The Bug Out pest management team partnered with a commercial bakery that’s been dealing with chronic German cockroach issues. As the most common pathogen-spreading roach species in the U.S., food processing facilities are highly vulnerable to these pests. At the same time these facilities are extremely inviting to roaches; offering warmth, moisture, and abundant food resources.
Knowing that food manufacturing and processing facilities are an ideal environment for roaches, our priority was to discover the source of the pests and develop a long-term strategy to prevent future outbreaks.
Many German cockroach infestations are found in proximity to exposed food and production areas, significantly raising contamination risks in food production facilities. They primarily enter facilities by catching rides in with employees or on incoming packages and shipments.
Our Inspection Findings
To identify the source of this infestation, our food processing pest management experts began with an inspection of the facility. Our initial inspection traced the source of the German cockroach infestation to the production area, specifically near the proofer ovens, which offer German cockroaches the perfect mix of heat and humidity.
While food processing facilities in general are an ideal environment for roaches, infestations are even more common in areas with regular steam or liquid exposure.
- Our inspectors found German cockroaches heavily concentrated at the base of walls and doors of the walk-in proofer ovens. Since exposed bakery products were moved in and out of these proofers on carts, the presence of cockroaches posed a serious food safety risk due to potential direct contact with the food.
- The inspection also revealed cockroaches around the oven insulation and in the product mixing areas.
- However, no cockroaches were found in the storage areas, and only limited numbers were identified in the packaging area, confirming the infestation was centered around the production and processing equipment.
How Do You Eliminate German Cockroaches in a Commercial Bakery?
To fully locate hidden German cockroach populations and track treatment success, our roach management experts implemented an extensive monitoring program.
- Numbered glue traps, secured in plastic holders to prevent wash-off during cleaning, were mapped and placed throughout the processing floor, packaging areas, employee break rooms, and locker rooms.
- Monitoring employee areas was critical since employees can introduce pests from other locations.
- A key non-chemical strategy for control is harborage removal. While complete food source removal is difficult, eliminating hiding places reduces survival. The first step was having the client seal the bases and doors of the walk-in proofer ovens.
- Insecticide baits and targeted applications were used cautiously to reduce the pest population.
- Insecticides were applied in cracks and crevices around oven walls and insulation that provided deep harborage sites.
- Monitoring, inspection, and treatment efforts revealed cockroaches not only in the ovens but also in the complex walls of the mixing tanks. The tanks had outer stainless steel seals that were compromised, allowing moisture to seep into the insulation layer, creating an ideal environment for cockroaches. After consultation, it was determined that the mixing tank design needed modification to eliminate this significant harborage point.
A Successful Solution to a Common Roach Management Problem
This successful cockroach elimination utilized Integrated Pest Management (IPM), centered on intensive inspection and monitoring to locate all hidden harborage sites, like in the oven and mixer insulation.
Working with the client, equipment modifications were made to both eliminate current issues and prevent future infestations. Chemical-based applications alone would have failed without these changes. Ongoing monitoring and visual inspections remain essential to quickly address any new pest activity.
For more information on how our commercial pest management services can protect your food processing or food manufacturing facility, schedule an on-site visit today.
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