A Masa technician at the work site.
A pesky problem in material handling
Preventing pest infestation during material handling can be challenging, and requires a rigorous management plan from the entry to exit of materials to warehouses, says MIRZA WAQAR AHMAD*.
01 December 2017
Rodents are a live challenge to businesses when they find their way into premises through transport channels and materials handling. Proper material handling entails good packaging to safeguard the material until it reaches the consumer. Poor packing, as well as improper transportation, storage and handling can lead to serious pest invasion.
Gnawing marks observed in manufacturing facilities, distribution warehouses, transportation and trade outlets are tell-tale signs that indicate the construction materials and panels in such facilities have been exposed to rodent penetration.
Rodents can damage the outer packaging of goods causing them to deteriorate as well as destroy a number of materials in order to overcome obstacles in their way. Apart from packaging, this includes lead water pipes, mouldings, and cables. They can spoil the construction materials and packaging by their feeding and gnawing habits, or by leaving behind fecal droppings and bad odour.
A selection of treatments and substitutes are available to minimise the risk of these invasive pests in packing materials, including fumigation, heat treatments, vacuum treatments, and alternate packaging materials.
Masa recommends that every material handling plant should have an established policy and procedure to respond to any hint of an infestation rather than to wait until a problem occurs. This policy should include the separation of potentially damaged packing, detailed inspection, instant participation of the relevant management authorities, and identification of the source of infestation.
If an infestation is noticed in arriving materials, it is very critical to keep the product away from the facility – it may be kept in the transport vehicle until a thorough inspection is done, returned to the sender or accepted and fumigated to eradicate the pest problem.
According to Masa, the best pest management strategies for protecting against rodents in material handling comprise:
• Prevention: The primary step here is regular and thorough inspection of incoming products and supplies through standard operating procedures using a strong flashlight and by sampling. The products need to be protected from further damage. All spills need to be cleaned up instantly, broken packages removed at the spot, and proper sanitation techniques used. Further, all openings through which rodents can enter the warehouse should be covered or plugged with rat-resistant resources such as metal hardware cloth or steel wool. All doors should be closed when not in use and unnecessary openings covered with concrete or sheet metal. Construction materials such as concrete may also be used to prevent rodents from burrowing under foundations.
• Detection: Glue-based monitoring stations that can detect the presence of rodents inside the facility can be placed along the walls and under the appliances or equipment to trap rodents. Apart from actually seeing the rodents attacking packaging, visual signs of an invasion may include the droppings and urine, gnawed objects or out of shape packaging and burrows. A musty smell from stored materials may also be caused by rodent infestation.
• Control: Control measures are critical and include a comprehensive trapping programme by using mechanical devices or electrical traps inside the facility and by using strategic planned rodenticide or installing rat baits in labelled tamper-resistant bait stations outside the facility. In addition, storage warehouses should be included in the regular maintenance and sanitation schedules and all dead or trapped rodents should be properly discarded.
• Door keeping: After proper prevention, detection and control strategies, a continuous monitoring and “door keeping” helps in evaluating the efficacy of the programme and reducing the potential for infestation. This step includes using different kinds of traps, detailed periodic inspections, risk assessments, and using a pest sighting logbook with facility diagrams for mapping areas of risk or suspected infestation.
According to standard guidelines by the National Pest Management Association, US, rodent bait stations or multiple catch traps should be installed every 6 to 9 m and 3 to 7 m along the outside and inside perimeter walls respectively. Also, one rodent bait station should be installed on each side of every door of the structure.
Furthermore, all members and workers in the material handling facility should undergo annual training in modern pest prevention and integrated pest management (IPM) techniques. This can be performed by a competent pest control company, like Masa, having a proven track record in the field.
Masa Establishment, which has been working in Saudi Arabia since 1980 under the leadership of Mousaied S Alshieshakly, focuses on providing quality IPM training programmes for various material handling facilities of its clients throughout the kingdom. n
• Mirza Waqar Ahmad is an entomologist at Masa Establishment, which is based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
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