As hard as you work to keep pests out, you never know when they will creep inside. Food processing facilities are a jackpot for pests – providing the shelter, food and water they need to survive. That’s why we are here to help narrow down your search for these invaders and provide helpful tips to prevent the pesky intruders. Here are just a few hot spots around your facility that you should check so pests don’t bite into your products – and ultimately your profits:

Outdoors

Keeping the outside of your facility trim and pristine can do more for the inside of your facility than you may think. These outdoor hotspots commonly allure pests:

  • Landscaping. Overgrown tree branches, overflowing trash and unruly bushes around your building can create an influx of unwanted pests crawling into your facility.
  • Trash Areas. One man’s trash is an all you can eat buffet for a rodent. This is often the most appealing area for pests, so maintain regular sanitation and pickup.
  • Lighting. While it may not not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of pest protection, lighting can attract bugs. So, be sure you aren’t using the wrong lights and attracting unwanted bugs.

Indoors

Once inside the facility, there are a host of hot spots for pests to seek shelter. Maintain a watchful eye on these areas:

  • Flood Drains. Often an entry point for small insects, be sure to clean these drains and clear out debris regularly. 
  • Storage Areas. Pests can often hide and thrive in storage areas if they aren’t checked regularly. Inspect all incoming shipments and boxes going into the storage area and look for contaminated or broken boxes.
  • Break Rooms and Lockers. Make sure employees clean up after themselves and no crumbs are left behind that could attract a hungry pest.

These are only a few of many hot spots to be on the lookout for in and around your facility. Learn more about how to spot problems at every point on the heat map by downloading “Outside In: Mapping Food Processing’s Pest Hot Spots.”