10 Common Pest Challenges in Food Processing

Pest management is a constant concern for food processing facilities. The risks can vary based on your facility’s location, products, and processes, but many pest problems are present across the industry. These issues can threaten product safety, regulatory compliance, and daily operations. Schendel Pest Services identified the top 10 pest challenges facing food processors so you can learn how to protect your facility. Read more about them here.

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What is Risk-Based Pest Management?

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), implemented in 2015, established risk-based preventive controls as an important requirement for food manufacturers. Facilities must identify potential risks, put controls in place to reduce or eliminate them, verify that those controls work, and correct problems when they do not. These processes must also be supported by detailed plans and documentation.

This makes pest management an important part of a facility’s overall risk assessment. Identifying the specific pest risks at your facility allows you and your pest control provider to focus on problem areas and develop appropriate solutions. These plans should also be reviewed and updated as conditions change. Here are some risk factors to keep in mind:

• Product Changes: New products, ingredients, suppliers, processes, or production lines can introduce new pest risks.
• Weather Impact: Flooding, droughts, hurricanes, and other severe weather events can create temporary changes that require preventive controls to be updated.
• Construction Activities: Construction can expose new openings and other vulnerabilities, so changes should be made to your pest management plan.

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StateAlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces EuropeArmed Forces Pacific

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Common Pest Risks in Food Processing Facilities

Knowing which pests affect other food processors can help you identify risks within your own facility. 

Schendel Pest Services reviewed pest data from food processing facilities to identify the 10 most common pest challenges. Use this information to determine where your pest control budget should be focused as you finalize your plans. This is our list of common culprits:

1. Mice and Rats: Rodents are the leading pest concern for food processors, with pressures increasing across the country. Growing mouse populations and the expanding range of roof rats are major concerns for many facilities.
2. Night-Flying Pests: Moths and other nighttime insects are attracted to loading docks and other areas that are frequently opened. Insect light traps can prevent their entry into food processing facilities.
3. House Flies: House flies can carry diseases and create serious food safety concerns. They enter through small openings, but insect light traps can limit their activity before it develops into an infestation.
4. Indian Meal Moths: Indian meal moths are common around stored dry foods and infest raw ingredients and packaged products such as rice, birdseed, chocolate, crackers, and dried fruit. Almost any dried food source can attract them.
5. Bottle and Flesh Flies: These flies are attracted to garbage, decaying organic material, and animal waste. Their presence is a significant sanitation concern for any food processing facility.
6. Cigarette Beetles: Cigarette beetles are found where dried foods are processed, including milling and sifting areas. They thrive in dusty environments and around plant or animal byproducts.
7. Small Flies/Gnats: Phorid flies, fruit flies, and gnats are persistent in areas with moisture or organic debris. These conditions make small flies an ongoing problem in food processing environments.
8. Pigeons: Pigeons introduce contamination and health risks to food facilities. Targeted management programs, such as those provided by Schendel Pest Services, can reduce pigeon activity.
9. Sparrows: Sparrows and other small birds may build nests in roof overhangs and other openings. From these locations, they’ll gain access to your facilities, especially around loading docks. Exclusion strategies can reduce this risk.
10. Warehouse Beetles: Warehouse beetles infest stored grains and grain dust. They are common concerns in grain elevators, hammer mills, coating rooms, and other areas where dust collects, including beams and electrical boxes.

Expert Pest Control from Schendel Pest Services

When you become a Schendel Pest Services customer, your pest management program will be built around the specific risks at your food processing facility. During each routine service, our specialist will look for new pest activity and conditions that could attract pests. We document these findings in your Proof of Service Report.

Looking for a pest control program designed for your food processing facility? Contact Schendel Pest Services today.

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