Food safety is absolutely vital to keeping any society healthy and safe and for businesses in the restaurant or food preparation industries, keeping their premises hygienic can be the difference between commercial failure and commercial success.
Pest control is one of the most important aspects of food safety given the tremendous threat that rodents, birds, and insects pose to human health. Besides spreading disease and generally contaminating food stuffs and surfaces, pests can also do a huge amount of structural damage so it is vital you are proactive and take the appropriate action to keep them at bay.
By understanding exactly what attracts pests, what challenges they pose, and how to create an effective IPM (Integrated Pest Management) strategy you can ensure that your business doesn’t become another victim of pest control issues and has the chance to thrive that it deserves.
What threat do pests pose?
Pests cause a huge range of issues for those in the food industry and beyond. Rodents, birds, and insects of all different shapes and sizes are prolific at spreading bacteria and pathogens that can do all sorts of damage when transferred to humans.
Rodents spread diseases such as salmonella, hantavirus, and more, whilst birds are also well known for spreading Salmonella, and E. Coli through their droppings. Alongside their disease spreading prowess, pests will also destroy pretty much anything they can get their teeth or claws into, including food packaging, compromising its integrity, structural materials, and more. Rodents also have a rather suicidal habit of gnawing on electrical wiring that can result in a very serious fire risk.
For all these reasons, and more, it is vital that you tackle pest problems as soon as they occur, and even more important that you put measures in place to ensure they don’t happen again.
You will be all too aware of how fragile a business’ reputation can be, particularly in hospitality, and the news of a pest infestation will spread like wildfire throughout your local community. Leaving it to chance simply isn’t worth the risk and could jeopardise everything that you have worked so hard for.
What measures can you put in place to deal with pests?
Building a successful pest management strategy is a lot easier when you use the services of a professional pest control expert in your area. The first thing that you need to do is to reinforce your defences. Prevention is far far better than the cure when it comes to pest control and there are a number of different defences that can be put in place that will significantly reduce the risk of being a victim.
These include physical barriers such as bird netting, spikes, and sealing entry points so that small rodents cannot find their way inside, the safe and controlled use of pesticides to deal with existing infestations under the supervision of a highly trained pest controller, and rigorous cleaning and sanitation procedures that prevent the build up of dirt and grim in which pests will thrive.
You, or a pest controller, should conduct regular patrols and inspections of the entire property looking for any signs of pest activity. Catching problems in the earliest possible stages will dramatically increase the chances of being able to keep the problem under control. By the time you, or god forbid a customer, spots a physical pest, the chances are that it will already be too late and a large infestation has established itself. Either way, the best thing to do is to call a professional in immediately.
As a business owner or manager, you may be responsible for the formulation of a pest control strategy on your business premise but for it to be a success you need all your staff to buy in, and it is essential they are trained on best practice when it comes to maintaining a pest free environment.
Ensuring that thorough cleaning is carried out at regular intervals, and that spillages are cleared away in a timely fashion, for example, will go a long way to creating the sanitised environment you require.
Consulting with an expert
Each and every business premises is different, and whilst there are certainly some general words of advice and tips that every business owner should heed, only a professional who has conducted a full survey of your property will be able to inform you exactly which prevention methods will be most effective.
Once you have put these measures in place they should be reviewed continuously to ensure they continue to meet your needs. You will also need to have audits carried out and provide documentation of the steps you have taken as part of your compliance with food safety regulation requirements in your industry. Professional pest controllers specialise in helping businesses meet all their legal pest control obligations.