If you work in the food industry, you have probably faced the problem of pests several times. Your clients love the food you produce, but unfortunately, the pests also love it. Your customers may go and come, but once you have a pest infestation issue, getting rid of these little troublemakers can be a massive headache.
In addition, the process can cost you a lot of time and money. As always, preventing pests from taking control of your establishment is the easiest and cheapest solution. This requires a deliberate effort on the part of your workers. So, what should food workers do to prevent pests?
Educate and train your staff on pest control
Workers are always the first line of defense as far as pest control is concerned. The sooner workers learn how to prevent pests from food and control pest infestations, the better they eliminate any pest issue. Anyone who works in the food preparation and production business should receive training to detect the following tell-tale of pest infestation.
The most common signs of pest infestation
● Knowing marks: These marks are indicators of the presence of pests in the area. Rodents especially can gnaw on wood and other soft materials to gain access to food sources.
● Pest dropping: Pest droppings indicate the regular presence of pests in the location.
● Holes in the walls and baseboards: Such holes could result from pests knowing their way to a food source.
● Dirt and markings on the walls
● Nesting
● Damaged fabrics
● Unusual and unpleasant odors.
Whenever a worker notices at least one of these signs, you need to take immediate steps to
halt the infestation.
Workers can help implement preventive anti-pest strategies
You've probably already heard several times that prevention is better than cure. And when it comes to handling pest infestation, preventing it in the first place is always the best option.
Workers can help implement the following preventive strategies in this regard.
● Clean all drains
Always ensure that your drains are free of food particles and food waste. You can hire experts to flush your drains regularly while ensuring that workers use garbage disposals whenever they need to get rid of food garbage. All garbage cans should be pest-proof and closed at all times, and composting should be done off-site.
● Eliminate all entry points
Pests always follow the warmth and scent of food and will have access to your food production area only when you let them. Take the time to seal or patch all holes or cracks, as they represent potential entry points for pests of all sizes. You can also ensure that all your doors have draft stoppers, making it impossible for pests to squeeze their way through tiny spaces. You might also want to keep all doors and windows that lead outside closed as often as possible.
● Maintain a sanitary environment
Always ensure high hygiene standards.
● Store your food properly
Food storage can be another concern. Keep them away from all walls and about six inches off the floor while sealed in airtight containers.