Stepstoaddresspestsinworkerhousing:1.Communication!Workersmaynotunderstandthecauseofpestproblemsortheirroleinresolvingthem.Startwithcommunicationtoclearlydefineroles.Thismayrequirefarmmanagerstocreateadetailedcleaningschedulewithtasksforeachworker.2. Sanitation.Thisreferstotheeliminationofwatersources,cleaningupfoodspillage,makingsurethatrefuseisnoteasily

accessibletopests,andispromptlyremoved.Provideeducationandtoolsforpropercleaning,andbuildcleaningtimeintoworkerschedules.Sanitationorhousekeepingispestmanagement.

3. Exclusion.Helpkeeppestsoutofthestructurebysealingopeningsthatleadindoors.Ourwebsiteonpestexclusionhasresourcestohelpyouidentifyentrypointsandselecttherightmaterialstoperformthework.https://nysipm.cornell.edu/community/homes-and-other-buildings/scientific-coalition-pest-exclusion/

4. PestManagement.Ifpestinfestationsarefound,gainingcontrolofthepopulationmayrequiretheassistanceofapestmanagementprofessionalthathasaccesstospecializedbaitsandtrainingonwhere/howtoutilizethem.Trapsareavailabletocapturebothrodentsandroaches.

Resources:What’sBuggingYou? isaseriesofwebpagesthatprovideinformationaboutpestsandhowtomanagethem,includinglinkstofactsheets.https://nysipm.cornell.edu/whats-bugging-you/

BestPracticesforAddressingtheChallengesandConsequencesofPestsinWorkerHousing

MattFrye– mjf267@cornell.edu - @MateoFryeNewYorkStateIPMProgramatCornellUniversity

Humanenvironmentsofferfood,water,warmthandshelterthatareattractiveto- andsustainpestpopulations.Workerhousingmaybeparticularlysusceptibletopestproblemsduetoalackofunderstandingaboutpestbiology,alackofcommunicationaboutcleaningresponsibilities,alackoftimeandresourcestoimplementeffectivecleaning,or‘inheriting’housingwithexistingsanitationandpestproblems.Cockroachandrodentpestsareconsideredsanitationpestsbecausetheyfeedprimarilyonfoodspillageandrefuse,butcancontaminatepackageditemstoo(especiallyrodents).

www.nysipm.cornell.edu

Pestinfestationscanhavehealthandeconomicconsequencesinhousing.Rodentsaredestructivepeststhatcanchewthroughavarietyofmaterials.Infact,itisestimatedthat25%ofbuildingZiresofunknownoriginarecausedbyrodentschewingonwiresinwalls.Ratburrowinginthesoilcancausebuildingsabovetoshift,affectingtheintegrityofstructures.Importantly,fecesofcockroachesandrodentscancauseandsustainallergicreactionsandasthmainpeople.Thiscanaffectworkerperformanceandattitudesregardingjobsafetyandsatisfaction.Rodents,includingmiceandrats,arereservoirsofhumanpathogensthatcanleadtoillnessandevendeathfollowingexposure.Finally,pestpopulationsatworkerhousingcanspreadtootherbuildingsandcausedamagetocrops.

! "

UninvitedHitchhikers:WhatyouNeedtoKnowaboutBedBugstoHelpEliminateThem

MattFrye– mjf267@cornell.edu - @MateoFrye

NewYorkStateIPMProgramatCornellUniversity

www.nysipm.cornell.edu

Bedbugsaresociallytransmittedinsectsthataremovedonbelongings(rarelyonpeople)fromonesitetoanother.Thiscanincludeluggage,butalsofurnitureandpackages.Itmaytakeweekstomonthsforintroducedbugstobecomeaninfestation,providinganopportunityforintervention.Inthecaseofbedbugs,preventioniseasierandlesscostlythaneliminationofanestablishedinfestation.

Learntorecognizebedbugsandtheevidencetheyleavebehind.Notethatallstagesofbedbugsarevisible,withthesmallestnymphstagemeasuringaboutthesizeofapoppyseed.Fecalstains,smallblackspecks(processedblood)nearcracksandcrevicesonfurnitureandbedding,areoneofthefirstindicatorsthatbedbugsarepresent.Shedexoskeletonsandlivebugsmayalsobeobservedandaccompanycomplaintsofbites.Keepinmindthatworkersmaynotcomplainaboutbugsforfearofretaliationornegativestigma.

