Pests like insects, rodents and birds can contaminate food and spread diseases if not properly controlled. Effective pest control requires maintaining good sanitation practices, using chemical treatments appropriately, and preventing pest entry and breeding. Key pests in catering establishments include houseflies, cockroaches, rats and mice. Controlling these pests involves removing their food and shelter sources, using baits and traps, sealing cracks and openings, and applying approved insecticides in problem areas. Ongoing pest prevention through sanitation is crucial to avoid contamination and legal issues.

1. PEST CONTROLIntroduction
Pests have been a nuisance to mankind from time immemorial. With thee
advancement of science, there is now a better understanding of the various
sanitary practices, chemical treatment and better facilities are available to
enable effective pest control. A vigilant food service worker can play an
important role in protecting food from contamination and wastage and in
maintaining the reputation of the catering establishment. Proper
understanding of why pest control measures are needed is essential.
Created by
PRABAL MUKHERJEE
LECTURER
INDIAN HOTEL ACADEMY
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IMPORTANCE OF PEST CONTROL
1. Contamination : Contamination of foods leading to food poisoning and other serious
diseases in humans, is a major hazard of a pest infestation. This is so because pests
move from dirt to food and transfer harmful microorganisms to it.
2. Legal Requirement : According to Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (1954), If any
food article consists either wholly or in part of any filthy, putrid, rotten, decomposed or
diseased animal or vegetable substance or is insect infested or is otherwise unfit for
human consumption it is deemed to be adulterated. Serving adulterated food is
punishable by law.
3. Wastage and Destruction : Ten percent of the world’s total harvested cereals are
destroyed by rodents and insects, which if saved could feed 260 million people. Rodents
are known to destroy pipes, insulation and cables. Termites and textile pests cause grave
damage to the woodwork and upholstery. Beetles, weevils warehouse moths destroy
commodities, making them unfit for consumption. Rodents contaminate much more food
with their hair and droppings than they actually eat.
4. Reputation : The reputation of any catering establishment depends largely on the
prevailing hygienic conditions. Flies hovering over uncovered food and insect body parts2/22/2019
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3. PEST CONTROL
CLASSIFICATION OF PESTS
Pests commonly found in a catering establishment can be
classified in the following categories:
 Insects which include house flies, fruit flies, firebrats flies,
cockroaches, silverfish, and firebrats and grain insects.
 Rodent which include rats and mice, and animals and birds
which includes cats, dogs, crows, sparrows and pigeons.
 Housefly
The housefly is one of the filthiest pests and is found all over
the world. It has hairy body, three pairs of legs, each having a
pad with glandular hairs. Secretions from these pads enable dirt
and germs to stick to it, which is later transferred to food.,
equipment or any other surface it lands on.
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4. PEST CONTROL
a. Flies cannot chew solid foods so they vomit on food to liquefy it . Then
they suck up the liquid. Vomit contains harmful microbes.
b. While feeding they drop excreta which contains pathogens. Fly specks
include light drops of vomit and dark particles excreta.
c. They have hair on their limbs which helps them carry bacteria from one
place to another.
Flies spread diseases of the intestine, nose and throat. Serious illness like
tuberculosis typhoid, cholera etc. are the results of poor sanitary conditions.
A single fly can carry 280,00,000 bacteria in its alimentary canal and 50,00,000
bacteria on its hairy body and feet.
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The fly has a powerful sense of smell and is attracted to uncovered
garbage, dirty toilets, food wastes, empty food packets, cartons, used single
service items, etc. It breeds close to its source of food in damp, filthy areas.
The fly most active in temperature between 26 to 32 degree centigrade. Flies
are attracted to light and being winged insects, affected by wind currents.
CONTROL MEASURES
1. Environmental sanitation can be achieved by proper disposal of
garbage, decaying food, animal carcasses and other wastes.
2. All food wastes should be held in tightly covered bins and preferably
refrigerated to reduce decay and fly activity. Clean garbage containers
thoroughly.
3. Protective display of food using fly proof cupboards wire gauze covers
etc. should be practised.
4. Adequate fly proofing of doors and windows of kitchens and food service
areas helps prevent their access to food. Self-closing doors and windows
prevents their entry.
5. Air currents and curtains protect the establishment from the entry of
insects and dust. They are mounted outside and above the door. 2/22/2019
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6. PEST CONTROL
Others preventive measures for house fly
 Various insecticidal sprays, aerosols and pallets are
effective in controlling fly populations.
