Interior Pest Prevention
Sustaining a pest free building requires proper maintenance
and an attentive service provider.
By Judy Black, M.S., B.C.E.
The
key to managing pest infestations in a facility is to stop
them before they start. Pests can take advantage of a wide
variety of changes in environment and climate. Preventing
them from gaining a foothold in a facility includes thoroughly
reviewing areas that may not ordinarily be associated with
pest issues.
Additionally, pest prevention requires partnering with
a service provider who will take a holistic approach, addressing
all the concerns that can lead to infestations. An effective
partnership also requires facility managers and staff to
be proactive.
Common Pests
Some of the most common pests are cockroaches and rodents.
Cockroaches have been shown to transport disease causing
organisms on their bodies.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
allergens from cockroaches can trigger asthma. This condition
causes shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, and
excessive coughing.
Signs of cockroach infestation can include brownish-black
fecal smears on surfaces, the presence of live or dead insects,
and a distinct acrid odor if infestation is especially heavy.
Be sure to keep an eye out for these signs and notify the
technician as soon as possible if any are present.
Rodents can transmit disease to humans through airborne
particles of their urine, saliva, droppings, or remains.
Certain species of mice are responsible for transmitting
a potentially serious disease called hantavirus, which can
cause dizziness, nausea, fatigue, dry cough, headaches,
and, in some cases, respiratory failure. Previously a health
problem confined to the Southwest, hantavirus has now been
identified in several states in the Midwest and the Northeast.
As of early May 2005, 32 states had reported a total of
nearly 400 cases to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
since the hantavirus was first identified.
Rodents tend to gnaw cardboard boxes, packaged goods,
wallboards, wood, plaster, and electrical wiring. Other
signs that a facility may have a rodent infestation include
scampering sounds behind the walls, the presence of rodent
droppings, footprints or trails, greasy rub marks and smears
on walls, and the presence of live or dead pests.
Other pests that can pose a health threat are fire ants.
Colder weather limits their spread, but due to the mild
winters experienced in some areas during 2004, fire ants
have spread northward. They now infest at least 13 southern
and western states and have been reported as far north as
Maryland and Ohio.
Most healthy adults can tolerate stings from fire ants.
However, some people can have severe allergic reactions.
For these people, any fire ant attack can be potentially
lethal.
Ants do not leave many signs of their presence. However,
if even one or two ants are spotted in the facility, it
is prudent to have a pest prevention provider come in to
inspect the situation.
At Your Service
Choosing the right service provider is critical to the
effectiveness of any pest prevention program. Facility managers
can visit the National Pest Management Association Web site
(www.pestworld.org) for a list of professionals recommended
by the association.
Once a firm is located, facility managers should do some
further research. It is important to hire licensed, certified,
and highly trained professionals. A pest prevention professional
should arrive in uniform, carry an identification badge,
and wear protective clothing or equipment as appropriate.
Technicians should also be able to describe their level
of training and knowledge and provide copies of their license
and certification, if requested. Training can include continuing
education coursework and support from on staff Board Certified
Entomologists and other technical personnel.
It is also important to make sure the company has not
been fined by its state pesticide regulatory board, which
is usually part of the Department of Agriculture. Contact
information for state Departments of Agriculture can often
be found in the local blue pages or at state Web sites,
usually www.state.[state abbreviation].us. (For example,
those who live in Virginia should visit www.state.va.us.)
A pest prevention firm should know the guidelines of the
different third-party auditors and use a reporting system
that meets appropriate auditor requirements.
Pest prevention methods have evolved as more has been
learned about pest biology, pesticide resistance, and aversion.
Spraying and fogging no longer have to be the primary foundations
of a comprehensive pest management program. Rather, modern
programs are built around a variety of complementary tactics
such as early detection of insect pests through monitoring,
thorough inspection to detect harborage sites, targeted
treatments that pose little risk to the environment or people,
and structural repairs that keep invasive pests from entering
the facility.
Above all, modern pest prevention programs rely on a strong
partnership and communication between the client and technician.
The level of communication between the facility management
contact and a pest management technician is often indicative
of a successful program. Reporting, documentation, and one-on-one
contact from the pest management professional are important
components. Reports should include details of the service,
note any chemicals applied, list opportunities for improvement,
and provide detailed sanitation and structural recommendations.
