How to complete pest monitoring in your food business

Pest monitoring forms an integral part of your pest management program. The purpose of pest monitoring is to provide an indication of the level of pest activity or infestation within your food business. We don’t always visibly see the actual pests but there are ways that we can track their activity or presence. In this article I am going to cover the top three (3) methods used to monitor pest activity within your food business.

Visual Inspections  How to monitor pests in your food business

Our first pest monitoring activity is to conduct visual inspections. Completing a visual inspection involves visually walking around your entire food production site (both inside and out) and visually looking for pests, alive or dead and signs of pests. The key to completing an adequate visual inspection is to look where there is minimal human activity or movement and there is minimal light. Pests tend to harbor in areas that are dark and undisturbed. When there is plenty of movement around, we don’t tend to see actual pests as this activity prevents them from showing themselves. In this situation we need to look for evidence or signs of pests. Signs of pests can include:

  • Smear marks
  • Brown or black spotting
  • Torn and damaged packaging (from rodents eating through)
  • Damaged wiring
  • The smell of urine
  • Nesting
  • Pest droppings
  • Dead pests

Any visual inspection that you have completed should be recorded with suitable corrective action implemented if any issues are identified.

Click here to get competency training in an ‘Introduction to Pest Management’.

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 Catch Analysis

A catch analysis is where you assess the level of pest capture on or in your designated pest control devices. These can include sticky boards, electronic fly traps, moth pots and pheromone traps. This pest monitoring activity can be completed on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis depending on your level of pest infestation. The data obtained from a catch analysis can then be trended to see improvements or areas that may need further action.

Bait Use

Monitoring the amount of pest bait consumed can provide an insight into the level of pest activity within your food business. Rodent stations or rat baits is one of the most common pest treatments used within the food industry. If you are consistency finding all of the bait taken from a rodent station, it may mean that you need to increase the frequency at which you inspect and change these baits. I am sure that this is common-sense but keep in mind that bait stations are not effective if they don’t have bait in them. This then has an impact on your ability to control pests within your food business. Bait use can then be recorded and trended for changes similar to the catch analysis activity that was mentioned previously.

The monitoring of pests has proven to be an effective measure in controlling and eliminating pests from within your food business. To find out how to implement an effective pest management program within your food business please click here. This resource covers all the applicable best practice activities required for effective pest management, third party certification standards and regulatory compliance.

8 thoughts on “How to complete pest monitoring in your food business”

  1. Yes! please write more things on these issues. I own a pest control company in Jacksonville nc and am always looking to grow my company in every way, and service the people within my community the best that I can. Great article. I am glad I bumped into it.

  2. Maureen Katafiire Balinda

    This is a simple and clear guideline, it reminds of my previous job where I carried out several inspections of crop produce export warehouses and pack houses.

  3. wow, i amreally grateful to be part of the HACCP mentor, this is really helpful, i will use it when i do my pest control training for the staff. thank you so much

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