 Poisonous baits and fly trips are a combination of an insect
attracting food like sugar and an insecticide. This bait should
be used outdoor only.
 Fly swatters can be used except food production, storage
and service areas as they are contaminated and spread dead
insects body parts when they are used.
 Insect Light Traps use ultra violate light to attract the flies.
It is set in an electrified grid which immediately kills any
insect flying through it. Dead insects fall in a pan which
should be emptied regularly.
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7. PEST CONTROL
COCKROACHES
The cockroach is another resilient pest known to man. It is
filthy and gives off a foul odour. Cockroaches contaminate
unprotected food, utensils an other surfaces. They travel
from sewers to garbage dumps. En-route, they collect
numerous disease-causing microorganisms on their bodies and
in their stomachs. Uncontrolled cockroach infestations could
spread diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, typhoid fever,
intestinal worms and food poisoning. They prefer to venture
at night as they are sensitive to light. Cockroaches appearing
in day time indicates a heavy build up.
CONTROL MEASURES
1. Persistent efforts at maintaining good sanitary conditions
is the key to cockroach control. Covering dustbins at night,
keeping food service areas free from dirt and food particles
as well as prompt garbage disposal are essential. 2/22/2019
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2. All cracks and crevices should be properly sealed
3. Good lighting and ventilation prove to be a deterrent to
pests favouring dark, damp places to rest and breed.
4. Protect food from contamination by proper storage.
Scrutinising bags and sacks for insect eggs and body parts,
helps check the entry of these pests into the premises.
5. Permitted insecticides should be applied to cracks and
crevices, undersides of tables, cupboards, equipment,
behind sinks and other areas likely to harbour these pests.
6. Cockroach traps should be installed over drains.
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RODENTS
It is mainly the rats and mice belonging to this group that trouble human kind. Equipped with a
pair of sharp, chisel-like teeth, they gnaw into plastic, cardboard and other thin food
containers. Rats re voracious eaters and are known to destroy food grains and standing
crops. They devours egg, attack poultry and their burrowing habits causes structural damage
to buildings.
In India, the roof rat, the sewer rat and the common house mouse cause maximum damage in
homes and establishments. They reproduce very rapidly. A pair of rats, if left unchecked, can
turn into an army of rats.
Rodents are host to many disease causing ectoparasites and endoparasites. The rat flee
found on rodents helps spread the dreaded bubonic plague among the rodent population and
eventually to humans. Various dieses are spread to humans like Typhus fever, Salmonellosis
and Amoebiasis through rodents.
Knowledge of the habits of the rats and mice would render rodent control more effective.
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Rats share food and water and venture longer distances (about 30 meters or 100 ft.)
from their nesting places. They are suspicious of new surroundings, changed floor
plans, rearranged furniture and equipments and new feed articles.
Consequently, a single bait, left undisturbed over a period of time, would suffice to
control a large number of rats. They need to drink water often, thus removal of their
water supply would make the environment less favourable to them.
Mice, however, do not share their food and nests, venture only up to 3-4.5 (10 to 15
feet) from their nests and can do without water for long periods of time. They
constantly nibble at food and are not suspicious of unusual food articles and new
surroundings. Hence many traps are required to be set up. Also doing away with their
water source will not necessarily control the mice menace.
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Rodent infestation can be detected by:
 Odours which emanate from their urine.
 Marks left behind from gnawing and their claws. Their presence can also be ascertained by
their foot marks inn split flour, dust etc.
 Sounds they make while eating and scurrying about. Their presence during the day is a sign
of a heavy infestation, as they are otherwise sensitive too light and prefer to come out in
the dark.
 The runaway marks they make from their breeding places to the source of food and water.
These pathways are dark and greasy due to the grease found on the rodents’ body. Finding
these trails helps in placing baits and traps near the breeding places.
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 Excrement in the form of droppings are a sure sign of their presence. In fact, the
size of the droppings helps to determine a rat or a mice infestation.
 The rat stool is larger (20 mm or ¾ inch) than the mouse stool(6 mm or ¼ inch).
Fresh shiny stools confirm their presence in the establishment.
 Burrows which are seen in places surrounding the building, like fences, spaces in
the foundation and pathways, also indicate their presence.
