Pest Patrol for Fruit and Vegetable Growers

by Shari L. Plimpton, Ph.D.
April 2005

Rats, flies and other vermin. Centuries ago rats struck fear into the hearts of mankind because contact with them could lead to death. Well, we’re past the medieval scourge of the Black Death aren’t we? Flies are only a nuisance in this day and age, aren’t they? Dear, geese, ducks … isn’t the only real concern for a grower the potential crop losses to these pests? Simply put: no. You don’t have to look any farther than the nearest newspaper or web news page to see stories about the bird flu and the latest petting zoo outbreak to realize that vermin, insects, fowl, and animals, all still have the potential to carry microorganisms that can lead to human illness. Time and again, wild animals including rodents and insects have been documented to carry E. coli 0157:H7 and other human pathogens.

Three words sum up the approach to reducing your risk of contamination from pests, large and small: restriction, exclusion, and trash/garbage management. Starting with the field, the best practice as defined by the Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) program is to restrict access as much as reasonably possible. Using fences and other active deterrents were practical will help you minimize your risk. Remember that our goal is always minimizing risk, not eliminating it.

Also, consider the water you are using for irrigation and spraying. If it’s an open surface, restrict access by geese and other water fowl as much as possible. Also test the reservoir quarterly and consider some form of water treatment if you detect fecal coliforms or E. coli.

In the packing facility, pest control is that much more important since this is the often the last place produce is handled before reaching the consumer. Start outside and remove trash and/or culling piles from the building’s perimeter. As far as rodents and insects are concerned, junk equipment and garbage piles are the best motels and fast food the country has to offer (outside of New York City). Effective trash and garbage management will minimize the potential for attracting the pests that can cause you the most trouble.

In the packing shed is where you can successfully practice exclusion. You are ahead of the game if you can minimize openings in the walls, floor and ceilings of you packing shed and use screening and doors. Regardless of how open your shed is, you can reduce the presence of rodents in and around your facility by using traps located on either side inside and outside doorways, including garage doors. Rodents like to move close to the wall along the floor and readily enter baited stations located tightly against the wall approximately every 20 feet within the building.

Poison is not needed to capture and remove rodents and creates an unnecessary risk. If you undergo a third party audit, most auditors would significantly reduce your score and some would consider an automatic failure if they found poison inside the packing shed, even if it’s within the bait station. Be sure to number and map your bait stations so you can keep track of them and more easily record when you monitor them, especially if you expect to undergo third party auditing.

Insect traps are only needed if you have a consistent, significant bug problem. If you do use something like zappers or pheromone traps, remember that they work because they attract the insects. Place them away from where the produce is held prior to entering the packing house and away from the packing line so the insects are drawn away from those areas. Also, check and clean them out frequently, so they don’t become a potential source of contamination.

Consultation for GAPs, developing food safety programs, and passing third party audits is available through CIFT. You can reach us by calling Shari L. Plimpton at 614-314-4627 or emailing us at foodsafety@eisc.org.

Good Agricultural Practices Articles...

• ABCs of GAPs

• Cleanliness is Next to Food Safety

• The Distant Sound of Drumming

• The Efficient Use of Chlorine and Other Sanitizers in Postharvest Fruit and Vegetable Operations

• The Elements of Produce Food Safety Programs

• GAPs in Organics: Fresh Produce Safety from Pre-planting through Production

• Handling Your Food Safety Risks

• Its Not All in the Bag

• Passing a Third Party Food Safety Audit

• Pest Patrol for Fruit and Vegetable Growers

• Planning for Prevention: Fresh Produce Safety from Pre-planting through Production

• So, Just How Clean is Your Water

• Sustaining Healthy Soil

• The Value of a Food Safety Plan

• Water, Water Everywhere

• Worker Hygiene Keeps Produce Clean