Now Is a Good Time To Exclude Pests

As warm months arrive, more pests arrive. A rodent is found in a trap just inside the door. Flies show up on the glueboards of insect light traps. A bird flies into the warehouse. These three situations likely have one thing in common: the pests entered through an opening in a building. As pests become more active, we need to become more active to exclude pests from entering our buildings. Now is a good time to review pest trapping history, examine the potential pest entry points, and complete the necessary preventive maintenance. Why is exclusion important if you have a pest control provider? What are some practical solutions?

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a preventive approach that combines several methods to keep pests below levels that may cause a loss of profit. Pest control is a more reactionary process requiring chemicals and equipment to solve a problem; it is a short-term approach. Pesticides in food plants should be used on a justified-need basis; meaning that pesticides would be applied only as needed where needed and when needed.

A pest control company will take care of most any pest problem. But why have dead pests in a food plant? A pest management professional will help keep pests out. Are you contracting with a pest control company or a pest management professional? Exclusion is a cornerstone of any pest management program. Make sure to select a reputable professional who is experienced and knowledgeable about food plant operations. Ensure that the service technician is qualified to perform IPM at your facility. The strength of a service company is in the service technician, not the marketing people.

Good pest exclusion consists of two key management areas—direct entry and attraction to entry. Most direct entry consists of unscreened openings, building junctions, raw materials/ingredients and people themselves. Attraction to entry examples are lights, odor, airflow, temperature, and grounds that attract pests to the direct entry areas. A pest inside a building indicates that something is not right with your exclusion practices. Following are a few practical solutions to exclude pests from food plants.
 

Direct Entry

The Problem. Eliminating direct entry seems simple, yet open unscreened doors continue to be a problem in food plants. Night workers leave pedestrian doors open, especially around sunset when flying insects are most active. Manually operated overhead doors, typical of receiving, are slow and do not seal well. Torn screens and poor air filtration affect the plant’s air quality. Small openings can lead to big problems. It takes only an inch for a small bird to enter, ½ inch for a rat, ¼ inch for a mouse, and 1/16 inch for a crawling insect. Pests may hitchhike in on deliveries and on people.

Solutions:

• • Add automatic closures to frequently used doors; electronic security on exits; and nylon screening, rapid rollups on doors. Conduct preventive maintenance.
• • Repair floor-to-wall, ceiling-to-wall, door-to-wall, and door-to-floor junctions; air intakes; vents; and exhaust fans.
• • Although a supplier may have excellent processing capabilities, if flaws exist with preloading container preparation and/or inspection, food safety can be lost. The use of vigilant inspection (using eyes and nose) for deliveries, prior to acceptance, is important.
• • Pests may hitchhike in on people. Utilize “double doors” with positive air flow for high-traffic entries. Vestibules are a good location for insect light traps (ILTs), and spring is a good time to change the ILT bulbs.
  
  
   

Attraction to entry

The Problem. Pest attraction is usually associated with poor sanitary design and conditions. Many buildings have white lights near a roof line and/or doors. Food plant-exhaust odors are attractive to pests. Negative air flow continues to plague plants, especially older operations, compounding other deficiencies. Many plants operate at a temperature conducive to insect activity (75°F to 90°F—along with higher humidity). These conditions should require a sign— “Pests are Welcome Here.”

Solutions:

• Mount sodium (yellow) lights away from but aimed toward the building or shut off white lights near doors.
• Use air scrubbing to reduce odors from air streams.
• Establish a positive air flow (even aiming a pedestal fan at an open entry helps).
• Maintain temperature under 75°F, at which insect development slows. Lower temperatures and humidity also will help manage another pest—microbes.
• Assure the grounds are foliage controlled with roofs in a clean, dry, clutter-free condition.
• Clean, sanitize, and deodorize typical odor areas such as compactors and dumpsters.
   

A food plant is an entire planet to an insect. The presence of pests inside a plant is a symptom that something is not right with exclusion and sanitation. Eliminating a pest problem before it happens is the ideal situation. Pest problems must be controlled before an operation’s profitability and reputation are affected. Now is a good time to review pest exclusion practices.