Pest Control: Past and Present

IPM was used in the United States as well. In the 1950s, American farmers began using IPM to tackle insecticide overuse, which was making pests resistant to chemical control. This led to a secondary problem—once their natural enemies had been killed by an initial insecticide application, new pests would attack crops with the same effect. As IPM grew in agriculture, the concept migrated into structural pest management.

In 1975, IPM was formulated into national policy when President Richard Nixon directed federal agencies to take steps to advance the concept and application of IPM in all relevant sectors. In 1979, President Carter established an interagency IPM Coordinating Committee to ensure development and implementation of IPM practices.

A truck transports chemical treatments circa 1926.

Adopting a More Holistic Approach

Back in the food processing industry, another factor was leading to a more holistic pest management approach—the start of independent food safety educational organizations. The American Institute of Baking, now AIB International, which started as an educational agency teaching people in the baking industry, set sanitation and food safety guidelines that eventually became the industry norm. Companies like ASI Food Safety Consultants and Silliker, which looked at plant sanitation and pest control practices, were soon to follow.

While these shifts were happening across the food manufacturing industry, one particular pest control incident changed the way large food processors viewed pest control providers. A pest control company working for one of the largest U.S. food manufacturers applied the wrong chemicals in its facility, forcing the manufacturer to dispose of tons of product and lose significant revenue, while the pest control company incurred legal penalties. Food processors began to see that choosing the lowest bidder was not necessarily the best strategy when it came to pest management.

After that incident, and with the increased presence of third-party auditors, food processors started looking more closely at the use of prevention to control pests. Professional pest control providers had always spoken to customers about monitoring and conducive conditions, but customers had not necessarily given this information their full attention.

Sometime after these changes began, I inspected a plant in Canada and found holes in an exterior wall. The plant manager approached me when he heard I was going to write up the holes in my report. He had the maintenance person fix the holes right in front of me and then asked, “Do you see any holes now?” This incident really showed me how things had changed—plants were now taking the IPM we had been preaching seriously.

Rodenticide Use Has Changed

Another big advancement involves the way food processors use rodenticides, even though the official rules have not changed. According to the label, a rodenticide can legally be used inside a building as long as it is housed in a tamper-resistant bait station and is not accessible to non-target organisms. Years ago, rodenticide was used in open-bait stations inside buildings, placed every 20 to 30 feet. That method caused concern about cross-contamination, however, because rodents could spread the rodenticide to food products. These days, I do not know of a single food manufacturer that allows rodenticide inside its plant.

Today, IPM is essentially the prevention and treatment of pest problems using all the tools at your disposal—not just chemicals. These tools may be biological, like planting marigolds to deter certain insects or using parasitic wasps to control flies; mechanical, including sealing holes in walls and performing other pest exclusion work; or cultural, such as educating staff on sanitation procedures. Chemicals are not off limits in IPM, but the use of unnecessary chemicals is. When needed, chemicals must be selected carefully; the least toxic, least volatile material suitable for the job must be applied to specifically targeted areas based on pest behavior. This has always been the case. What has changed is people’s motivation to implement IPM programs. Today, reducing chemical usage as part of sustainability programs motivates businesses.

Food processors once relied on annual fumigations to control pests.

New Era of Chemical Reduction

Fortunately, change has been for the better. The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), a nonprofit organization whose food safety criteria has been adopted by major food retailers, has changed the game, kicking off another new era of chemical reduction and very specific IPM standards. IPM is no longer a nice-to-have for the big brands but a must-have for all food processors who want to distribute their products to major retailers. Food processors now view pest management providers as partners in food safety rather than as vendors who practice what the industry has long referred to as “spray and pray.” Food safety auditors now pore over pest management documentation to ensure the correction of all noted deficiencies, while modern pest management professionals use electronic handheld devices to track data in real time and analyze large data sets over time to see trends in pest activity—allowing even more targeted and effective pest management.