generally found in dry storage areas. These
pests can be identified through their webbing
and holes in food and packaging materials.
They can be kept in check through a tidy
environment, good ventilation, cool and dry
storage areas, and stock rotation.
Ants frequently nest in walls, especially
around heat sources, such as hot-water pipes.
If infestation is suspected, sponges saturated
with syrup should be placed in a number of
locations to serve as bait in determining
where the insecticides should be applied.
Because ants, beetles, and moths can thrive
on very small amounts of food, good house-
keeping and proper storage of food and sup-
plies are essential safeguards against these
pests.
Silverfish and firebrats can reside in
cracks, baseboards, window and doorframes,
and between layers of pipe insulation.
Because these pests thrive in undisturbed
areas, their presence suggests inadequate
and/or infrequent cleaning. Silverfish prefer
a moist environment, e.g., basements and
drains. The firebrat is more likely to be found
in warmer environments, such as around
steam pipes and furnaces.
Insect destruction
Pesticides
Pests should be destroyed without chemi-
cals, if possible, because of the controversy
and potential danger of pesticides. However,
if these techniques are ineffective, it is neces-
sary to use pesticides. To ensure proper and
effective application of pesticides, use of a
professional pest control firm should be con-
sidered. Restricted pesticides should be
applied by a commercial applicator. Even if
an exterminating firm is contracted, supervi-
sory personnel from the food establish-
ment should have a basic knowledge of these
pests, insecticides, and regulations affecting
use of these chemicals.
Residual insecticidesare applied to obtain
insecticidal effects for an extended period of
time. In residual treatment, the chemicals are
normally applied in spots or cracks and
crevices. Some residual insecticides cannot be
legally used in food areas. Therefore, extreme
caution should be taken to avoid contamina-
tion of food, equipment, utensils, supplies,
and other objects that come in contact with
workers. People who use these chemicals
should be familiar with the terms on the
product labels, which describe the types of
authorized applications and potential effects.
Another method of residual application of
insecticides is crack and crevice treatment.
Small amounts of insecticides are applied to
cracks and crevices where insects hide or in
areas where these pests may enter buildings-
for example, expansion joints between the
various elements of construction and
between equipment and floors. Treatment at
these locations is critical because these open-
ings frequently lead to voids, such as hollow
walls or equipment legs and bases. Other
important areas where treatment is essential
are conduits, junction or switch boxes, and
motor housings.
Nonresidual insecticidesare applied for the
control of insects only during the time of
treatment and are applied either as contact
or as space treatments.Contact treatmentis
the application of a liquid spray for an
immediate insecticidal effect.Contactrefers
to actual touching of the pests. This treat-
ment method should be used only when
there is a high probability that the spray will
touch the pests. In space treatment, foggers,
vapor dispensers, or aerosol devices are used
to disperse insecticides into the air. This
technique can control flying insects and
crawling insects in the exposed area. Space
spraying should be done to control the insect
population.