Essential pest control inspection checklist for business

Pest control is essential for a home because of the assurance and health and safety of the family, especially among the young and elderly. However, pest management is more critical for a business, particularly the food sensitive, public fronting and service industries. Every sector bears similar protection needs, however, priorities and risk factors differ for some. Rentokil shares the five essential pest control checklists for commercial businesses.

Are the drainage and sewer system working?

Drainage and sewer management are not related to pest control directly. However, it has an impact in starting a pest infestation. Firstly, when the drainage system is not working due to chokes, broken pipes or residual accumulation, it does not allow proper functioning and filtering. In worse case, it causes a pipe burst, water leaks and drinks. Water and moisture are one of the main causes of pest attraction. Foul odour coming from the contaminated water can also attract pests. Pests can emerge from sewers especially for pest species like cockroaches that can survive underwater for a good period. Mosquito breeding may also take place especially in the drains that are stagnant and not processed with mosquito control. This is a critical inspection process before the breeding develops into adult mosquitoes that can potentially cause dengue fever among the Aedes species.

Is your grease trap breeding flies’ larvae?

Flies management is not only eliminating the adult flies but also removing the larvae and maggots that start with moist, wet, greasy and poorly sanitised surfaces. For example, gullies, trolleys, drains, sewers, manholes and grease traps. This happens from poor housekeeping, accumulation of grime and grease and lack of maintenance. Unfortunately, it is also often neglected during the cleaning process and breeds small flies like drain and fruit flies over time.

To deal with flies breeding, you can consider scheduling for ad-hoc flies foaming that uses the lather effect from the foaming agent to optimise the residual effect. Especially in a kitchen or canteen where there are tight spaces and hard to reach hot spots, breeding sites can be targeted more effectively. It works by allowing flies to feed on the fermented matter that contains bacteria found in the active ingredient and eliminating the organic compound over time.

Have you seen burrows outside your premise?

Rats build burrows to hide deep within and store their food supplies while avoiding being caught by predators or even pest control specialists. We are unable to reach out to the hiding rats especially being nocturnal. Rats that require a food source will move away from their burrow and either seek shelter in your premise, while feeding on the various supplies they can find.

One way to ensure efficient rat control is the detection of their hideouts. Next, proactively building adequate lines of defense around the perimeter to prevent them from entering. In some compounds, there are three lines of defense. Firstly, there has to be sufficient outdoor rat baiting stations around the perimeter of the compound. Secondly, there should be adequate protection in the inner compound outdoors that easily enters into the interior of the building. Thirdly, indoor control where key risk areas have to be protected. This includes office, server room, kitchen, canteen and common walking space or corridors.

Do your fly control units trap insects effectively?

Fly control units are not for display but for flying control purposes. While deploying the units are part of regulatory compliance, as part of food licensing, however, the units have to lure and trap flies effectively. For example, different units designed for different coverage areas, depending on the location and set up. Front of the house like the bar counter or drinks corner requires a smaller coverage sufficient to cover that scope. A food processing and manufacturing factory requires not only extensive coverage size but also multiple units’ placement around the premise.

Rentokil Initial’s Lumnia LED Fly Control has a high attraction of LED output that delivers an efficient catch rate and comes in different coverage for small, medium to large compounds. There are two ways to measure the effectiveness. By checking the glue board with trapped flies and refer to the trend analysis report in terms of flies’ population.

Are there gaps and hiding spaces along the ceiling?

Rooftops, attics and false ceilings are amongst the various key risk areas that hide pests especially rats. With their ability to crawl easily, balance on thin beams and squeeze into a tight corner, rat infestation is common at the top. Typically, these spaces are dark, tight and out of sight, which made pest inspection and rat detection more challenging. What made these infestations more detrimental is when rats surface at night to look for food, or they make their way down for food sourcing.

Certain premises are connected which means rats can travel from location to location and without proper proofing and barrier, chances of rats’ slip-ins are high. In addition, if there are cracks, gaps, holes or openings resulting from defects or structural integrity, your premise will be of a high risk of a rat problem. Rats have capabilities to be as flexible as possible to squeeze through even through a 1 cm gap.

Adopting integrated pest control solutions for your business

Especially for businesses with complex operation settings, the safety of your employees and customers are important. Adopting an integrated and comprehensive pest control solution can enhance the control standards and safety level. Firstly, a sound and robust pest management can cover key risk areas and business needs adequately. This includes assessing your surrounding environment, neighbouring units and condition of the premise. Secondly, more attention and specialization can extend to high dependency businesses where regulatory compliance, reporting and quality audits are required. Thirdly, reporting and outlet monitoring can be made easier with an online monitoring facility where information and pest trend analysis can be reviewed instantly. Fourthly, sanitation and facility management extend across pest control, covering the hygiene and drainage solutions. These areas are all connected to keeping a premise pest-free. Finally, training and outreach is also catered for businesses with high labour who can affect the pest eradication effectiveness.

Pest control is not just about providing the treatments and servicing of the units as scheduled. They work as partners with businesses to ensure their pest infestation is under control while meeting the needs and demands of people and food safety. This includes reviewing the users’ habits and culture, housekeeping and proofing recommendations that businesses are not aware or examining conditions that may risk the premise from running into a pest problem. For example, a newly started construction work nearby that forces rats to relocate. Neighbouring units with heavy infestation that causes a cross infestation or the design of the premise that promotes a pest risk. Examples include open concepts and connecting ceilings. Read more on what to expect in an integrated pest control.

Enriching your employees with adequate pest awareness

Pest prevention is not only the business priority and the job of the pest control company. It also requires efforts coming from the end users. Their habits, sanitation and housekeeping standards, facility maintenance and daily operating habits matter. It is also important for them to understand critical pest facts, what attracts certain pests to a kitchen, where do they usually hide and how to get rid of cockroaches which is usually seen in food establishments.

Pest prevention reminders that all users can be more mindful of

• Unwanted or excess fruits and vegetables not required for the food preparation should be disposed properly into the garbage bin
• Wipe away juices, extracts and water spills immediately to avoid attracting ants, cockroaches and fruit flies
• Use a waste bin with proper lid cover. Throw away the trash immediately instead of accumulating till the day ends.
• Keep doors closed or use a door screen for food sensitive environment such as food manufacture, pharmaceutical and restaurants
• Do not leave food exposed and store them properly to avoid having pests breeding or dropping their poops on them
• Clean away grease, fats and grime on kitchen top surfaces, flooring and drains to avoid starting a pest infestation
• Learn to recognise pest infestation signs on common pests. Rats, flies, cockroaches and ants that are common in food preparation and industrial environment.
• Fix any gaps and cracks, or openings and holes that pests can pass through. These include structure and wall defects, crawl spaces and server room.
• Sweep and mop the premise thoroughly to avoid leaving any bits and crumbs for pests to feed on
• Clean up the storage room and interior of cabinets and shelves where pests can hide among these quiet places

Download your Pest Guide Book here

Call Rentokil Singapore at  (65) 6347 8138 for pest control services today.