Your food facility provides both shelter and food to pests even though their presence is unwelcome because they render your food facility’s environment unhygienic and increase the risk of your food being contaminated.

Pest control and pest management are terms often used interchangeably, but they encompass distinct concepts within the context of addressing pest-related issues. The key differences lie in their scopes, approaches, and long-term implications. Regarding scope, pest control deals with targeted elimination or suppression of specific pest populations. The primary focus of pest control is on immediate eradication measures to reduce pest numbers and alleviate an existing problem. In contrast, pest management adopts a broader perspective that extends beyond mere control. It involves comprehensive strategies for preventing, monitoring, and controlling pests over the long term.

The approach to pest control often involves the application of pesticides or other methods with the primary goal of eliminating the current pest population. It tends to be reactive, responding to the presence of pests. Pest management takes a more integrated and strategic approach. It considers various factors influencing pest dynamics, including environmental, biological, and cultural aspects. Integrated Pest Management (IPM), a common framework for pest management, incorporates preventive measures, monitoring, and the use of multiple control methods to achieve sustainable and effective results.

Pest control and management within a food facility is a necessary task that requires a high level of caution, care must be taken in handling pesticides in food preparation areas, as you don’t want to create another issue while trying to solve one. You must choose the right method when trying to control pests within your food facility. For example, you must consider whether to use a kill or a capture method for rodents depending on the design of your food facility design, to avoid situations where rodents die in pocket areas that are not frequently accessed or that are inaccessible.

First Step in Pest Control and Management Strategy

An effective pest control and management strategy starts with the accurate identification of the pest within the facility and then, it is followed by the selection of the control method that will be most effective. This step is important for you to know the factors influencing their development and spread for you to deploy a control strategy that is effective and cost-efficient.

Why Do You Have Pest in Your Food Facilities? 

Several factors could contribute to the presence of pests in your food facility. Among these are food, shelter, poor sanitation and environmental hygiene, poor structural design, and waste handling methods. A food facility’s primary purpose is to produce food, and, ideally, you produce ahead of demand. This will require you to have one or more storage areas; meaning your facility will continuously be a source of food and shelter for pests. How you handle your waste, your environmental sanitation, and the structural design of your plant are your first steps in building an effective pest control and management strategy.

The Pillars of an Effective Pest Control and Management Strategy

1. Waste Management: Proper waste management is integral to pest control as waste serves as a significant attractant for pests, including food scraps, spills, and improperly disposed materials, which can create an ideal environment for pests to thrive. Implementing a strict waste management plan involves regular removal of garbage and food waste to prevent buildup, proper storage of waste in sealed containers to minimize odors and attractiveness to pests, segregation of different types of waste to facilitate recycling and proper disposal, and educating employees on the importance of adhering to waste management protocols.
2. Environmental Sanitation: Environmental sanitation, encompassing both indoor and outdoor areas, is essential for maintaining cleanliness and hygiene in the food facility’s surroundings. This includes regular cleaning and sanitizing of all surfaces, equipment, and utensils to remove food residues and spills that can attract pests, ensuring proper drainage to prevent the accumulation of standing water, which can serve as breeding grounds for pests like mosquitoes, sealing cracks and crevices in walls, floors, and doors to eliminate potential entry points for pests, keeping landscaping well-maintained to prevent overgrowth that can harbor pests, and implementing pest monitoring programs to detect early signs of infestation and take preventive measures promptly.
3. Plant Design: The design of the food plant plays a significant role in pest control by either facilitating or impeding pest access and harborage, where effective structural design considerations include installing pest-proofing measures such as screens on windows and doors, air curtains, and strip curtains to prevent pests from entering the facility, designing a layout that minimizes potential hiding spots for pests, such as avoiding cluttered storage areas and ensuring adequate spacing between equipment, using materials that are resistant to pest damage and easy to clean, such as stainless steel and smooth, non-porous surfaces, and incorporating pest management features into the design, such as access points for pest control professionals to conduct inspections and treatment.

Ensure the safety and integrity of your food facility with our comprehensive pest control solutions. Our expert team provides customized strategies, integrating waste management, environmental sanitation, and plant design considerations to safeguard your operations against unwanted pests. Empower your food business operations today by booking a consultation with our experts to explore how we can develop a robust pest control and management plan for your food business.

FSQ Writer: Oluwatobi Eniyandunmo 

Reviewed by: Raphael Samson 

Kindly reach out to Fresh Group Food Safety And Quality Consulting for any food quality and safety inquiries.