Pitfalltrapsaremonitors thatcanbeusedunderbedsandotherfurniture(legsgointocenterofdevice),orplacedthroughoutthelivingspace.Bedbugscrawlintotheouterwell,getstuckbecausetheycannotclimbupthesmoothsurfaceandsubsequentlydie.Differenttrapstypesareavailable,andacomparisoncanbefoundinHowtoGetBedBugsOutofYourBelongings referencedbelow.Pitfalltrapsareidealforearlydetection,andcanbeusedtoreducebedbugnumbers.Trapscanalsoletyouknowifaproblemwaseliminatedafteratreatmentwascompleted.

Bedbugsandotherinsectsareextremelysusceptibletodryheat.Farmmanagersmaychoosetotreatworkeritemsduringonboardingtokillpeststhatmayhavetraveledwiththem.Temperaturesmustreach122Ftobeimmediatelylethaltoallstagesofbedbugs.Duetoconcernsaboutdryingtimeandtemperatures,itisrecommendedthatdryitemsbeplacedinthedryerfor20minutesonhighheat[note– notallitemscanbetreatedwithheat,sofollowcleaninglabeldetails].

Seetheresourcesbelowfordetailedmanagementinformation.Resources:§ What’sBuggingYou?BedBugs:h"ps://nysipm.cornell.edu/whats-bugging-you/bed-bugs/§ BedBugFrequentlyAskedQuestions:https://bit.ly/2FkwnEQ§ HowtoGetBedBugsOutofYourBelongings:https://hdl.handle.net/1813/55760§ BedBugsIllustrated(alsoavailableinSpanish):https://bit.ly/2uevf37§ BedBugsareBack!AnIPMAnswer:https://hdl.handle.net/1813/43824

UnderstandingPestManagementRegulationsinPackingHouses

MattFrye– mjf267@cornell.edu - @MateoFryeNewYorkStateIPMProgramatCornellUniversity

www.nysipm.cornell.edu

Resources:§ FDAWebsite:https://www.fda.gov/food/guidance-regulation-food-and-dietary-supplements/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma

TheFoodSafetyModernizationAct(FSMA)of2011isanattempttoproactivelyprevent food-borneillnessintheUnitedStates.Thisactwassignedintolawwiththerecognitionthatfood-borneillnessisamajorrisktotheUSeconomyandthehealthofits’citizensbasedonrecentfoodrecalls.Afoundationalrulethatappliestoallfacilitiesandpestmanagementprogramsisthe“PreventativeControlsforHumanFood.”

ThisrulesetsexplicitexpectationsfortheidentiXicationandmitigationsofrisksthatcouldleadtotheadulterationoffoodandsubsequentfood-borneillness.Pests,suchasrodents,cockroachesandXliesthatcontaminatefooditemsareariskthatwouldrequireawrittenplanunderthenewlaw.Compliancedatesformostfoodfacilitiesbeganin2017to2018,andprogramsincludethesethreemaincomponents:

UpdatestoCurrentGoodManufacturingPractices

HazardAnalysis

Risk-BasedPreventativeControls

§ Educationandtrainingarerequiredforemployeesinvolvedinmanufacturing,processing,packingorholdingfoodtoensurethatitisclean,safe,andallergen-free.

§ Thismustbeapartofthefoodsafetyplanandconsideranyandallpossiblebiological,chemicalorphysicalhazardstofooditems.Identifiedhazardsmustbeaddressedbyapreventativecontrolmeasure– describedinawrittenplan.

§ Sitesareabletodevisetheirownpreventativecontrolsthataddresshazards.PlancomponentsaredescribedbyFDAandpreventativecontrolsmustbeimplementedaswrittentoreducerisks.

Ratdroppingsandproduce

Fooddistributioncenter

Science-BasedRodentManagementMattFrye– mjf267@cornell.edu - @MateoFrye

NewYorkStateIPMProgramatCornellUniversity

www.nysipm.cornell.eduResources: 2018RodentResearchandEducationReport:https://hdl.handle.net/1813/64556

Manyrodentmanagementprogramsatfooddistributioncentersadheretoa“threelinesofdefense”strategy.Rodentbaitstationsareplacedalongfencerowsat50to100footintervals(aslongasthefenceiswithin100feetofthebuilding,aspertherodenticidelabelinstructions).Thesecondlineofdefensearesimilarly-spacedbaitstationsalongtheoutsideperimeterofthefacility,andthethirdlineofdefensearemulti-catchtrapsontheinteriorperimeter.Despiteitsubiquitoususeandadoptionbythirdpartyauditingagencies,thereisnoresearchevaluatingtheefficacyofthisapproach.Therefore,aresearchprojecttoexaminerodentmanagementprogramsatfooddistributioncenterswasundertaken.Thestudytookplaceat12sites,7intheMetropolitanNYareaand5inToronto,Canada.Ateachsite,everyexteriorbaitstationandinteriormulti-catchtrapwasinspected,andconditionsconducivetorodentpopulationswererecorded.Characteristicsofdevicesweregroupedintocategories,andcomparedtomonthlyfeedingforexteriorbaitstations,andmonthlytrapcaptureforinteriormulti-catchtraps.Somekeyresults:

Exterior:§ MonthlyfeedingwashigherfordevicesnearShelter(unmanagedvegetation)andnearhigherTemperatures(ontheWestsideofthefacility).

