Integrated Pest Management and Facility Sanitation Controls
Integrated pest management
IPM is a prevention-first system, not a spraying schedule: deny pests food, water, and shelter; keep them out; monitor for activity; and use the least hazardous control only when needed. A licensed pest control operator applies pesticides and documents applications; employees never apply pesticide in food areas, and pesticides are stored in a separate, labeled location away from food and utensils. Look for the signs in questions: droppings, gnaw marks, grease trails, egg cases, live insects, and gnawed packaging. Report activity immediately, seal cracks and gaps, screen windows and doors, install door sweeps and air curtains, and keep exterior garbage areas clean and lids closed.
Facility controls
Potable water only, with an air gap or backflow prevention device at any cross-connection. Plumbing must drain properly with no sewage backup or leaks; a sewage backup means closing the affected area. Garbage is stored in leakproof, covered, pest-resistant containers and removed before it overflows. Handwashing sinks must stay accessible and stocked with soap, towels, and signage, and are never used for other purposes. Lighting over exposed food is shielded or shatterproof; ventilation removes heat, steam, and grease; floors, walls, and ceilings are smooth, cleanable, and in repair. Restrooms need self-closing doors.
Traps
The most common trap is the employee who sprays pesticide or leaves it unlabeled; another is treating a plumbing backup as a maintenance item rather than a contamination event.
Rule of thumb
Pest problems are solved at the door and the dumpster, not at the fly swatter.