Jun 25, 2011 – Bakeries – Not So Special
QUESTION:
How can we control mice and roaches in a bakery without dusting or using bait? The owner thinks it is not permitted in Pennsylvania. Can you clarify for me? The place is in a dire situation. Thank you.
ANSWER:
Let's begin with whether or not baits and dust insecticides are legal for use in bakeries in PA. Yes they are. I really doubt that any state in the U.S. generally disallows the use of these formulations in any kind of food manufacturing facility, but this is always something you can take up with your local regulatory inspectors if you have any question. Baits in particular are such low-impact formulations that they should be preferred over other kinds of more general applications, such as spraying or fogging. If we look for products specifically labeled for use in bakeries we find dusts such as DeltaDust, Drione, Pyganic Dust, Tempo Dust, and Tri-Die. Most roach baits are very generally labeled for use in food handling facilities, but some specifically mentioning bakeries on their labels include Maxforce FC Magnum and MRF-2000, but I certainly would not limit my use to just these two when others would legally be allowed as well.
Baiting continues to be an excellent option in German roach control, but other formulations (sprays and dusts) would also be good for the overall control effort if you are allowed to use them. Dusts, of course, should be strictly confined to enclosed voids to keep them from having any opportunity to get out and onto exposed surfaces. If you still are concerned then you might restrict your dusts to inorganic materials such as diatomaceous earth or silica gel. Placed properly these active ingredients will last for as long as they stay dry. Baits such as gel baits also can be applied so there is no chance for contamination of foods or food surfaces, and for best results on German roaches the gel should be applied as Pea-sized spots directly within crevices and gaps that the roaches may hide in. Apparently they prefer to feed in seclusion rather than out and exposed.
There also are a great many contact insecticides specifically labeled for bakeries, in either aerosol or liquid concentrate formulations, and these have their place in the overall program. "Spraying" for roaches provides you with the ability to get that quick knockdown of much of the population as well as leaving an effective residual in the roach harborage points for a few more weeks. Also consider non-chemical options such as steam or vacuuming, and if the situation is as dire as you suggest the vacuum could be a fabulous tool for instant removal of a large part of the roach population.
Very important too, and I hope your customer will cooperate in this effort, would be the evaluation of this account to see just why they have this bad of a cockroach problem. Sanitation and harborage removal are extremely important parts of this overall IPM effort, and if we rely totally on insecticides tor resolve the problem we will be dependent upon them forever. If this is large commercial bakery there may be a lot of food dust around that is nearly impossible to eliminate. In a smaller bakery you may be able to identify many food resources that simply do not need to be there. I suggest you make a thorough Sanitation Inspection and provide your findings in writing to your customer. On this form you list the "contributing conditions" that you find - food, water, and harborage resources that the roaches are using for their survival in this building. Without a doubt many of these can be eliminated, and each one you fix means the environment there can support less roaches. It is imperative that our industry lead the way in promoting the non-chemical aspects of pest management.
With respect to the use of rodent baits in a bakery, it is likely that they could "legally" be used, but the use of rodent baits indoors will always pose the potential for problems. You cannot control where the dying rodent chooses to go to die, and if this is in an inaccessible location you will quickly get foul odors and blow flies breeding, and this becomes another problem to control. I suggest a better option is to throw a major number of traps at these mice - snap traps and glue traps within stations where necessary - and check the traps frequently to remove captured rodents. At the same time it is imperative that you determine how the mice are entering the structure and close these openings permanently. If you do nothing to stop the inflow of mice then you will fight an endless battle on the inside where the problem is more critical.
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
How can we control mice and roaches in a bakery without dusting or using bait? The owner thinks it is not permitted in Pennsylvania. Can you clarify for me? The place is in a dire situation. Thank you.
ANSWER:
Let's begin with whether or not baits and dust insecticides are legal for use in bakeries in PA. Yes they are. I really doubt that any state in the U.S. generally disallows the use of these formulations in any kind of food manufacturing facility, but this is always something you can take up with your local regulatory inspectors if you have any question. Baits in particular are such low-impact formulations that they should be preferred over other kinds of more general applications, such as spraying or fogging. If we look for products specifically labeled for use in bakeries we find dusts such as DeltaDust, Drione, Pyganic Dust, Tempo Dust, and Tri-Die. Most roach baits are very generally labeled for use in food handling facilities, but some specifically mentioning bakeries on their labels include Maxforce FC Magnum and MRF-2000, but I certainly would not limit my use to just these two when others would legally be allowed as well.
Baiting continues to be an excellent option in German roach control, but other formulations (sprays and dusts) would also be good for the overall control effort if you are allowed to use them. Dusts, of course, should be strictly confined to enclosed voids to keep them from having any opportunity to get out and onto exposed surfaces. If you still are concerned then you might restrict your dusts to inorganic materials such as diatomaceous earth or silica gel. Placed properly these active ingredients will last for as long as they stay dry. Baits such as gel baits also can be applied so there is no chance for contamination of foods or food surfaces, and for best results on German roaches the gel should be applied as Pea-sized spots directly within crevices and gaps that the roaches may hide in. Apparently they prefer to feed in seclusion rather than out and exposed.
There also are a great many contact insecticides specifically labeled for bakeries, in either aerosol or liquid concentrate formulations, and these have their place in the overall program. "Spraying" for roaches provides you with the ability to get that quick knockdown of much of the population as well as leaving an effective residual in the roach harborage points for a few more weeks. Also consider non-chemical options such as steam or vacuuming, and if the situation is as dire as you suggest the vacuum could be a fabulous tool for instant removal of a large part of the roach population.
Very important too, and I hope your customer will cooperate in this effort, would be the evaluation of this account to see just why they have this bad of a cockroach problem. Sanitation and harborage removal are extremely important parts of this overall IPM effort, and if we rely totally on insecticides tor resolve the problem we will be dependent upon them forever. If this is large commercial bakery there may be a lot of food dust around that is nearly impossible to eliminate. In a smaller bakery you may be able to identify many food resources that simply do not need to be there. I suggest you make a thorough Sanitation Inspection and provide your findings in writing to your customer. On this form you list the "contributing conditions" that you find - food, water, and harborage resources that the roaches are using for their survival in this building. Without a doubt many of these can be eliminated, and each one you fix means the environment there can support less roaches. It is imperative that our industry lead the way in promoting the non-chemical aspects of pest management.
With respect to the use of rodent baits in a bakery, it is likely that they could "legally" be used, but the use of rodent baits indoors will always pose the potential for problems. You cannot control where the dying rodent chooses to go to die, and if this is in an inaccessible location you will quickly get foul odors and blow flies breeding, and this becomes another problem to control. I suggest a better option is to throw a major number of traps at these mice - snap traps and glue traps within stations where necessary - and check the traps frequently to remove captured rodents. At the same time it is imperative that you determine how the mice are entering the structure and close these openings permanently. If you do nothing to stop the inflow of mice then you will fight an endless battle on the inside where the problem is more critical.
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
