Frequency of pest control supplier visits

We are being told that our weekly visits from our pest control supplier are too frequent and in consequence we are paying too much for nothing.

The suggestion was made to schedule a visit every 2 weeks.

What are you folks doing as far as frequency goes?

Thanks,

Tamale 

Frequency of visits is acessed by the products you make or store

hi Tamale ,

The topic is very wide ,

The answer may be yes , may be no !

it depends on the vulnerability assessment , location , targeted pests 

generally as per most of the guidelines the normal frequency is monthly as there is no threats  , could be increase to bi weekly .

for Flies it is recommended for hot locations to monitor the fly traps weekly.

My suggestion is :

• Make a vulnerability assessment taking in consideration the location , expected pests , risk ,................etc
• Review the trend analysis for the last period taking in consideration the variations during the seasons .
• if it is OK , you can decrease the frequency to monthly basis by your supplier and one of your trained team will perform a monitoring check after two weeks of their visit , so you are know perform by weekly inspection and monthly treatment.

the following guide may help you to decide what is the suitable way for you :

http://www.npmatesti...andards2012.pdf

best regards ,

Ehab

We are being told that our weekly visits from our pest control supplier are too frequent and in consequence we are paying too much for nothing.

 

The suggestion was made to schedule a visit every 2 weeks.

 

What are you folks doing as far as frequency goes?

 

Thanks,

 

Tamale 

Hi Tamale,

Is this for any particular FS Standard ?

hi Tamale ,

The topic is very wide ,

The answer may be yes , may be no !

it depends on the vulnerability assessment , location , targeted pests 

generally as per most of the guidelines the normal frequency is monthly as there is no threats  , could be increase to bi weekly .

for Flies it is recommended for hot locations to monitor the fly traps weekly.

My suggestion is :

• Make a vulnerability assessment taking in consideration the location , expected pests , risk ,................etc
• Review the trend analysis for the last period taking in consideration the variations during the seasons .
• if it is OK , you can decrease the frequency to monthly basis by your supplier and one of your trained team will perform a monitoring check after two weeks of their visit , so you are know perform by weekly inspection and monthly treatment.

the following guide may help you to decide what is the suitable way for you :

http://www.npmatesti...andards2012.pdf

 

best regards ,

Ehab

Hi Tamale,

I agree with Ehab. As far as I know, you can risk assess the frequency of pest control visits, unless your certifying body or customers require you to maintain a specific frequency. We have regular pest control visits twice a month. We have other pest control requirements as given to us by some customers. We have a lot of nooks and crannies so we need a more frequent inspection. In summary, it really depends on your trend data and site layout.

QAGB

agree with Ehab. We have a trend analysis and even through our Pest Control Provider comes in every week, according to our analysis it's not enough:( damn those fruit flies

Hi Tamale,

 

Is this for any particular FS Standard ?

Charles,

We are certified AIB and FDA/IMS

hi Tamale ,

The topic is very wide ,

The answer may be yes , may be no !

it depends on the vulnerability assessment , location , targeted pests 

generally as per most of the guidelines the normal frequency is monthly as there is no threats  , could be increase to bi weekly .

for Flies it is recommended for hot locations to monitor the fly traps weekly.

My suggestion is :

• Make a vulnerability assessment taking in consideration the location , expected pests , risk ,................etc
• Review the trend analysis for the last period taking in consideration the variations during the seasons .
• if it is OK , you can decrease the frequency to monthly basis by your supplier and one of your trained team will perform a monitoring check after two weeks of their visit , so you are know perform by weekly inspection and monthly treatment.

the following guide may help you to decide what is the suitable way for you :

http://www.npmatesti...andards2012.pdf

 

best regards ,

Ehab

Thank you for the information Ehab, this will be very usefull!

Tamale

The NPMA guide is a great tool, good inclusion Ehab. I would counter your comment about monthly visits, in North America, the "normal" tends to be weekly. 

Tamale, it comes down to it being your plant, and your money, and as with everything, you should be seeking to get best value. As mentioned earlier, a professional (that meaning someone qualified to assess a food processing facility for the potential risks of pest activity given the geography, environment, product and facility itself) should provide their best plan based on the assessment. The main intent, needs to be pest exclusion, which is sometimes forgotten. If the exclusion practices are sound, then the failure indicators (think traps) will identify a potential weakness. 

Like any other risk analysis....

Risk assessment = initial assessment

Monitoring = traps and site visits

Non-conformity = evidence of internal activity (the thresholds may differ by industry) or product at risk

Correction = how to react to a problem indicator

Corrective action = generally responding to technician visit recommendations

Re-assessment - the annual (or when necessary) review of the trends and previous risk assessment. 

John

Hi

Please share the format for risk assessment to decide the frequency for pest control visits.

thanks

Digvijay