the risk of disease. Cleaning up clutter will help prevent pest harborage areas. Rodents look for places to nest and breed, and can multiply rapidly when sufficient food, water, and shelter are available. Do not overlook storage areas and closets where clutter can gather, and clean out boxes, papers, and unused items regularly.

Take care of your landscaping. Regular upkeep, such as mowing and trimming around your restaurant, can help make the outside less inviting to rodents. Remove tall weeds, grass, and ground cover such as ivy, juniper, and liriope from around the exterior to keep rodents from hiding or burrowing near the building, lying in wait to sneak in.

Unfortunately, many times restaurant owners do not realize there is a problem until it is too late. These tricky pests often go unnoticed as they penetrate packaging by either chewing or squeezing through weak points and gaps. Aside from compromising your restaurant’s image and reputation, these visitors can contaminate food products. Additionally, these pests can transmit diseases such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Trichinae. Infestations can rapidly spread to different products, eventually harming the customer and your business. It is best to get ahead of a rodent infestation if you can. Being proactive with your pest control measures can save you a lot of headaches and money.

Existing Rodents

Here are five signs that indicate you have an existing rodent issue:

1. Droppings: Rodents leave behind a lot of droppings. Seeing these capsule-like pellets around your business should raise a red flag. Rodent droppings are not only unsanitary; they can transmit diseases. Make sure your employees take the appropriate precautions by wearing gloves and an OSHA-approved respirator during the removal process and disinfecting the area with disinfectant spray.
2. Nests: Rats and mice build nests from shredded material, like paper, cloth, and cardboard. They are usually found in dark areas like crawl spaces, between walls, and in garbage dumps.
3. Burrows: While some rodents prefer to scurry along the roof, others take refuge underground. If that is the case, their nests may be hidden in burrows. Rats and mice can create elaborate underground tunnels or excavated holes.
4. Grease marks: Rodents are so dirty that their bodies leave behind grease marks as they travel along walls. Darker grease stains generally indicate heavier activity in that area. Take note of grease marks and inform your pest control professional, who can strategically place rodent traps along frequently traveled paths.
5. Gnaw marks: With teeth that never stop growing, rodents can literally take a bite out of your business by causing expensive structural damage. Look for chew marks in walls, insulation, wires, flooring, pallets, and products.
6. Noises: Keep an ear out for any scratching, nibbling, or squeaking inside walls, under floorboards, and behind appliances or furniture. Rodents are generally more active at night than during the day, so this is the best time to listen for any noises.
7. Ammonia smell: Rodents urinate as they travel, rather than in isolated puddles. This means the routes they frequent can smell extremely unpleasant. The strong scent, which is “ammonia-like,” tends to hang around even after the rodents have been removed. Also, the closer you are to the infestation, the more pronounced the smell will be.

Planning

When it comes to keeping rodents out of your restaurant, monitoring and regular sanitation should be part of your maintenance routines. Additionally, educating yourself and your staff on pest management best practices will help with the overall business in the long run. Remain steadfast in monitoring for new or increased pest activity to help keep rodents out and customers in.

Food sitting on shelves for longer periods of time has left many restaurants vulnerable to heightened pest activity, especially rodents. Stored products such as flour, spices, and other dry ingredients provide easy for these pests to access, which opens up the potential for thousands of dollars of damage to goods and threatens inspection compliance. Be sure to rotate all food products on a “first in, first out” schedule to ensure that each stock spends as little time on the shelves as possible, and no one stock is sitting on the shelf longer than others of the same item.

Long-Term Planning for Pest Control

Because food products can be an open invitation for unwanted visitors such as mice and rats, it is important to have a pest control expert develop a long-term rodent control plan for you.

This plan should include:

Site inspection. Know where your restaurant stands by ordering a comprehensive inspection of your business. During this stage, experts will be able to identify rodent activity, potential entry points, and attractants.

Sanitation. An expert is professionally trained to offer detailed guidelines and recommendations to help eliminate attractants and maintain a clean environment.

