Pest Control, Emergency Management & Training Review Keeping Pests Out 1. It is absolutely critical that employees do everything they can to keep these pests out in the first place. 2. The first line of defense is the installation and maintenance of pest-proofing devices throughout the facility. 3. Make sure that any windows and vents, particularly those that are often kept open for ventilation, are fitted with screens that measure at least sixteen mesh per square inch. These measurements ensure that certain insects cannot fly through the screen. 4. If holes appear in the screen, it must be patched or replaced. 5. Self-closing doors make it easier for employees to keep insects and rodents out. When the doors close, so do the opportunities for pests to invade the establishment. 6. Any holes or gaps in walls or doorframes must be filled in, and air curtains and weather stripping should be used around doorframes to make sure that both flying and walking insects cannot enter the establishment. 7. Gaps between stationary equipment and the floor should be sealed. 8. Pipes are another potential entryway for pests. If gaps have been opened around the areas where the pipes enter the walls, these openings must be filled in with concrete or covered with sheet metal. 9. Any ventilation pipes or ducts that lead outside or to the roof must be covered with screens, and floor drains should be covered with grates to prevent rodent entry. 10. You should routinely inspect incoming shipments for signs of infestation. 11. If employees notice any pests, pest body parts, or pest eggs, they should reject the deliveries and send them back to the supplier. Pest-Unfriendly Environments 1. The first step is to keep the establishment as garbage-free as possible. This may be the most important step in preventing a potential pest infestation. 2. Employees should keep trash cans clean and empty them frequently. They should also make sure that outdoor bins are clean and kept shut.
3. Making sure that the entire establishment is clean will go a long way toward keeping pests out. 4. Always clean food off of the floor as soon as you see a spill, and schedule regular times to clean the bathrooms throughout the day. 5. After cleaning, be sure the tools used to clean the establishment are also cleaned themselves. 6. Wet mops should be elevated off of the ground to avoid attracting roaches, and water should be emptied out of buckets. Keeping Pests Away from Your Food 1. Stored food offers pests another opportunity to find what they are looking for, but there are ways to prevent these food items from attracting rodents and insects. 2. You should keep stored food as far from the walls as possible and 6 inches (15cm) or more above the ground. 3. Storing dry food in a room with low humidity will discourage roaches from laying eggs near the food, and keeping foods refrigerated at 41 F (5 C) or lower will keep insects away. Outdoor Pest Concerns 1. Keeping grassy areas well groomed and concrete or asphalt areas free of litter will make them more pleasant for customers and less pleasant for pests. 2. Dining areas should be kept as clean as the tables inside so that birds will not be drawn to leftover food scraps. 3. You should discourage customers from actively feeding birds because this may attract so many birds that it becomes difficult for customers to eat or wait outside. 4. If birds become a nuisance, you can place some repellants on areas where birds tend to roost, like ledges or gutters, as long as they are not placed directly over tables where customers will be eating. Special Considerations 1. Roaches tend to hide behind large appliances as well as in drains, pipes, and underneath mats and boxes. 2. Flies are drawn to dirty and smelly waste receptacles. 3. Other insects are drawn to dry food, sweet food, or heat, so these areas and products should be inspected and cleaned frequently to prevent insect infestations.
4. Rodents can be even greater nuisances because they may steal your food, damage walls and baseboards, or contaminate food, food contact surfaces and equipment with their bodily waste. 5. Rats will burrow into your walls, while raccoons and squirrels may climb to attic spaces to nest. 6. Although these areas may not be as immediately critical to food safety as storage and preparation rooms, you should still investigate them regularly to check for rodent infestations. Eliminating Infestations Although you may be confident that you have taken every precaution to keep pests out, you are still required to frequently inspect your premises for any infestations. If the infestation is handled badly, the consequences could be disastrous, leading to a prolonged service shutdown or even permanent closure. Pest Control Operators (PCOs) 1. First of all, establishments should report the infestation to a state-licensed pest control operator (PCO). These professionals have been well trained in pest control procedures and will know how best to deal with each unique problem. 2. In some cases, PCOs are the only people qualified to use pesticides and other pest control procedures in a food establishment. 3. In order to cooperate with pest control professionals, employees will need to be able to identify the type of pest that has been discovered and communicate this information to the PCO. 4. It is important to note the type of pest, the time of day, and the area where the pest was located. 5. With this information, the PCO will be able to determine how serious the infestation may be and which pathogens may be potentially spread while the infestation is in progress. Getting Rid of Insects 1. Bug repellants can prevent insects from entering certain areas but will not destroy them. 2. Chemical insecticide sprays, however, allow you to kill insects on contact when sprayed on a large nest, or residual poisons can be left along heavily trafficked areas like baseboards to kill any insects that may pass by. 3. While these pesticides can get the job done, they can also be harmful to employees.
4. Chemical bait traps can be used if employees need to remain onsite while the infestation is destroyed. These traps trick insects into eating pesticides. 5. Other traps include light traps that lure insects with light into a closing trap and electronic devices that zap them to death with an electric charge. 6. These electronic traps must be designed to catch the insects within the device after killing them and must not be kept over food preparation areas, since insects or insect parts may fall out of the traps. Getting Rid of Rodents 1. Traps are also an option for getting rid of rodents, but they sometimes work too slowly to have an impact against larger infestations. 2. If you notice dirt tracks on the ground where rats and mice may frequently run, place some traps there. These traps must be checked constantly to make sure there are no dead rodents inside. 3. If a dead rodent is found, remove it immediately before it decomposes and attracts even more pests. 4. Glue boards are another option. Rodents run onto the glue and get trapped in place. 5. Bait can be used to kill rodents, but it can also potentially contaminate your stored food or equipment surfaces. 6. Rodents are capable of carrying large amounts of bait through several rooms, so the bait must be kept away from food in a covered, tamper-resistant bait station. Proper Handling of Pesticides 1. While pesticides can be handy tools in the fight against pest infestation, they can also become a food safety hazard themselves. 2. Keep in mind that all pesticides must be used according to the manufacturer s directions included on the label, and you may only use pesticides with labels clearly stating that use in a food establishment is allowed. 3. While in use, employees must avoid letting the pesticides come into contact with food or equipment surfaces. 4. Before applying pesticides, be sure to completely remove all food from the affected area along with any equipment that can be moved. 5. Anything that cannot be moved must be entirely covered to avoid contact with the chemicals.
6. Once the pest control operation has been completed, the entire area must be cleaned and sanitized before food service can resume. Proper Storage of Pesticides 1. When not in use, pesticides must be stored properly in order to prevent them from contaminating food or endangering employees. 2. All pesticides must be stored in their original containers and separated from any food or equipment that might become contaminated. 3. These containers should include the original manufacturer s label, which must be readable for employees and include the common name of the product. 4. If the establishment plans to dispose of the pesticides instead, the manager must first consult local regulations to determine how to properly get rid of these chemicals, which may be considered hazardous waste. 5. Any containers that were once used to store these chemical pesticides should never be used to store, transport, or dispense food items.