 The presence of rodent carcasses is an indication of a pprebvailing rodent menace.
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CONTROL MEASURES
Effective rodent-control is possible only if the food handler is made aware of
all the steps involved and the sequence in which prevention and elimination
should be carried out.
Rodents are intelligent, agile and can easily adapt to a changed environment.
The rate at which they breed can prove to be economically damaging to any
catering establishment. Besides, the fact that they carry and transmit many
serious diseases, makes rodent control and elimination all the more essential.
For this active cooperation of all food service personnel and, if necessary, even
assistance from pest control agencies is required.
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PREVENTING RODENT INFESTATION
1.Deny Entry: Rodents gain entry through open drains, doors, windows, ventilators, openings,
around water pipes, sewers, by burrowing around weak construction points and faults in the
foundation. Good planning, designing and engineering at the time of construction tight fitting,
drains are fitted with wire mashes, spaces around pipes, at points where they penetrate the wall
of buildings, are closed with concrete to burrowing.
2. Deny Breeding Space: Store rooms and kitchens provide perfect sanctuaries for rats and
mice. Rodent’s preferences for dark, dirty, undisturbed places would imply that ample lighting,
good housekeeping and high standards of tidiness could get of their breeding areas. Here
again, good building designs, properly installed fixtures and fittings and placement of bins and
equipments above ground level to facilitate cleaning would ensure effective control. Keeping the
surroundings clear of unwanted foliage and unwanted material together with protected
garbage and its prompt disposal, will deny rats places to rest and multiply.
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3. Making The Environment Less Attractive To Rodents: This can
be achieved by protecting the food supply using wire meshing and
by keeping sacks of flour off the floor and away from the wall.
Floors and work surfaces should be properly cleaned to remove,
dust, scraps of food, crumbs and wastewater, in order to cut off the
food and water supply to rodents. Locating, destroying and sealing
burrows with cement and wire meshes will also help.
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Killing the rodents
Destruction of rats and mice is brought about by trapping and
Poisoning them. Trapping rodents seems preferable to poisoning
them as poisoned rodents return to their nesting places to die.
The decaying carcasses give off a foul odour and also attract other
Pests and germs. Immediate disposal of these dead rats is essential.
1. Trapping : Using traps is an effective method of eliminating a rat
Population. Using a number of traps, locating their runways and
Placing two traps in opposing and at an angle of 90 degree to the
Wall to catch them moving to and from their nests ensures the
Trapping of maximum number of pests.

17. PEST CONTROL
Various types of traps available are:
a. The snap type or break type trap in which only one
rat can be caught at a time.
b. Glue traps, the rat sticker or adhesive pad where
rodents get stuck and entangled.
The latest innovation in trapping rats and mice and
other insects and reptiles is the non-poisonous, non-
hazardous and environment friendly glue traps and
boards. These trays that contain a non-dry glue is
secured to the floor. The glue instantly catches the
rodents, reptiles and roaches once they make contact
with the glue. This is a clean and environment friendly
way of trapping pests.
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Glue may also be applied on strips and ribbons to catch flying
insects.
c. The cage which traps a number of rodent alive.
After the trap is set, the baits are used to draw rats and mice to
these traps should be inspected from time to time. Old, dried or
rotting bait is to be replaced. Once the rodents are caught and
killed, they should be promptly disposed off, preferably along with
the trap. This step minimises handling.
The most effective bait can be determined by trial and error. Solid
foods like vegetables, fruits, bread, pakoras, burnt coconuts, fish
heads and dough are found to be useful baits.
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2. Poisoning : after ascertaining the rodents food ;preferences by pre-baiting, prepared baits
should be placed along walls I n runways. Depending on the how severe the infestation is, a
number of baits should be used at regular intervals. Covering these bait stations with metal or
cardboard covers prevents them from getting accidentally mixed up with food and also gives
a sense of security to the suspicious rodents. Once the baits are in place, all other sources of
food and water should be inaccessible to these pests. Using gloves while handling these baits
and thorough washing of hands after the operation should not be neglected.
3. Other methods : Besides trapping and poisoning, ultrasound devices too are used to keep
rats away from the premises.
Fumigation is another method of extermination. It is used to kill them in their burrows and in
warehouses where food articles are not likely to be stored. Chemosterilants help to keep
down the raat population. These act by sterilising the rats so that they can not breed.
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