Ongoing monitoring and maintenance. A pest control company will monitor your property on a regular basis and inspect all treatment products to ensure effectiveness and make adjustments as needed.

Baits and traps. If necessary, a combination of traps and select baits can be used to monitor and help control rodent populations.

Do not wait until you already have a rodent infestation. Taking a preventive approach and educating yourself on the best management plan for your restaurant are keys to maintaining a pest-free environment.

Dr. Brumfield is a technical specialist and board-certified entomologist with Western Pest Services, a New Jersey-based pest management company serving businesses in major Northeastern markets. Reach her at jbrumfield@westernpest.com.

The post Tips to Keep Rodents Out of Restaurants appeared first on Food Quality & Safety.

Food processing facility managers know the importance of product quality and run a tight ship to meet regulatory requirements, while delivering goods on time and without issues. Third-party food safety audits help ensure that operators are practicing food safety measures, and proper preparation for these visits, whether they occur in person or are held remotely, is essential to your success.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has required changes to the way audits are conducted in food processing facilities, third-party audits remain a priority to ensure that food safety standards are upheld. Unfortunately, understaffing and limitations to interior pest control service may have provided the perfect conditions for pests to enter and multiply in facilities, unnoticed. Whether your facility has continued to participate in audits as usual, has adjusted to a hybrid version, or has paused in-person audits during the pandemic, remaining prepared is crucial. Operating a food processing facility is a demanding job already, and the last thing you want to do is fail an audit due to preventable pest issues.

A poor audit score—or worse, a failed audit—could have damaging effects on your business, ranging from tarnished reputations to canceled orders and lost profits. With the pest control portion of your audit accounting for up to 20% of your final score, it’s important to have a reliable pest control provider who understands your business and your industry’s requirements for food safety and pest control. Additionally, your provider needs to be aware of the various audit schemes that in are use and what their specific, individual requirements are.

Your Pest Control Program

Because food processing facilities provide ample resources needed for survival—shelter, water, ideal temperatures and food—they will always be prone to pests. Although operators in these facilities have strict sanitation and safety measures in place, pests such as cockroaches, rodents, and stored product pests can still disrupt operations.

An integrated pest management (IPM) program, which focuses on preventive techniques rather than reactive treatment for pests, is one of the best ways to make sure your facility is prepared. Partnering with your pest control provider to assess your facility’s pest pressures and maintaining a proper sanitation and cleaning schedule are key steps to a successful IPM program.

Maintaining proper documentation is also necessary to ensure IPM success, as well as an essential part of the pest control portion of your food safety audit. Keeping documentation updated is important because, even with a pest-free facility, you could still lose points on an audit due to insufficient or poor documentation.

Your auditor doesn’t just want to see pest monitoring devices and a pest-free facility. They want to see an ongoing commitment to upholding food safety measures. The following documents can help demonstrate that commitment.

• IPM plan: This documentation includes your written IPM program, pest management food safety rules, and your risk assessment. Make sure these documents are kept updated (at least annually), and address any recent changes to your IPM program or facility.
• Pest sighting log: Facility managers and staff should have this available and updated at all times. Entries should include the date of the sighting, type of pest, location, and the actions taken to prevent future occurrences.
• Service documentation: These are reports of your pest control provider’s visits and will provide the auditor with more details about any pest findings, pest pressures specific to the facility, and whether any corrective measures taken by your facility were successful.
• Pesticide documentation: While the use of pesticides in food processing facilities is often limited, your pest control provider should keep a record of any pesticides used, along with labels for the products and safety data sheets. These will show your auditor that you’re maintaining a safe and environmentally friendly facility.

Be Prepared

Now that you know what information is needed for your food safety audit, be sure you stay prepared. Audits can be unannounced, so staying ready will help prevent any unpleasant surprises. The goal is to be ready every day for an audit.

