Checklist: Working the Bugs Out of the Supply Chain

As the orchestrator of how goods get from point A to point B, the logistics industry faces unique challenges coordinating inbound and outbound materials from dozens of different sources. All of those sources can be a source of supply chain hitchhikers. Because large inventories are often stored together and may come from multiple warehouses or distribution centers, pest pressure runs high in this link of the supply chain.

Nonetheless, preparedness must remain top of mind. To do that, become a partner in pest control helping prevent and identify problems rather than taking a passive role. While you’re likely already playing a role in pest control at your own warehouses and within your transportation vehicles, what’s your visibility into the pest control programs surrounding you in the supply chain?

The steps below will set you up to have reliable partners in pest control at every step – and to be one yourself. For the full check list, check out Working the Bugs Out: Your Guide to Supply Chain Logistics Pest Management.

Check with Your Suppliers

• Confirm that your suppliers’ pest management protocols are consistent with, or even more stringent than, your own. Similar pest prevention efforts can help minimize the chances of pests putting a kink in the supply chain.

Check Your Shipments

• Inspect all delivery trucks. This will help ensure that pests do not hitchhike their way into your incoming or outgoing shipments.
• Remove incoming shipments from their original containers and store items above the floor for more secure storage.

Check with Your Distribution Network

• Determine the key checkpoints where distributors have prevention and inspection protocols in place to ensure that products arrive at their final destination pest-free.

By taking a proactive approach to, you’ll be one step closer to preventing a pest problem. Work with your pest management provider to create a customized plan for your facility, train staff involved in the shipping and receiving process and develop a plan for vetting shippers and other vendors. For information how to protect yourself across the supply chain, download Working the Bugs Out: Your Guide to Supply Chain Pest Management.

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