Top 6 Prime Points for Pest Entry in Your Facility

It’s not always immediately obvious how pests make their way into your facility. Driven by a search for the basics of survival, pests are pretty resourceful about finding what they need. Fortunately for them, Mother Nature equipped them wings, flexible skeletons and flat bodies that make it easy to fly, squeeze and slide right into your building. To overcome these advantages, you need to know where common entry points are.

Every facility is different in size, layout and surrounding geography, creating different pest pressure for each one (for more information about these conditions, download Making the (Food) Grade.) With vast square footage, it can be easy to overlook the finer points of pest access. But, keeping a close eye on these potential threats can protect your product from stealthy pests:

• Windows and doors: Pests can fly or crawl through open doors and windows. And if your facility doesn’t have positive airflow, it can make it all the easier for them to be drawn inside.

• Roof: Often overlooked, roofs are a common entry point for both birds and roof rats.

• Floor drains: Sewers are like a freeway system for cockroaches, and drains grant them open access into your building.

• Dock plates: Dock plates are a favorite hideaway of pests, as there are often gaps surrounding dock plates that are built into the floor.

• Ventilation intakes: Bird’s the word, and ventilation intakes are a favorite for perching, roosting and nesting.

• Incoming/outgoing shipments: Shipments are an essential element of business. But the same ways you get goods into your facility are ways pests can enter.

Remember, prevention is this best defense against pests. While the goal is to keep your facility free from every pest, it’s highly unlikely. Preparedness and proper communication between all parties is key to keeping pests away.

For information on keeping pets away from these common entry points, download Making the (Food) Grade.