To make sure you’re prepared for an audit:

• Communicate with your pest control provider on an ongoing basis throughout your partnership. While they are the expert when it comes to pests, you know your facility better than anyone. Taking a proactive role in the partnership will help prevent pest issues in the long run.
• Involve your entire staff in the IPM plan; they know the most about your facility and may spot pests or other issues before you do.
• Conduct annual assessments, regular inspections, and risk assessments with your pest control provider to ensure your IPM plan remains effective and proper.
• Make sure you’re aware of any changes to your pest control service, and be sure to document them. The pandemic altered the way many facilities were able to work with their pest control providers, so document any changes prior to your audit.
• Don’t wait until the last minute to get your documentation in order, because it takes time to compile the information. Your pest control provider should have hard copies of all the essential reports and paperwork, but keeping them digitally is also a good idea. Most pest control providers have digital systems for documentation that even provide trend reports and analysis your auditor will appreciate. It’s also easier to share documentation digitally when there are so many required items.
• Your pest control provider should have proof of their training available for your records as well.

In this time of heightened public health concern, food safety audits shouldn’t be ignored in an effort to keep the supply chain moving at all costs. Even if your audit is conducted virtually due to social distancing requirements, your documentation still will be required. Working with the right pest control provider for your business and being a proactive partner will help ensure that your next food safety audit is a success.

Meek is a technical services manager for Rollins and a board-certified entomologist with 30 years in the field of pest management. Reach him at fmeek@rollins.com, or visit www.orkincommerical.com for more information.

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Commercial pest management can be synonymous with brand protection, ensuring that a customer never associates pests with a particular food processor or restaurant. As commercial pest management professionals (PMPs), our jobs often are to protect the food supply. This is a serious undertaking that involves protecting food through all stages of its processing, including in the retail environment, in restaurants, and often in a consumer’s home. That consumable item is the last step of a complicated, multi-faceted processing system that takes all different types of ingredients and turns them into something crave-worthy through the magic of food science. It’s that final product that is worthy of protecting.

The production lines on which these products are created are at the forefront of sanitation and pest management protection efforts; however, many of the real risks to that product do not stem from those production lines, but from unlikely, low-profile areas of the facility that have the potential for pest infestations. The building design, process flow, structural and sanitation resources, storage practices, and even neighboring facilities can all directly impact whether the production line feels pest pressure. Additionally, warehousing and receiving areas where ingredients and final products are stored tend to be near production lines, which harbor their own set of pest risks.

Stored Product Pests

Dry ingredients, such as baking mixes, cocoa, nuts, and flour, may enter a food processing facility infested with stored product pests such as Indianmeal moths (Plodia interpunctella), cigarette beetles (Lasioderma serricorne), warehouse beetles (Trogoderma variabile), and flour beetles (Tribolium spp.). Stored product pests live in the food they eat; the food is their home. If the facilities processing and packaging these ingredients have a stored product pest infestation, the product that they are shipping out may have that same infestation, which can in turn infest the destination facility.

Stored product pest population development is a function of time and temperature. The longer a population sits in a container in warm temperatures, the more generations will develop. For this reason, first-in first-out stock rotation is essential. Forgotten totes or pallets of ingredients may hold generations of stored product pests that are quietly devouring the product and growing their population, eventually to a point where they need to find new harborage to infest and spread throughout the warehouse. Using storage containers that prevent these pests from entering or exiting the food can be an excellent tool to minimize risk. Well-sealed plastic or metal storage containers can prevent pests from escaping an infested container and protect product that is not infested. Racking can also be a common source of stored product pest infestations within a warehouse. Product and ingredient spills collect in the beams of the racking and in the racking legs and guards, providing an excellent harborage.

Though we tend to think of stored product pests as internal infestations, several stored product pests, such as the warehouse beetle, have populations on the exterior of a building. These populations are often monitored on the interior through pheromone traps and/or insect light traps (ILTs), but the source may be outside of the building. In such cases, a facility may need to focus on exclusion, using fans, light management, and sealing to keep those outdoor pests on the exterior.