§ 93.8%ofdeviceswerenearanaccesspoint.§ 100%ofdeviceshadsomeleveloffeedingoverthemulti-yearstudy.But,72.9%offeedingobservationswereminimalfeeding(lessthanoneedgeofbait).

Interior:§ MonthlytrapcapturewashighernearCorners,Edges,nearhigherTemperatures(mechanicalrooms,SouthandWest-facingwalls) andPestProo7ing (nearrodentproofdoorandconcretewalls).

§ 45.2%oftrapscaughtamouse;29.7%oftrapscaughtmorethanonemouseovertime.

ExteriorBaitStation

Interiormulti-catch

traps

Recommendations: Exterior:Removevegetation,oldequipmentandothershelteronbuildingexterior.InstallaVegetationFreeZonetoeliminatesoiladjacenttofacility.Focuseffortsonbuilding'sWestside.Minimizerodenticidewastebyusingnon-toxicdetectionbaitblockswithsnaptraps.Interior:InstalltrapsonSouthandWestside,incornersandedges.Manytrapswerelocatednearaccesspoints,highlightingtheneedforpestexclusiontopreventrodententry.

NotfortheBirds!MethodsforKeepingBirdsoutofPackingHousesMattFrye– mjf267@cornell.edu - @MateoFrye

NewYorkStateIPMProgramatCornellUniversity

www.nysipm.cornell.edu

Resources: Seeourbirdspageformore:https://nysipm.cornell.edu/whats-bugging-you/birds/

Birdsarepestsoffoodfacilities.Theyenterthroughdoors

andloadingdocks,andremovalisbothdifNicultand

expensive.Onceinside,birdsconsumeanddamageproduct,

butalsocontaminatematerialswiththeirfeces.Considering

theirabilitytocarrypathogensthataffecthumans,birdsin

packinghousesrepresentahealthrisk.

Inadditiontodamageimposedbybirdsinsidethefacility,

roostingbirdsareaproblemforstructures.Theweightof

nestmaterialandbirdscanaffectthestructureandfunction

oflightNixtures,andnestingintheselocationscanleadto

droppingsbelow.Nestmaterialcanalsocloggutters,leading

towaterissuesforbuildings.Nestsmaybeasourceofmites

thatcanenterthefacilityafterbirdsleavethenest.

Birdmanagementinfoodfacilitiestakesanumberofforms.

Lethalapproaches(trapping,shooting)andphysical

removal(trapping)areavailableforspeciesthatarenot

protected,and/orwiththeuseofspecialpermitsobtained

bythepropertyowner.Preventionthroughtheuseof

repellentsandexclusiontechniquesarenon-speciNicandcan

beusedatanytime.Importantly,sanitationorhabitat

manipulationtoremovesuitablefood,waterandshelterfor

pestbirdsisanimportantstepinlimitingtheirpeststatusat

foodfacilities.Thefollowingexclusiontechniquesare

commonlyusedtokeepbirdsoutandwillbediscussedin

thecontextofabirdIPMplan:

§ Netting:Sealsaccesstovoidsusedfornesting&roosting.§ Spikes:Long,sharp,plasticormetalspikestodiscourageroostingornestingonledges(seeimageatleft).

§ Post-and-Wire:protectledgesandotherNlatsurfaces,arecheapandeasytoinstall,oftennotobservedbypublic.

§ Electri@iedSystems:Tape-likematerialwithwiresthatcauseanelectricalshocktobirdsonledges.Not

dangeroustopeople,butrequiresregularmaintenance.

§ SuspendedPlasticStrips:Coversdoorstoprevententry§ Fear-ProvokingStimuli:numeroustypesthatrequireefforttodelayhabituation.Bestwhenincludesomekind

ofmovement,install/uninstall,reinforcewithhuman

activitythatmaintainsfear(actualdogandwolfcutout)

§ Repellents:Saturatingthemarket,butefNicacydatathatdemonstratesconsistentrepellencyislacking.