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Bugging Out
Pest control not limited to just a few treatments.
As anyone who has
experienced an infestation knows, getting the bugs out is one thing
and keeping them out is another. To provide food and beverage
processors with lasting solutions to pesky problems, companies that
provide pest treatment are offering more comprehensive programs.
One case in point is Atlanta-based Orkin Inc.,
which offers an integrated pest-management program.
“It’s pest control versus pest management,”
explains Frank Meek, board certified entomologist and an Orkin
technical director. “Our definition of integrated pest
management is the use of all available methods to bring about pest
control and pest prevention. It is a process that should be used by
all producers, regardless of their size.”
The nature of food production — and the
implications for product
safety and potential regulatory action —
has led many companies to embrace such programs, which encompass a
variety of treatments and preventative stopgaps for problems like
fly infestations or rodent infestations which can occur in dairy
processing environments.
According to Meek, Orkin’s pest-control
experts evaluate the plant and grounds to identify problems and
clean or seal up those areas. Some solutions could be as simple as
relocating exterior lighting or replacing a screen door.
“You have to investigate the how and why
of the problem. Once the pest is defined and accounted for, you
design a management program,” he says. “If you focus
solely on killing the bugs, it’s a good Band-Aid, but it is
not the surgical procedure to fix the problem.”
And just because a facility is new or state of
the art doesn’t mean there won’t be a need for pest
control. Meek advises plant operators to keep potential pest
problems in mind in initial facility planning and start-up.
“It’s a great thing to do,”
he recommends. “Call up a pest-management professional and
ask what you can do to prevent a problem.” df
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