Monitoring and control: Finding infested product in a warehouse can be daunting. With rows of pallets packed high with susceptible ingredients, it may seem as though stored product pests can loom anywhere. To assist with finding stored product pests, PMPs can implement a pheromone program. Pheromones and/or kairomones are placed in tent or pit-fall traps, depending on which species are being targeted. Not all stored product pests have had pheromones synthesized for them, so it is important to remember that we cannot monitor for all stored product pests. Fortunately, the most damaging stored product pests do have synthesized pheromones. The monitoring traps will guide our inspection, telling us what areas of the warehouse have the most activity and warrant our attention. There is no replacement for a detailed and systematic inspection, but with monitoring data, we can find that infestation faster.

Once the infestation is found, it’s essential to remove it. In a warehouse, this is typically a forgotten ingredient. Removing and disposing the container and its contents will remove not only the food that the insects are consuming, but also the bulk of the infestation itself. Inspection and monitoring must continue to determine where the infestation has spread. Sometimes it has spread to a point where we cannot remove all sources. Fumigation, heat, or freezing may be solutions in these situations, but even these strategies are typically temporary. Sanitation must be present to prevent reinfestation.

Commensal Rodents

Commensal rodents are the rodents that actively attempt to get into and live in our facilities. They include the house mouse, Norway rat, and roof rat. These rodents typically enter a warehouse through unsealed parts of the building or in a pallet. Warehouses with docks are particularly susceptible to rodent entry, because completely sealing dock doors, plates, and levels can be difficult and costly. Even the most perfectly sealed facility can be vulnerable to rodents as a result of poor employee practices, such as leaving man doors propped open and not fully closing dock doors. Rodents are drawn to the shelter or food these facilities may provide and, once inside, immediately look for areas to hide. Balers, unused equipment, and other dark spaces make great homes for rodents. If not discovered quickly through inspection and monitoring traps, they can move, spreading throughout the facility.

Rodents, particularly mice, are also often brought into a facility in infested pallets. They are called “pallet mice,” and they make their homes deep within a pallet of ingredients. They usually enter from the underside and may not be visible from the outside of the pallet. When these pallets come into the facility and are placed for use, the mice begin to leave the pallet and spread throughout the facility. This can be particularly frustrating for a facility with excellent sealing and employee practices, who are unknowingly letting in a Trojan horse containing mice.

Monitoring and control: Multi-catch traps are the standard monitoring tool for rodents inside a facility. Sometimes, it may make sense to place them on the exterior of a facility if the PMP needs to know how big a population is or if they cannot risk a poisoned mouse dying inside the facility. Otherwise, it’s common to trust exterior rodent stations to inform whether or not the exterior population is present and active. This is judged by the amount of bait or monitoring blocks that are digested, droppings left behind, or gnaw marks on the station.

The key to control, particularly for pallet mice, is inspection at receiving. Employees trained to look for evidence of rodent activity may be able to identify infestations and reject infested pallets before they enter the facility.

When there is evidence inside the facility, whether that is droppings, live or dead rodents, nesting evidence, or other damage, PMPs can start to develop a control strategy. Snap traps with attractive lures are an excellent choice for quick control. The success of a snap trap program in a warehouse will be dependent on placement, lures used, and competing foods. A good snap program requires equal parts patience and creativity; placing the same traps in the same place with the same lure will rarely get your population under control. An aggressive snap trap program may need to be supplemented with rodenticides, where safe and legal, to apply and exclusion.

Flies

Flies that impact a warehouse are typically divided into two broad categories: small flies and large (or filth) flies. Though similar in so many ways, there is an important difference between the two. Small flies typically come from the interior, while large flies usually come in from the exterior. We may find both inside a facility, but when we are looking for the source, it will vary based on which fly is present. Small flies are a group that includes many species, and each has its preferred habitat and needs. Identifying the fly in the warehouse is an essential first step, because it will dictate whether the PMP should look primarily inside or outside for the source. This may also lead us to a particular food source. Identification, therefore, really gears the PMP’s inspection in the right direction.

Large flies in a warehouse are typically there due to open doors and docks, much like commensal rodents. Light management can play an important part in this too, as these pests are drawn to the light on both the interior and exterior of the facility. Dumpsters and spills are typically the source of these flies, though any moist organic material can provide an acceptable exterior harborage.

