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Warehouse Pest Control
Working in a new print warehouse in IMT Manesar, one of the warehouse deputy manager and his co-workers were baffled by what they assumed were droppings from an insect or spider. They were furthermore surprised as none of their company’s other warehouses in Delhi, Noida and Greater Noida had this type of Pest problem. These dark and watery droppings(quite repulsive) were everywhere around the indoor news print material and their stacks and other raw materials. They would also find them around the stacks of wooden and plastic pallets which shipped finished goods on. They would clean them one day, more would appear the next morning.
It was only while working during night shift did they realise what these droppings were. They realised that the mysterious droppings were of Bats and that they needed warehouse pest control experts to bring the population of insects down so that the bats would hunt somewhere else.
Discovering a pest Problem in Warehouse
Pests are responsible for not only spreading the diseases that can make employees sick but can render warehouses environment unsafe to work in. Even if no product contamination takes place, pests are bad for employee morale as well .Working staff may take more time just to make sure that nothing comes leaping out at their face. Having associated and having served hundreds of accounts in entire Delhi NCR area over last 30 years we have realised that the presence of typical stored products pests like rodents, roaches and ants in the warehouse can easily be determined by looking for the following tell tale symptoms:
- Chew/Cut Marks: Rats and mice constantly nibble. Shredded cardboard and gnawed wood or wiring can be signs of rodent activity in your Godown. Cockroaches in search of food can also chew on cardboard or paper or other packing material.
- Unusual Odour: Often, Pest/insects infestation of a building is accompanied by a distinctive and unusual odour in a warehouse should always be investigated to determine the cause.
- Tracks: One of the signs of rodent activity in a warehouse is visible grease tracks, especially in places where they should not be.
- Droppings: Rodents and Roaches both leave behind droppings in the form of small dark grains. These droppings are potential hazard and can spread bacteria and viruses which are not only a hazard to your products, but also to your employees.
- Mud shelter tubes: Another common Warehouse Pest is sub terranean termites, which can cause considerable loss to the commodity within a short span of time. Pencil size mud shelter tubes on walls which appear in zig zag fashion are a clear symptom of termite infestation in your warehouse. Any commodity which is subjected to long-term storage and less likely to move is more susceptible to TERMITE infestations.
If you discover any of these signs in warehouse you should be prompt to make a call to Warehouse Pest Control Company in Delhi and NCR area. Apart from these roaches and rodents which are easy to identify, there are several other types of pests which are relatively unique to warehouses and can go unreported before a considerable damage is caused.
Identifying Pest infestations that Are Unique to Warehouses
What stands out about the incident with the Bats infestation and their droppings in that Gurgaon Warehouse is that it went unnoticed for so long. The same is often the case with other less known warehouse pests that aren’t typically seen in private homes. No one at the warehouse was familiar about bats and as a result, the only indicator of a pest problem on-site went unnoticed for a very long period.
Common Warehouse Pests in India
- Common Warehouse Beetles:Another common but less known warehouse pests which are found in Delhi Noida Ghaziabad ,Gurgaon and other parts of India are: Cigarette beetles, Drugstore Beetles, Flour Beetles, and the appropriately named Warehouse Beetle. These beetles can infest and damage dry foods like nuts, flour, barley, cereal, and pet food, if left unchecked. As they are not easily identified they may not trigger any alarm bells.
- Spider Beetles:Spider beetles are the insect pests that feed not only on human foods, but also on the faecal matter of other pests and mammals, which directly means that they can pick up E.coli, Listeria, and other harmful bacterium , and can contaminate the human food. Their name is derived from their distinctive round body and long legs, and they are often confused with a small spider.
- Rice and other stored grain Weevils: Weevils are small beetles that eat a variety of crops and lay their eggs in the core of the seed, making them an important agricultural pest which gets transferred to warehouse while storage. They can be identified by their snout-like head shape. While they’re harmless to humans but they can cause a great deal of damage to stored grains and as such they are considered as an exotic quarantine pest in many countries.
