Preventative Measures

Good hygiene practices

This is a general requirement and essential in pest control. It relates to general tidiness and cleanliness, which involves proper preservation and storage of food, clean surfaces, equipment and fixtures along with the removal of edible waste and rubbish as well as their appropriate storage before disposal etc. Such procedures provide fewer places where pests can live, breed and feed. Hygiene should be a major concern before considering any further control tactics and should be improved upon wherever possible. This improvement in turn will act as a catalyst towards a more succesful result. For example, if mice and cockroaches have no alternative food sources due to good hygiene, they are more likely to feed on poisoned baits.

Correctly structured facilities

Facilities that are easy to clean, discourage harbourage for pests and offer easy access for inspection, reduce the possibility of infestation. A typical example of a well designed structure would be rounded wall to floor and wall to wall junctions that make treatment and cleaning easier. Improvements to a structure can be highly advantageous for control of pests.

Correct proofing and modification of facilities

This involves the actions that deter pests from entering and/or finding harbourage within the facilities. This can be achieved by the provision of physical barriers. For example, cracks and crevices in walls should be filled in, appropriate screens should be placed on vents and windows, drains must be secured against rodents, cockroaches, etc, whilst nets and spikes should be placed to exclude birds. Additionally, the formation of a “clear zone” (from vegetation, objects, etc.) surrounding the facilities, is recommended for prevention against snakes, rodents etc.

Before deciding the necessary proofing, the type and size of possible pest invaders is assessed so the right materials and extent of work, may be determined. For example, if a writing pen passes under a door, then a mouse can as well. However, proofing against mice doesn’t necessarily work for other pests. In the case of rodent pests, the materials that should be used for the proofing of premises and also for storage of goods, must also resist gnawing (e.g. concrete blocks, sheet metal, fine metal mesh, metallic food containers, etc.)

Correct Storage

This depends upon what is stored and where. Pests, particularly rodents, usually prefer confined spaces as habitats where they can find refuge. For example, major problems with storage can be found in warehouses where pallets are stacked against walls. As a principle, storage material, should be stacked correctly with sufficient spacing from the walls, as this will facilitate inspection and discourage the harbourage of pests. In relation to the above, Defon recommends at least 30 to 40cm distance to be left between pallets and wall to floor junctions.