Documentation at the facility should include copies of
any reports, material safety data sheets (MSDS) on products
currently being used at the facility, maps of service areas,
and any other pertinent information. Facility managers can
also ask a potential service provider for a proposal detailing
the pest management operating procedures, frequency of visits,
response times, applicable guarantees, types and quality
of service reporting, and, above all, information verifying
the company knows what it takes to eliminate pests.
The Whole Picture
For a pest management program to be successful, facility
managers must understand what is required in terms of sanitation,
operational procedures, and structural repairs. Once the
role of each partner in the program has been established,
they can assist one another in eliminating the conditions
that can enable pests to become established in the first
place.
Pests of all types are attracted by the availability of
food, water, and harborage sources. One of the biggest culprits
for attracting pests is standing water. Facility managers
should have leaky faucets repaired, re-examine the landscaping
of the facility, ensure that automatic irrigation systems
are not overwatering, make sure any water that could accumulate
has run-off drainage, and remove any vegetation that calls
for excessive watering. Downspouts can also be a problem,
so these should be checked for proper drainage.
Here are some additional tips:
- Keep food and garbage containers closed. Don’t
leave food out or allow clutter to accumulate, even in
out of the way places. Trash and debris serve as common
pest harborages and food sources. Locate dumpsters as
far from the building as possible.
- Keep all spaces clean, especially break rooms, food
service areas, common areas, and rest rooms. Occupants
should be reminded to watch for crumbs and spills.
- Remove excess cardboard. Cardboard boxes are a perfect
harborage for pests, whether the boxes are empty or full
of supplies. Cardboard is particularly attractive to pests
such as German cockroaches. Eliminating excess cardboard
will remove a potential harborage site and discourage
pests from taking up residence.
- Regularly mop hard surface floors and wash countertops.
- Have the maintenance staff caulk cracks and other crevices
where pests can enter.
- Clean drains regularly. Drains can be a major source
of fruit fly issues. No matter how often a drain is used,
slime and organic debris can build up, creating a gelatinous
sludge ideal for small flies to lay eggs in. Regular cleaning
will keep drains clean and eliminate the potential for
fruit flies.
- Install air curtains above exterior doorways. This
is a simple and pesticide-free way to keep pests from
entering the facility, especially around doors or entryways
that remain open (such as loading docks) or those used
frequently. This device consists of a squirrel cage fan
(so called because it looks like an exercise wheel for
small pets) that is installed above the door. It blows
a constant current of air across the threshold, keeping
out flying insects while the door is open.
- Avoid having lights pointing at doors or positioned
directly above entryways. Lighting can attract insects.
All exterior lighting should consist of sodium-vapor bulbs,
which attract fewer insects than the standard mercury-vapor
type.
- Trim plants away from the facility and its foundation
to eliminate mosquitoes and other insects. Crawling pests,
such as ants, can use limbs and leaves that touch the
building as roadways. They will crawl to the building
and from there can take advantage of structural gaps to
enter the facility, bypassing any treatments that have
been made to the exterior foundation. Also, foliage traps
moisture close to the structure, which can attract unwanted
guests.
- Avoid using mulch, as it provides both a harborage
and moisture source for pests. Instead, use 25-40 mm gravel,
which is an effective replacement for mulch.
- Seal all holes, gaps, and cracks and watch for other
structural issues. Insects and rodents can gain entrance
to a facility through the smallest spaces. Use caulk,
screening, and steel wool to seal holes and cracks both
inside and outside of the building. Don’t forget
gaps around pipes and ventilation systems. If an addition
has been made to the building, there may be small gaps
through which pests can enter. A pest management professional
can advise on prevention methods.
- Practice FIFO rotation. With this “First In,
First Out” method, the supplies that arrive first
are used first. This rule doesn’t apply only to
food facilities. Leaving a product out of rotation makes
it more susceptible to insect or rodent attack.
The Bottom Line
Once pests are entrenched in a facility, the resulting
damage may not only be to property but also to occupant
health. A pest program can be considered a partnership in
which everyone potentially affected is responsible for working
to prevent pests. This helps facility managers to ensure
program success and to play an integral role in the ultimate
success of the organization.
Black is a board certified entomologist and technical
director of The Steritech Group, Inc. in Charlotte, NC,
a provider of pest management services and a leader in EcoSensitive®
Pest Prevention programs. For more information, visit www.steritech.com
or e-mail contact@steritech.com.
What pest problems do you face? What prevention
practices have been successful? Send comments to avazquez@groupc.com.
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