- Indian meal Moths: There is another dark brown insect, the Indian meal moth which is one of the most common stored-food pests in India. The larval form of the insect does all of the damage and attacks pet food, bread, pasta, flour, seed kernels and vide variety of other foods. It can also considered as tough pest as it can chew through packaging to get at the food.
The basic problem with the above mentioned common warehouse pests is that none of them is instantly recognisable to the average warehouse worker. As a result they are often able to establish themselves in a warehouse without getting noticed and until the infestation has caused a considerable damage to the human health or property. Once the infestation has become established, the best option is to contact a Professional Warehouse Pest control services company. But mind it that though the Bringing in a Warehouse Pest Control Specialist is a time-consuming and an expensive option but it is unavoidable for smooth warehouse operations. It’s also an expense which if avoided can lead to consumer complaints, load rejections, and even costly recalls of contaminated goods.
Prevention is the Best form of Warehouse Pest Management
Although there is no foolproof way of preventing pest infestations from entering the warehouse, but good upkeep and sanitation practices reduces the ways that rats, mice, roaches, birds, and other pests can get in. Some basic precautions include:
1). It is seen that most of the Warehouses in Delhi Ncr region have Asbestos or metal roof. Therefore ensuring that the roof is tightly sealed and leak-proof, doors/roll on shutters close fully and tightly, and that any windows are also well sealed and meshed.
2). Doing routine maintenance of plumbing and air conditioning to prevent leaks and other sources of dampness, which keep pests from having a convenient supply of water makes it more difficult for them to breed
3). Cleaning your warehouse of any spilled food products and employee food waste should be allowed only in designated areas . It is equally important to ensure that residue and garbage is removed from these areas after each meal.
These basic procedures are all part of keeping a warehouse clean. And while they will help keep pests from entering the Warehouse, they won’t cordon off a warehouse’s biggest vulnerability: constant flow of shipments entering the building. If a pallet loaded with packaged foods arrives in warehouse , bringing the pests along with their food supply, then there is every chance of them establishing in the warehouse in spite of all your efforts to keep them out.
Plastic shipping pallets have far lesser crevices that insects can use as hideouts than wooden pallets do. Plastic pallets don’t allow pathway to pests from using this route into your warehouse. Plastic is also nonabsorbent, and a plastic pallet is less likely to give pests a moisture source that they can use to survive. Last but not the least it’s possible to wash and Sanitise plastic pallets, which facilitates the control of insect pests in warehouse. All of these features and practices give plastic pallets a clear advantage in preventing the cross-infestations of pests between the warehouses, which in turn saves your Total Cost of Business (TCOB).
Pest Control in Warehouses
- Warehouse Pest control is an integral part of routine maintenance procedures and is utmost essential to clear business audits for licensing and necessary accreditations . Pest control can be especially challenging in warehouses. Large buildings, like warehouses, offer plenty of spaces for pests to live, breed and hide. Cracks, crevices , dark and dingy corners offer conducive environment for pest infestations. Besides being unsightly and unsanitary, these pests also damage products, equipment, electrical wiring and building structures. It’s almost impossible to monitor every nook and corner of a big warehouse facility without professional assistance. Pest control specialists are trained and very well know where pest hide outs are likely to be and how to address them, as well as how to help warehouse staff in spotting pest infestation signs and adopt prevention techniques. Various Pest control packages for Warehouses offered under pest management program include:
- General Disinfestation treatment against Common crawling pests like Roaches, Ants, spiders etc.
- Treatment against stored commodity products like meal moths, rice weevils, Cigarette/Tobacco beetle etc.
- Fumigation treatment against wood and paper packaging pests like termites, Wood worms, Powder post beetles and silver fish etc.
- Rat/Rodent control treatment against rats, mice, moles and other rodents etc.
- Bird control treatment against Bats and Pigeons etc.
