Pest Management

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PEST MANAGEMENT PEST MANAGEMENT STANDARDS

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN In this lesson, we will learn about the standards of pest management according to ** Global Food Safety Standards.** This standard provides information on how to create an effective and safe preventive pest control program.

We summarized the requirements into 12 important points. Let’s see how well you know these standards. Ready?

Why do we need pest management programmes?

Requirements for Internal Pest Management If you choose to have pest management handled internally, you need to comply with these requirements: Trained Pest Management Team Certified training or Registration Resources for Infestation Treatment Access to an Expert Compliance to Pest Control Regulations Dedicated Chemical Storage facility

What are the responsibilities of the site manager?

PEST MANAGEMENT IDENTIFYING PEST ACTIVITY

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN In this lesson, we will learn... How to identify infestations How to report pest sightings

Gather information Try to get as much information as you can about the pest. It's important to identify... what type of pest it is, when you first suspect infestation, and -which areas may be affected

Gather evidence Take pictures of what you observed. No need to get samples of droppings or insects as it is not be safe for you to do so.

Report to the designated manager Inform your immediate supervisor or the designated manager for pest control.

Pest management companies should provide a record of their inspection and give recommendations to the facility manager.

These recommendations should be implemented by the manager and monitored if effective.

PEST MANAGEMENT Risk Assessment

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN In this lesson, we will learn… What is a risk assessment? Why is it important in pest management? How to conduct a risk assessment?

How do we conduct a risk assessment? There’s no standard template. You can use the Sample Risk Assessment document in your course briefcase as a reference for areas and items you need to inspect. There will be observations that will not fall under these categories and there may be other areas unique to your facility. Consider all these areas and record all significant findings. Continue to the next slide to see common areas of a facility and examples of items you need to check.

KNOWLEDGE CHECK

Which among these items can attract pests?

PEST MANAGEMENT Rodent Management

Areas of rodent infestation Check the places where there are reported sightings of rodents or their nesting.

Areas conducive to infestation Places that are cluttered with trash or debris, and has standing water attract rodents. Examples of these areas are: Dumpsters Underneath load levelers Dock areas Off-loading areas

Areas with food source Places where food is stored or processed should be inspected. Uncleaned spillage and unsecured stored food when unchecked can lead to an infestation.

Entry points Check open doors and gaps in the facility where rodents may enter.

Tall grass and vegetation Check garden areas or any grassy part of the facility's exterior.

Areas without enough clearance or protection from rodent activity Buildings with perimeter areas with less than 24" clearance and the grounds are not covered with gravel or other materials tend to encourage rodent burrowing.

Neighboring properties Check the other properties or facilities nearby. If they are not maintained or possibly infested, the risk of your facility getting infested increases.

CHECK THE HISTORY Aside from a visual inspection, you should also check for records of rodent history. Try to find information on the following: Previous rodent control efforts What methods were done in the past to control rodents? Trend Analysis Is there an increase or decrease in rodent activity? Pest Sighting Data Which areas had rodent sightings or evidence of infestation?

Placement of Rodent Devices and Frequency of Inspection After the site survey and history check, you now have to plan your rodent program and install rodent control devices. These devices can be in the form of... rodenticide bait stations snap traps glue boards non-toxic monitoring stations

You need to decide... Where to put the rodent devices and how many do you need; and How often they should be inspected

Use your risk assessment as a basis. The results of your risk assessment will determine the answers to the questions above. You can consult a pest control expert and they will analyze your records and give you recommendations for your rodent program.

Refer to the guidelines. If your facility has less than 12 months of record, you can use the guidelines from NPMA to determine the spacing of devices and frequency of service.

IMPORTANT NOTE! If your risk assessment and site survey showed that there is a lot of pest activity and higher risk of rodent infestation, you should increase the number of rodent devices and consider inspecting more frequently. The recommendations given previously are only guides. Use them when you don't have enough information about rodent history. Monitor your rodent program. Regularly evaluate if your rodent program is effective. Your data should show a decrease in rodent activities. If not, adjust accordingly or employ a different strategy.

KNOWLEDGE CHECK

What are the two things that you need to do before making a rodent management program?

PEST MANAGEMENT Insect Management

Safe sourcing of raw materials As mentioned before, some insects may enter the facility through the raw materials that we source. Having a good supplier and following food standards help us mitigate the risk of infestation from products entering the facility.

Mechanical Alterations Occasional invaders and flying insects can be managed by... filtering incoming air sealing cracks repairing broken doors

Pheromones and pheromone traps These are effective for monitor and manage stored product insects.

Fumigation / Use of pesticides Pesticides can be used but they need to be appropriately labeled and used according to label instructions. They are often used as space treatments to reduce adult insect populations.

Traps Insect Light Traps (ILTs) and other flying insect traps are used to both monitor and manage flying insects. They can be used as long as they do not interfere with the operation and do not attract the insects to open food.

PEST MANAGEMENT Birds and Other Wildlife

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN In this lesson, we will learn about… Areas to survey for birds and wildlife activities Preventive measures for bird and wildlife management How to remove birds and other animals

Walls

Ceilings

Pipe chases

Food spillage

Open doors and windows

Which among the options are good preventive measure for bird or wildlife infestation? There may be more than one correct answer.

LEARN MORE You can learn more about birds and wildlife management using e NPMA Pest Management Library or the NPMA Resources Center. Visit npmapestworld.org for more information.