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Pest Control AwarenessDefinition of a pestAn organism that is considered a nuisance to man, most usually having pathogenic properties

The most serious aspect of many pests is the contamination of human food for example rodent droppings, urine and hairs or by insects. Potential Problems

RodentsRats up to 25cm long with 20 cm long tail average bodyweight 300-400gMice between 3-10cm long with up to 10cm long tail bodyweight 20 30 gKey elements: warmth, water, foodRodents leave the fields at the start of each winter, 90% mortality should they decide to stay outdoorsThey come indoors for warmth and food.

Rats (Rattus norvegicus)Thick body shape small ears and blunt nose.

Rodents have eyes adapted for nocturnal vision

Have specialised guard hairs to sense their immediate environment

Excellent climbers like to live in the voids of the buildings that they infest

Great sense of smell both for detecting food and predators

Continuously growing incisor teeth they can chew through mild steel....

Life CycleGestation Period about 3 weeks

Litter Size 7-8

Number of litters per year 3-6

Period from birth to sexual maturity 10-12 weeks

Mice (Mus domesticus)Pointed snout, small rounded ears, and a long naked or almost hairless tail

Mice have a sharp sense of smell have been used to detect explosives and drugs!

Excellent jumpers, capable of leaping at least 12 inches vertically

Excellent climbers and swimmers

Mice will eat anything and they need to eat continuously

Constantly excrete hundreds of micro-droplets of urine as they travel around their territory and can produce 80 droppings per day

Life CycleGestation Period about 3 weeks

Litter size 4 16

Number of litters per year 7-8

Period from birth to sexual maturity 8 12 Weeks

Rodent entryGaps around pipes and vents

If you can fit a pencil a mouse can fit through

Raw materials and equipment

Through the door!

Once they are in they make themselves at home

Rodent controlPest control contractor baits and traps

Fill gaps foam, door brushes

Clean as you go and sanitation

Keep food materials contained

Keep garbage controlled

Keep doors closed

Poison Bait Handling External monitoring stations can contain poisonous material

The bait is harmful and can cause illness or irritation

If you see a bait trap open or broken:Inform QA or MaintenanceDo not touch the bait or the box

If you come in contact with the bait:Immediately wash area with running waterInform your manager or QA

CockroachesOriental Cockroach 25 -30 mm(Blatta orientalis)German Cockroach 12 15 mm(Blattella germanica)American Cockroach 28- 44mm(Periplaneta americana)Brown Banded Cockroach 10 -15 mm(Supella longipalpa)Smokey brown Cockroach 25 38 mm(Periplaneta fuliginosa)

The 5 types of cockroaches in Canada are:Cockroach factsCockroaches primarily come out for water, not food. They can live a month without food, but only a week without water

Cockroaches thrive in any and all conditions - they live in the desert as well as the arctic

Cockroaches will eat just about anything including dead animals.

Female cockroaches can remain pregnant forever and produce up to 150 offspring per year

Stored Product InsectsWide range of insects (beetles, weevils and moths) which live, feed and breed within stored food products:

Australian Spider Beetle (ptinus tectus)Biscuit Beetle (Stegobium paniceum)Book Lice Various orders (eg Liposcelis)Flour Beetles (Tribolium confusum)Weevils Various orders (Sitophilus granarius)Larder Beetles (Demestes lardarius)Yellow Meal Worm Beetle (Tenebrio molitor)Indian Meal Moth (Plodia interpunctella)

Problems caused by SPIContamination Risk - insects/insect fragments end up in product

Damage - large infestations can cause loss of weight in foods by their feeding. Insects consume 20 x own weight developing egg to adult

Loss of quality - grain heavily infested with SPI can be downgraded to animal feed

Customer complaints

Insects infestationsProofing defects and open doors

Incoming goods

Lack of cleaning and poor GMP

Standing water

Poorly stored materialsInsect ControlExternal Pest Control Contractor UV light traps and monitoring

Fill gaps foam, door brushes

Clean as you go and sanitation

Keep food materials contained

Keep garbage cans covered

Keep doors closed

Quiz time!