Small flies typically come from the interior of the facility. In a warehouse, that may be related to structural or sanitation issues associated with sewers, drains, or cleaning rooms. However, they may also be associated with liquid ingredients that are stored in the warehouse. A thorough inspection based on the food preferences of the species identified will identify the source and dictate the proper control method.

Facilities that process liquid ingredients with spill potential may have more frequent and long-term infestations, particularly if that material seeps onto the floor or into grates.

Monitoring and control: ILTs are often considered a universal flying pest monitoring tool. While they are very effective for some species, others do not respond as strongly to the light. Nonetheless, an ILT is a good first line of defense and monitoring tool to determine what species are in the facility.

Flies are generally not cryptobiotic, meaning they do not try to hide the way rodents and cockroaches do. This can make inspection easier, as adult flies are often very visible. The challenge is finding them in the juvenile stages, which may be hundreds of feet away from where we are seeing the adults. Once the PMP is able to find the source, insecticide may need to be applied (if appropriate) where the juvenile flies are harboring. Insecticides geared towards the adults will provide relief but will not eliminate the problem.

Renowned urban rodentologist Bobby Corrigan, PhD, a consultant with RMC Pest Management, has said that there must be lines of defense in rodent work. That same philosophy holds true when protecting food processing products. If PMPs can keep the areas surrounding food production pest free, then they are more likely to keep dedicated food production areas pest free. Likewise, if the exterior of a facility can be kept pest free, it is more likely that the interior of the building will remain pest free.

It is important to look at the facility as a whole when developing pest programs, paying attention to all the areas that may not be as highly sensitive, but may be high risk. Doing so will keep high sensitivity areas safe, ensuring that the overall food supply is protected.

Berry is a training manager and board-certified entomologist at McCloud Services. Reach her at annaberry@mccloudservices.com.

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It’s no surprise that one small pest issue in a food processing facility can quickly become a major issue for an entire supply chain. Not only can pests threaten your bottom line and employee well-being, but they can also tarnish your reputation and delay operations. All of this can become costly, which is why it’s important to follow industry regulations and prioritize food safety.

Pests can hitchhike across borders in transportation vehicles and travel in and out of your facility unnoticed via packaging. These critters need food, water, and shelter to survive and, unfortunately, food processing facilities provide ample amounts of these attractants. Unlike some other industries, food processing plants have continued to operate during the coronavirus pandemic, making them a prime target for pests.

And while you may be taking all the right steps to ensure that a safe, quality product reaches consumers, you can’t always guarantee that your suppliers’ pest management programs are as effective as yours.

An integrated pest management (IPM) plan takes a proactive approach to pest control by implementing preventive measures, rather than reactive actions, to help keep pests away. Infestations can be costly and wreak havoc on your facility operations, bottom line, and reputation. Being proactive about pest management will help ensure that all food products leaving your facility make it to their next stop in the best condition.

Traceability is a key part of an effective IPM program; it can help keep pests out of your facility and, should they enter, help ensure they are taken care of promptly. As food supply chains become more connected, traceability and monitoring become more important.

Common Pests

To trace and monitor pests, you need to know what you’re up against. Here are some of the most common pests:

• Rodents. One of the filthiest pests that can crawl through your facility is a rodent. Mice and rats can squeeze through small spaces and gnaw through tough materials. In addition to causing structural damage, rodents can contaminate your food products and spread diseases via their urine and droppings, making it essential to always maintain a sanitary facility.
• Cockroaches. Cockroaches carry more than 45 pathogens on their bodies, including E. coli and Salmonella, and can spread these across your facility by simply crawling around in search of food. Because they feed on almost anything, they can easily escape notice as they contaminate your food supply. They can also cause discomfort for your employees and trigger allergy issues.
• Ants. These critters are so tiny that they can migrate in and out of your facility almost completely undetected. Don’t be fooled by their size, though; ants leave an invisible pheromone trail to notify other ants once they’ve found a food source.

Be sure to discuss hot spots so your employees know where to focus their efforts. From triple checking deliveries and shipments at the loading dock to disinfecting production floor equipment after each shift, little actions will go a long way in helping to prevent an introduction.

