Establishing a Pest Management Program

Processing facilities must conduct internal audits of a contracted pest control company. Traditionally, pest management has always been placed low on a company’s priority totem pole. This is due to many explanations, with one certainly being an uncanny propensity of an over-dependence mind-set by plant management towards hired pest control companies.

“They’re taking care of it – don’t worry, what else is on my agenda” has been and continues to be the quintessential attitude taken by many. This managerial attitude of blind over-dependence apathy more than naught will result with varying degrees of continued pest control failures.

Preparing for Battle

Successful battles against pests can be accomplished with a variety of environmental friendly and purely holistic deterrent measures that can be carried out safely by the processing company themselves. Listed below is a suggestive check list that company’s can utilize themselves as part of their pest control management program:

• Replacing worn non-toxic glue boards/ strips for both terrain and air invading pests that are chemically safe that can serve as visual semaphores of any looming pest activities for both inside and outside buildings. Over time documentation of invading pests can be gathered to form a “seasonal trend analysis” that can be referenced to in battling against harbinger pests.
• Trim brush, weeds, tree appendages and dissimilar flora from direct contact with buildings. Ideally a clearance of at least12 feet of separation from all building structures from foliage is ideal.
• Daily hosing of sidewalks, exterior employee break areas including parking lots will expunge any residual excreted pheromones and other attractants including the pest scouts themselves.
• Placing of trash and re-cycling containers down wind and away from buildings.
• Exterior trash barrels lined with plastic and changed out every day.
• All exterior storage of material oddments (wooden pallets, maintenance materials, etc.) is placed on racks or dissimilar objects that will enable storage of at least 6-inches off the ground.
• Place nighttime lighting fixtures (yellow vapor lighting) away from the building, coaxing nocturnal pests away from buildings.
• Perform weekly employee locker inspections to deter storage of food and beverages in lockers.
• Provide refrigerators for employee storage of foods and beverages.
• Consistent and preventive good house keeping practices commingled with sound infrastructure maintenance protocols (i.e.; shoring up entry areas of the plant such as door jams, windows, vents, dock doors, etc.) will limit most pest infiltrations.

Self Stewarding

Pest control companies serve a significant role as the “lead stewards” in battling unwanted pests while concomitantly consulting plant management with pragmatic pest abatement tutelage. However processors can ultimately possess the day-to-day responsibility and accountability in pest management.

Food processors should perform documented audits several times a year of their contracted pest control company. A high percentage of plants will be surprised with initial findings. Periodic meetings between plant management and their pest control company should be scheduled to communicate audit results and create collective plans of corrections and preventive improvements. Pest control companies need to be attentive to the fact that they will be audited and monitored and will be held accountable for their paid contracted performances.

The Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) of the USDA, which regulates the meat and poultry industries, does not require that a licensed pest control company be hired for pest abatement. The full burden of responsibility regarding pest control is placed entirely and squarely on the shoulders of Plant Management.

According to 9 CFR 416.2, under the Sanitation Performance Standards for USDA Inspected Establishments, “Grounds and pest control: The grounds about an establishment must be maintained to prevent conditions that could lead to unsanitary conditions, adulteration of product, or interfere with inspection by FSIS program employees. Establishments must have in place a Pest Control Management Program to prevent the harborage and breeding of pests on the grounds and within establishment facilities. Pest Control substances used must be safe and effective under the conditions of use and not be applied or stored in a manner that will result in the adulteration of product or the creation of unsanitary conditions.”