Pest problems are an everyday reality for food processing facilities, with each location facing unique challenges based on its environment and the products it handles. However, certain pests consistently trouble many facilities. Terminix Anderson reveals the top 10 pest challenges faced by food processors, read on.
Understanding Risk-Based Pest Control
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) introduced risk-based preventive controls as a key requirement for food manufacturing facilities in 2015. This approach mandates that each facility assess its specific risks, implement measures to mitigate or eliminate them, verify the effectiveness of those measures, and take corrective actions as needed. All controls must be outlined in detailed written plans, and every related activity must be thoroughly documented.
What does all this mean for pest control? Quite a lot. Recognizing the pest pressures unique to your facility helps you and your pest management provider focus on key areas and implement tailored measures to exclude or manage pests. It’s equally important to revisit risk-based plans regularly, as a facility’s pest control requirements can shift over time. Consider, for example:
- Changes: Introducing new products, ingredients, production lines, suppliers, or processes can bring about additional risks.
- Weather: Severe weather events, such as flooding, drought, or hurricanes, might call for temporary preventive measures.
- Construction: Construction projects may necessitate updates to pest control programs.
Pest Pressures Faced by Food Processors
Knowing the types of pest pressures others in your industry encounter can help you re-evaluate your facility and identify additional risks that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Analyzing data from food processing facilities in 2017, Terminix Anderson identified the top 10 pest concerns. With 2018 coming to an end, this information could prove useful as you evaluate your pest management budget and prioritize high-risk pests. Here are the 10 pests that made the list:
- Rodents: Rodents are the most common pest challenge for food processors, with pressures increasing nationwide. Growing mouse populations and the expanding range of roof rats are significant concerns for many facilities.
- Night Flying Pests: These include moths and other nocturnal insects that often gather around loading docks or areas with frequent openings. Insect light traps can help minimize their entry into facilities.
- House Flies: House flies are disease-carrying pests that pose serious risks to food processing facilities. They can easily enter through small gaps and openings. Installing insect light traps is an effective prevention strategy.
- Small Flies/Gnats: This category includes pests like phorid flies, fruit flies, and gnats. These insects thrive in areas with moisture or organic debris, making them a frequent issue in food processing environments.
- Pigeons: Pigeons are a major concern for food contamination and human health. Effective management programs designed by Terminix Anderson technicians can help minimize pigeon activity around facilities.
- Sparrows: Small birds such as sparrows often nest in small openings in man-made structures like roof overhangs. From these spaces, they can gain access to facilities, particularly at loading docks. Terminix Anderson technicians can recommend exclusion measures to address this risk.
- Warehouse Beetle: Warehouse beetles are stored product pests that target grains and grain dust. Problem areas in facilities include coating and sifting rooms, hammer mills, grain elevators, and any location where dust accumulates, such as beams and electrical boxes.
- Indian Meal Moths: These pests are commonly seen near stored dried foods, whether raw ingredients or packaged products such as rice, birdseed, cornmeal, chocolate, crackers, or dried fruits. Any dried product can attract activity from Indian meal moths.
- Bottle and Flesh Flies: Both species are typically found in processing facilities near garbage, decaying organic matter, or animal waste, making them a significant hygiene concern.
- Cigarette Beetle: Cigarette beetles, like warehouse beetles, are common in areas where dried foods are processed or where dust accumulates, such as milling, coating, and sifting locations. They are also found in areas with animal or plant byproducts.
Terminix Anderson for Expert Pest Control
As a Terminix Anderson customer, your pest control program is tailored to address the specific risk areas of your facility. During each routine visit, your Specialist monitors for new pest issues or conditions that could encourage pest activity and notes them in your Proof of Service Report.
If you’re not yet a customer and want to learn more about our pest control programs tailored for food processing, reach out to Terminix Anderson today.