Tracking and Traceability Plans

Documentation is an important part of a food processing facility’s audit preparation and, if you have a reliable pest management partner, it’s likely that they have extensive pest tracking and trending information. This information can help you and your pest management partner find the source of pest issues.

Let’s discuss the documents you should have on hand.

Food safety plan. Your food safety plan is the most important part of your documentation. Included in your pest management section should be details about all proactive measures taken to ensure that your food products are safe from pests. All corrective actions, potential hazards, and other steps to reduce risk should also be included in this document. If you use monitoring and verification procedures and have information on your suppliers’ pest programs, you should include that as well. This shows you are monitoring incoming and outgoing shipments for pest activity and taking actions where necessary to prevent pests from infiltrating the supply chain.

Monitoring devices and traps. These are often used for tracking pests and minimizing their populations. Your pest control provider should have data for each device that details their location and pest activity levels. Some pest control providers even gather this information remotely and store it digitally for easy data visualization and record management. Make sure you work with your pest control provider to obtain the trend reports from these devices so you can use the insights to revise your current pest management plan, as needed, and prove to your auditors that you’re being proactive in your pest control efforts.

Annual assessments. Review your IPM plan with your provider annually, at a minimum. Make a note of pest problems that occurred and discuss resolutions for them accordingly. By performing these annual assessments, you’ll be able to spot recurring problems quickly and develop more targeted solutions.

Sighting reports. Your facility should have a logbook for recording pest sightings and, if your staff doesn’t already have access to it, they should. These will help your pest control provider perform thorough investigations of pest activity and make more accurate recommendations.

List of service changes. Your IPM program should change as your pest pressures do. No two food processing facilities are the same, and a variety of external factors can cause pest pressures to shift periodically. Whenever you make a change to your pest management program, be sure to note how you changed your program and why you implemented those changes.

Tracing and monitoring pests requires a team effort. In addition to staff training from your pest control provider, communicating with your supplier and distributors is important. It might seem as if it will damage your reputation to share news about documented pest issues with your supply chain, but it’s quite the opposite. Keeping your suppliers and distributors informed of pest issues within your facility can help protect the rest of the supply chain from pests.

Pests will go to any lengths to get food, water, and shelter—especially during a pandemic. If you aren’t already implementing traceable policies in your facility, now is the best time to start. In addition to a strong IPM program, finding and removing pests will be easier for you and your pest control provider with these traceability policies.

While pest pressures won’t stop immediately, these tactics will help uphold food safety regulations and protect your business in the long run.

Ramsey is a senior technical services manager for Orkin. He is a board-certified entomologist and provides technical support and guidance across all Rollins brands in the areas of training and education, operations, and marketing. Reach him at gramsey1@rollins.com.

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Choosing the right pest management provider for a food manufacturing or processing plant is a necessity, because the presence of pests can be costly. Neglecting to contract with a trusted provider who can meet the needs of your company can affect your operations, reputation, and bottom line. A major pest problem, whether it is from a gap in preventive care or an inability to handle a situation that unexpectedly arises, can create numerous challenges. In some cases, your company could be responsible for expensive product recalls or other regulatory action.

With such stakes on the line, companies need knowledgable and trusted pest management providers. Identifying whether a pest control provider fits the needs of your facility, however, can be a challenge in itself. With so many options to choose from, it can be daunting to choose the most qualified provider for the job. Needless to say, when you set out to find the best pest control fit for your company, it is easy to become overwhelemed.

As you balance myriad responsibilities at your company, the last thing you should have to worry about is whether the pest management provider you hired is doing its job. Rather than wait to endure the potential consquences of a less-than-ideal partnership, consider orienting your decision process around the key qualities of a good pest management provider.

A good pest management provider should be able to offer you a comprehensive integrated pest management (IPM) program with preventive measures that can reduce the risk of a pest problem, but their program should not stop there. The right provider should produce a plan that meets all applicable audit standards, as well as your other specific company needs.

