[Annual Fly Control Issue] Cleaning up in food facilities

In order to make a point, one often hears the answer given in triplicate. When asked the three most important factors in choosing real estate, one hears, “Location. Location. Location.” When asked how to get to Carnegie Hall, a New Yorker reportedly said, “Practice. Practice. Practice.”

Richard Kammerling, president of RK Chemical Systems in Huntington Station, N.Y., stresses the point that the key to pest control in food facilities, ranging from restaurants to bakeries to food-processing plants, is, “Sanitation. Sanitation. Sanitation.”

A PEST CONTROL ISSUE. According to Kammerling, sanitation in food facilities is very much a pest control issue. “Beware of conditions that contribute to pest problems,” he said, “especially with flying insects.”

A pest management professional should use monitoring devices such as light traps and glueboards in the first stage of research pertaining to any fly issues. “Monitoring devices work, but you have to work (them) to get the information you need,” Kammerling said.

For instance, a high concentration of fruit flies in a monitoring device would indicate that the infestation is very close. “Fruit flies stay near the food source and have a very short range.”

The next step for a pest management professional is a visual inspection. Kammerling, who designs and implements in-house training programs and conducts inspections for the pest control industry, recalls visiting a food-processing facility. An industrial bakery mixer there had several house flies perched along the top. “There had to be a reason; house flies won’t just come over,” he said. After taking off the front and side panels, the answer was apparent. An accumulation of moisture, dough and mold was the perfect breeding ground for the house flies.

“Look for the conditions that create the problems. Find out where the flies are breeding; that’s the issue,” Kammerling added.

Everything related to monitoring and inspecting should be documented and shared with the owner. “Record keeping is so vital to the pest control industry,” said Kammerling. By writing down all the details, the pest management professional is doing a thorough job and protecting the company.

Also, proper cleaning and storage procedures for the facility’s sanitation crew should be spelled out. Even though Kammerling believes that sanitation is the key to pest control, the responsibility of daily cleaning remains with the facility’s crew.

THINK OUTSIDE THE BUILDING. The environment surrounding a food facility also must be monitored and explored by the pest management professional. Breeding areas for flies can include muddy ground and boxes and pallets. Dumpsters, if not kept clean, can provide rotting materials to support thousands of fly larvae. Even the positioning of outdoor lighting should be discussed; lights should never be located directly adjacent to doors since flying pests are attracted to light.

Pest management professionals should suggest methods to keep pests outside. For instance, a door even slightly ajar enables pests to enter a facility. Air curtains and doors offer some protection, but they must be monitored frequently to make sure the correct velocity is maintained to meet the needs of the facility. Screening and runners on doors are another option. As much as possible, boxes and pallets should be checked for excess moisture before being brought into a facility.

BACK TO SANITATION. Kammerling, while on inspection tours, has seen diverse breeding sites, including brooms, trash compactors, bakery carts, under metal plates, inside insulation, inside a cinder block wall and on conduits for piping soda to a dispenser. A congregation of fruit flies in the bakery case stumped owners of a supermarket until Kammerling pointed out the floral department right beside it. The flowerpots were not being cleaned and the moisture and residue in the pots was the perfect breeding site for the flies.

Timely and detailed cleaning is key. “Remember,” he said, “insects only need small micro-environments to multiply and survive.” Drains, cracks and crevices should always be checked. He suggests looking at the facility from every angle — from the top to the bottom, from the bottom to the top, from the left to the right and from the right to the left. By doing so, a pest management professional can more readily identify optimal conditions for possible breeding sites.

You can’t go in and just spray chemicals, Kammerling said. Success depends on Integrated Pest Management methods and proper sanitation. “Sanitation is part of ‘going green,’” he adds, stressing the benefit of the pest control industry embracing this philosophy through Integrated Pest Management.

The author is a frequent contributor to PCT magazine.

Light Aids
One of the most important monitoring devices for a PCO’s use is the light trap. “Use traps to guide you to where the infestation is,” said Richard Kammerling. He offers several tips regarding these devices:

• Be sure the client understands the light trap is for monitoring purposes, and is not used to control infestations.
• Proper positioning is important. Do not place over processing surfaces or open food. Do not place in areas of high airflow, since the pests will fly right past it.
• Replace bulbs regularly. “By the time a light’s been in service for nine to 12 months, it has lost more than 50 percent of its UV light capacity,” Kammerling said. “You have to change it to maximize the highest efficiency, because it is so vital to making it work.” He suggests changing the light at the beginning of the flying insect season, in April for cooler climates, and in warmer climates, changing the bulb twice a year. Follow federal guidelines for bulb disposal; the Environmental Protection Agency has classified UV lights as hazardous because of mercury content.
• You must use shatterproof lamps. Food facilities have no tolerance for broken glass. Do not use Teflon® material since this causes a loss of 15 to 20 percent of UV light capacity. Kammerling also discourages using sleeves on the lamps because this accounts for a loss of 80 to 100 percent of the UV light capacity; the thickness of the plastic material prohibits the UV light from shining through.
• Clean the lamps regularly. “Dirt and debris on the lamp and unit will inhibit the reflection and amount of UV light going through the lamp,” he said.
• Identify the insects in the collection trays. “It will tell you about the environment,” Kammerling said, “and what you need to do to control the situation.”

A fly primer

Identification of the particular species of fly at a given infestation is important in understanding its breeding locations and attractants.

House Fly: Lays eggs on garbage and animal feces. Can fly one to two miles to find a breeding site.

Blow Fly: Lays eggs on garbage and carcasses. Can fly for many miles to find a breeding site.

Fruit Fly: Lays eggs in and around liquor, syrup, soda pop, vinegar and ripening/rotting fruit. Flight range is very limited.

Phorid Fly: Lays eggs on decomposing organic (plant or animal origin) debris. Can fly for many miles to find a breeding site.

Drain Fly: Lays eggs on raw sewage, on drain film or in moist, shady areas. Flight range is very limited.

More from QA magazine

PCT’s sister magazine, Quality Assurance and Food Safety, provides valuable information on all facets of food quality, safety and defense to managers of the processing industry, including those in quality assurance, food safety, laboratory, sanitation and general plant management. The magazine reaches nearly 23,000 readers six times a year. To learn more, or to subscribe, visit www.qualityassurancemag.com.