Pests do not enter a food facility by accident.
They are attracted by the conditions your facility provides and even a well-maintained food processing or manufacturing environment can contain the food, moisture, warmth and shelter pests need to survive.
Rodents, cockroaches, flies and stored-product pests can all pose a serious risk to food safety. Once inside, they can contaminate raw materials, finished products, equipment and production areas, potentially creating costly operational and reputational consequences.
So, what is attracting them to your facility?
- Food residues and organic build-up
Food facilities naturally contain what pests are looking for: food.
Small amounts of food residue can accumulate in areas that are difficult to see or reach; underneath equipment, inside drains, around machinery, beneath shelving or in production areas. Grease, protein residues, crumbs, spills and organic material can provide an ongoing food source for pests.
A facility may look clean at the end of a production shift while still containing pest-attracting conditions in hidden or hard-to-reach areas.
- Moisture and standing water
Water is another major attraction.
Leaking pipes, condensation, blocked drains, wet waste areas and standing water can create favourable conditions for a range of pests.
Flies, cockroaches and other insects can be particularly attracted to damp areas, especially where moisture is combined with food residue or organic waste.
Regularly checking for leaks, condensation, blocked drainage and unnecessary moisture can help remove conditions that support pest activity.
- Waste and poorly managed refuse areas
Waste is an unavoidable part of food production, but poorly managed waste can quickly become a pest attractant. Overflowing bins, uncovered waste, food waste left overnight and waste storage areas that are not cleaned regularly can provide pests with both food and shelter.
Waste should therefore be removed according to a defined schedule, stored appropriately and kept away from areas where food is produced, processed or stored.
The aim is not simply to remove pests after they arrive. It is to eliminate the conditions that encourage them to stay.
- Gaps, cracks and entry points
Sometimes the problem is not what is inside your facility, but how pests are getting in.
Rodents and insects can exploit surprisingly small gaps around doors, windows, pipes, service penetrations, drains, roofs and building structures.
Loading bays and receiving areas can also present opportunities for pest entry, particularly where doors are frequently opened or incoming goods and packaging are not adequately inspected.
Effective pest management therefore starts with identifying potential entry points and reducing opportunities for pests to enter in the first place.
- Incoming goods and packaging
Your facility may have excellent internal hygiene controls and still introduce pests through incoming materials. Raw materials, packaging, pallets, containers and deliveries can provide a route into production and storage areas.
Stored-product pests, for example, can be introduced through infested raw materials or packaging and may remain hidden until populations increase.
This makes receiving procedures an important part of food facility pest prevention.
Incoming goods should be inspected for signs of pest activity, damaged packaging, droppings, webbing, insect activity or other indicators of infestation.
- Warm, hidden areas
Food facilities can provide plenty of sheltered spaces where pests can remain undisturbed. Behind equipment, inside wall voids, beneath machinery, around service ducts and in storage areas can all provide potential harbourage.
Some pest activity may therefore remain unnoticed until an infestation has become established.
This is why professional pest management should involve more than treating visible pest activity. The objective should be to identify where pests are entering, feeding, breeding and then address the underlying conditions.
- Poor stock rotation and storage practices
How products are stored can also influence pest risk.
Stock stored directly against walls or floors can make inspection and cleaning more difficult while creating potential harbourage areas.
Poor stock rotation can also allow products to remain undisturbed for extended periods, giving stored-product pests more opportunity to establish.
Good housekeeping, appropriate storage and effective stock rotation help make pest activity easier to detect and reduce opportunities for pests to remain hidden.
If a pest problem keeps returning, the question should not simply be, “What treatment will get rid of them?”
It should be:
“What is attracting them here in the first place?”
Pest Control in Food Facilities Is About More Than Treating an Infestation
Effective pest control in food facilities requires a proactive approach.
Speak to your local Specialist about a food facility pest assessment.