food pests

• food pests are animals, birds or insects capable of contaminating or damage foods.
• Typical food pests include: rodents - rats, mice. Birds and insects.
• food premises are attractive to pests because they provide: food, moisture, warmth and shelter.
• food pests must be controlled because their presence contravenes food hygiene laws
• Importance of pest control: they contaminate food or food surfaces with harmful bacteria and spread disease.
• Importance of pest control: they physically contaminate foods with their hair etc
• Importance of pest control: they cause damage to stock by gnawing/chewing it.
• Importance of pest control: they cause damage to the structure and fabric of food premises and equipment.
• Importance of pest control: they cause food wastage
• Importance of pest control: they cause customer complaints and loss of business
• Importance of pest control: they lead to fines and even closure of the premises
• signs of pest activity - rodents: sightings, fur, droppings, gnawed food, foot prints or tail swipes in food, smell of urine.
• signs of pest activity - birds: sightings, droppings, feathers, noise, nests
• physical pest control: traps, sticky boards, sticky fly papers
• chemical pest control: rodenticides, pesticides, insecticides, fumigation (not when food is in the area)
• Environmental pest control aims to prevent pest infestation by removing features that attract pests: moisture, warmth, shelter etc
• environmental pest control examples: preventing access - blocking holes in the walls. Disposing of waste properly, keep food in pest-proof containers, checking storage areas frequently.