Pest issues are a constant concern for food processing facilities, with each site encountering specific challenges tied to its surroundings and the goods it produces. These pests can disrupt operations, compromise product safety, and lead to significant financial losses. Despite these differences, some pests persistently plague numerous facilities. Bug Out uncovered the top 10 pest problems food processors face. Read more here.
Understanding Risk-Based Pest Control
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), enacted in 2015, emphasized risk-based preventive controls for food manufacturing facilities. Facilities are required to evaluate their risks, apply measures to reduce or eliminate them, confirm the measures’ effectiveness, and address any shortcomings promptly. These processes must be recorded in detailed written plans, supported by meticulous documentation of all activities.
How does this translate to pest control? Substantially. Identifying your facilityโs unique pest challenges helps you and your pest management provider prioritize critical areas and craft targeted strategies to mitigate pest issues. Revisiting risk-based plans periodically is equally important, as pest control requirements may shift over time. Consider the following:ย
- Changes: The introduction of new products, ingredients, suppliers, production lines, or processes can create additional risks that require attention.
- Weather: Extreme weather conditions, including flooding, drought, or hurricanes, may demand temporary preventive measures to address new challenges.
- Construction: Ongoing construction projects often require adjustments to pest control plans to address potential vulnerabilities.
Pest Pressures Faced by Food Processors
Learning about common pest challenges in your industry can guide you in re-evaluating your facility and detecting risks that may not be immediately obvious. This knowledge can also help you implement proactive measures tailored to address industry-specific pest concerns.
Bug Out identified the top 10 pest concerns faced by food processing facilities. This information can help you assess your pest management budget and focus on the most pressing pest issues. Here are the 10 pests that topped the list:
- Rodents: Rodents remain the top pest challenge for food processors, with pressures increasing across the nation. Rising mouse populations and the growing range of roof rats are particularly worrisome for many facilities.
- Night Flying Pests: This group includes moths and other nocturnal insects that are attracted to loading docks or frequently opened areas. Insect light traps are an effective way to reduce their entry into facilities.
- House Flies: Disease-carrying pests like house flies pose significant risks to food processing facilities. They can easily infiltrate through small gaps and openings. Installing insect light traps is a reliable method for prevention.
- Warehouse Beetles: Stored product pests like warehouse beetles target grains and grain dust. They are commonly found in areas such as coating and sifting rooms, hammer mills, grain elevators, and other locations where dust accumulates, including beams and electrical boxes.
- Indian Meal Moths: These pests are often associated with stored dried foods, including raw ingredients and packaged products like rice, birdseed, cornmeal, chocolate, crackers, and dried fruits. Any dried food product can attract Indian meal moths.
- Bottle and Flesh Flies: These flies typically appear near garbage, decaying organic material, or animal waste in food processing facilities, making them a significant hygiene concern.
- Small Flies/Gnats: This category encompasses phorid flies, fruit flies, and gnats. These insects thrive in moist environments or areas with organic debris, making them common in food processing operations.
- Pigeons: Pigeons present serious risks to food safety and human health. Bug Out technicians design effective management programs to reduce pigeon activity around facilities.
- Sparrows: Small birds like sparrows often nest in small openings of man-made structures such as roof overhangs, gaining access to facilities through loading docks. Assured Environments technicians recommend exclusion strategies to mitigate this risk.
- Cigarette Beetles: Like warehouse beetles, cigarette beetles are frequently found in areas processing dried foods or where dust accumulates. They are also attracted to spaces with animal or plant byproducts, such as milling, coating, and sifting areas.
Bug Out for Expert Pest Control
As a Bug Out customer, your pest control program is customized to target the unique risk areas of your facility. During every service visit, your Specialist identifies new pest concerns or conditions that might promote pest activity and records them in your Proof of Service Report. If any corrective actions are needed, your Specialist will recommend appropriate measures to address the issue.
Not a customer yet? Get in touch with Bug Out today to discover our pest control programs specifically tailored for the food processing industry.
