Cockroaches in the Marsaxlokk dry store

Why it is failing. The pest contractor is treating activity but the underlying conditions are not being removed. Cockroaches need food, water and harbourage. The dry store provides all three: flour dust and debris under shelving, flour sacks on the floor, cardboard boxes that can be eaten or used as harbourage, a 2 cm gap under the door, and warmth at 30°C. A monthly gel-bait visit cannot compensate for daily cleaning that does not reach the harbourage areas.

The cleaning schedule is too vague: 'mop when needed' and 'deep clean twice a year' do not define who cleans what, how often, with which chemical, or how the result is checked. The torn fly screen is a separate proofing failure. The unlabelled bleach bottle is a chemical contamination risk and shows that cleaning chemicals are not controlled.

What an effective programme should include.

• A written cleaning schedule listing each area and item, frequency, detergent/disinfectant, dilution, contact time and responsible person, with a signature or initials after completion.
• Daily cleaning of floors, under shelving, behind equipment and drains, plus a periodic deep clean of the dry store.
• Pest proofing: door strips or bristle brushes to close the 2 cm gap, repaired fly screens, sealed cracks and crevices, and no cardboard in the dry store.
• Storage off the floor and away from walls, in sealed containers that can be cleaned.
• Monitoring: sticky traps or bait stations in known harbourage areas, with dated records; staff reporting sightings; contractor reports that state what was found and what the business must do.
• Integrated pest management: remove food and water, use gel bait in cracks rather than spraying near food, and keep a map of bait stations.
• A named person responsible for checking the programme and recording corrective actions.

Immediate actions.

1. Inspect the flour sacks and the area around them for live insects, droppings, egg cases, cast skins or webbing. If there is any evidence of infestation, the affected flour must be discarded; it must not be sifted and used. If the sacks are sound and there is no evidence, transfer the flour to clean, sealed, food-grade containers with lids and store them off the floor on shelving that can be cleaned.
2. Remove all cardboard boxes from the dry store. Cardboard cannot be effectively cleaned, provides harbourage and can be a food source. Transfer pasta to sealed containers or keep it in clean, sealed food-grade bins.
3. Clean the store thoroughly: remove everything from the shelving, vacuum or brush up flour dust, wash surfaces with detergent, then apply a food-safe disinfectant where appropriate. Pay attention to corners, under shelving and along the wall-floor junction.
4. Close the 2 cm gap under the door with a bristle strip or rubber seal. Repair the torn fly screen.
5. Do not spray insecticide in the dry store while food is exposed. Use gel bait placed in cracks and crevices by the contractor, away from food and food-contact surfaces. If spraying is necessary, remove or cover all food and clean surfaces afterwards.
6. Increase monitoring: place sticky traps in the store and near the sink, check them weekly, date them and record findings. Ask the contractor to return sooner than the next monthly visit and to state the required follow-up actions.

Flour and cardboard. Treat the flour as potentially contaminated until inspected. Cardboard should leave the food store permanently. The root cause is the storage system, not just the visible cockroaches.

Label it. The blue spray bottle must be labelled clearly with the chemical name and dilution, for example 'Bleach solution - drains only - not for food-contact surfaces'. An unlabelled bottle is a serious hazard: staff could mistake it for a cleaning spray for food surfaces or, worse, for a drink. Labels must survive damp conditions.

Store it correctly. Chemicals must be kept in a designated, lockable or otherwise controlled store, below and away from food, packaging and equipment. They must never be stored above flour or other open food. Keep the original container where possible; if decanting, use a dedicated labelled container that is not used for anything else. Keep the safety data sheet available and follow the manufacturer's dilution and contact time.

Use it correctly. Bleach for drains is not the same as a food-contact disinfectant. Use the correct product for the correct job. Measure dilution with a measuring cup or dispenser, not 'by eye', because too weak a solution will not disinfect and too strong a solution can leave chemical residues. Never mix bleach with other chemicals, especially acids or ammonia, because toxic gases can be produced. Use the solution within the time stated by the manufacturer; bleach loses strength over time.

Protect food and staff. Do not spray near open food. Remove or cover food and food-contact surfaces before any chemical application. Clean and rinse food-contact surfaces after using a chemical on them, following the label. Staff should wear appropriate gloves and eye protection when handling concentrated bleach, and wash hands afterwards. The person in charge should check the chemical store monthly and record the check.