The methodology and treatment procedures could be standard or customised according to the pest problem being faced. Some of the common techniques adopted for Warehouse Pest Control are in Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon and Faridabad are:
- Spray and mist blowing treatment for common crawling pests like roaches, spider and ants.
- Specialised Fumigation and prophylactic treatment against stored commodity pests like weevils and moths etc.
- Injection and surface spray treatment against wood and paper pests like termites, borers etc.
- Baiting trapping and gassing treatments against rodents etc.
- Pheromone applications against pest detection and monitoring.
- Anti larval sprays and Cold/Thermal fogging treatments against flying inspects like mosquitoes/flies etc.
- Nets and spikes installation against Birds.
Risks of not having a pest control in Warehouse
The risks posed by pests to your Warehousing business include:
- The spread of disease and infections.
- Damage to property and it’s structure.
- Product Contamination.
- Poor staff morale and relations.
- loss of reputation and a building of negative public opinion.
- Prosecution, Product recalls and even closure of your business.
Warehouse Audits
Stringent Warehouse audits is one of reason why businesses put a premium to Warehouse Pest Control costs. A single spotting of any pest in a warehouse during an audit can mean a lot of damage to the company financially and reputation wise . Auditors in India are very particular about cleanliness and safety of storage facilities. Staying compliant with prescribed protocols is a priority for warehouse managers and owners, but it’s not always easy. Food and perishable pose additional complexities. Such huge attention to the sanitary of the warehouse is due to the fact that business products, usually food are stored here after manufacturing and prior to distribution. There is no need to mention the final goods stored in this warehouses or susceptible to a irreparable damage most notably infestation and contamination.
According to audit guidelines Pests in Warehouses are strong negative indicators of a company’s negligence to follow proper sanitation procedures. Professional Warehouse Pest control companies offer customised Pest Control solutions, such qualified pest control professionals can help warehouse managers taking decisions with regard to protecting packaging, product quality and sanitary conditions as well as help meet certain audit and regulatory requirements. So, if Warehouse management authorities hire a professional Pest control vendor , basically they partner with helpful resource that they may not have considered. A knowledgeable, professional pest control partner can help with some key warehouse management protocols, such as those relating to quality control, inventory control , cleanliness & Hygiene.
Reporting/Recording and Documentation
The most crucial step is installing a process of compliances and documents. One should keep a log for these reasons:
- Documenting insect sightings and interceptions.
- To monitor your pest control efforts, ensuring that they are safe and effective.
- To highlight any observation recommendations thereof around pest control.
- To demonstrate to the Auditors and regulating bodies that you have complied with legislation
- Log every activity as evidence of compliance to any third party auditors who may inspect your premises.
We at Capital Pest Control (India) are pioneer in Warehouse Pest control services in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Gurgaon. In addition to treating current pest problems we have proactive prevention and monitoring strategies in place which can help keep new infestations from establishing. Our Commercial Pest Control Professionals will help you meet audit and regulatory requirements in regards to Pest Control, as well as help prevent pests from compromising packaging, product quality or sanitary conditions. You may contact us at 9810087539 or simply login at www.cpcindia.in
The key benefits if you hire us may include the following:
- 24-hr service. Services are available anytime you need them. We have flexible schedules and plans based on your warehousing needs.
- Best quality. Quality level is monitored consistently and we try our best to surpasses standards set by state and licensing bureau. We provide personalised sanitation and documents together with log books. Our technicians are licensed and are under continuous training programmes from IPCA.
- Our log books give access to pertinent data, proposed guidelines, and reports which are needed during inspection, Audits safety and review.
Types of Warehouses where we provide Pest Control Services includes:
- Data warehouse
- Food & Beverages warehouse
- Dry goods warehouse
- Importer/Exporter warehouse
- Wholesalers warehouse
- Customs warehouse
- Refrigerated warehouse
- Third party logistics warehouse
- Cold storage warehouse
- Drug warehousing
- Medical warehouse
- Pest Control in Pharmaceutical Warehouse