To better understand what to look for in your potential pest management provider, consider using these five key criteria as decision-making guidelines:

1. Extensive Food Industry Experience

The food manufacturing and processing industry is an incredibly specialized area of service, and the work is completely different than that of industries such as restaurants or multi-family services. When choosing a provider, note that their expertise may not transfer across these industries, because the food manufacturing and processing industry has distinct and stringent protocols. Your provider should be well-versed in the food processing industry, including safety regulations, audit compliance, regulatory compliance, and more. This expertise can help mitigate the likelihood of costly mistakes that could stem from being less familiar with the industry’s needs. Each niche of service proposes its own tasks and struggles, and hiring someone who either specializes in or has experience in food processing can directly influence the effectiveness of the pest management in your facility down the line.

2. Technical Knowledge

Your pest management provider should serve as your go-to source for up-to-date information. From rules and regulations to the latest technology, your provider should be a wealth of knowledge, not only for your organization, but for the food processing and manufacturing industry as a whole. In fact, to utilize the best pest control practices for the food processing and manufacturing industry, they should follow industry updates. For a strong partnership, your provider should be able to communicate these ideas and updates to you and your employees. Your provider should also be readily available to answer questions and offer any other helpful insights related to pest prevention. Your provider’s ability to share this knowledge and make it more accessible will further reinforce your IPM efforts. This mutual understanding and guidance, in all cases, will greatly bolster the preventative steps your facility takes.

3. Geographic Coverage and Consistent Service

Consider the location of your facility when choosing a provider, because different providers treat different regions. With each region come different pests due to variances in landscape and climate. Should your company operate in multiple locations, as many food manufacturing and processing companies do, be sure to research whether your potential provider typically covers the scope of your locations. This will ensure that your provider knows the pest risks associated with the area and can addresses each location’s needs. In fact, it is best to make sure potential providers have the ability to service all of your locations. By utilizing the same provider across locations, you can simplify operations at all of your facilities and always know exactly who to call when you have a question or need support. The result will be a timely response, which is necessary if a crisis arises. Continuity and rapid response can make a noticeable difference when it comes to pest management.

4. Applicable Credentials

In the same way your company needs proper certifications and licenses to operate in the food processing and manufacturing industry, pest control providers need proper credentials. These will vary depending on a person’s role, but the correct credentials from everyone involved are crucial. From the technician who services your facility to the inspector who reviews the effectiveness of your IPM, each acting member from your pest management provider needs to be appropriately trained to complete their job effectively. Higher levels of management in pest control should hold certifications and, when applicable, additional certificates and degrees. Technicians and field workers should also hold appropriate certifications and should have completed the proper training. All providers must be certified and licensed by their state’s appropriate regulatory agency. You should ask your provider whether or not their licences are up to date.

5. Reporting and Trending

As the customer, you should be able to follow your site’s pest management status at a glance whenever needed. This includes knowing when your provider last serviced your facility and what they accomplished during their visit. With access to these updates, you can have confidence in your provider, knowing there is an added layer of accountability. A reputable provider understands that readily accessible reports help to provide transparency, both strengthening your partnership and helping you monitor the status of your facility. This can prove crucial for your company in the event of an audit as well. During an audit, your providers must be able to offer detailed reporting to you for documentation purposes. Any pest management company that does not offer reports and access to your records and status when you request them should raise a red flag.

As a decision maker in charge of selecting your company’s pest management provider, you have a great responsibility, and the choice you make could be crucial for the long-term success of your operations. From audit compliance to reputation to your company’s bottom line, who you choose as a provider can affect your business positively or negatively for years to come.

Knowing what key factors to look for when choosing a provider can help narrow down your options to the one that meets all of the needs of your company. Utilizing these five tips as a roadmap and researching your options as you determine which companies could serve as your pest management provider will help simplify your decision and set you on the path to success.

Dobesh is a director of technical services at IFC. She has spent the last 16 years as an extension specialist at Kansas State University, and she holds an MS in entomology and a BS in crop protection-entomology. Reach her at sdobesh@indfumco.com.

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