10 Questions to Ask Your Pest Control Provider

Article By Chelle Hartzer Published January 15, 2025
Article Source: https://www.qualityassurancemag.com/article/10-questions-to-ask-your-pest-control-provider/?utm_campaign=QA+News&utm_source=03%2f18%2f2025+-+[QA+News]+RFK+Directs+FDA+to+Explore+Elimination+of+GRAS+Rule+%E2%80%98Loophole%E2%80%99&utm_medium=email&utm_term=https%3a%2f%2fwww.qualityassurancemag.com%2fArticle%2f10-questions-to-ask-your-pest-control-provider&utm_content=625746&isid=B5E31F

Let’s go back to pest control school. Here are 10 questions to ask your pest management provider to ace your next audit.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the January/February print version of QA under the headline "Cheat Sheet."

You have an outside company that does your pest control services. Great! That means you don’t have to do anything, right?

If it were only that easy. The fact is, pest control is everyone’s responsibility, even with a third party performing the regular service. You should be communicating with your pest control company, and they should be communicating with you. That can be tough if you don’t know what questions to ask. Let’s go back to pest control school and ask some questions that will help keep your pest management program on track so you can ace your next audit.

1. Where have you noticed an increase in pest activity?

As much as we would like to have “zero tolerance” for pests in any food processing or storage facility, the reality is that there will always be some pest activity. It may be a few accidental insects on a glueboard, a couple of night-flying insects on an insect light trap or maybe a stored product beetle in a pheromone trap. If those numbers are creeping upwards, it’s an indication that something is going on. Your service specialists should be able to point you to those areas and give you recommendations on conducive conditions.

Example: A warehouse saw a sudden jump in stored product beetles in just one month. While it wasn’t many, the increase was concerning. Turns out, they brought in infested product from one of their suppliers. They got it isolated before it could spread and cause more problems.

Follow-up question: What are you doing about it, and what should we be doing? Pest control is a partnership, and while your technician should be inspecting and treating, sanitation and exclusion are on your to-do list. Think of it like a class: The professor has the knowledge and skills, but you need to bring a notebook and pen, take notes and do your homework.

2. What are the top three conducive conditions we should focus on?

Sanitation and exclusion issues are conditions that can lead to pest issues. A broken door seal will allow rodents in, and dirty drains can lead to small fly issues. Focusing on some of the bigger issues can have a significant impact on preventing pests.

This is not to say only those top three issues should be addressed; it’s that those should be addressed first. Fixing the seal by the door leading to the dumpster will drastically reduce the number of flies coming in, while repairing the window screen in the office won’t have the same impact. All conducive conditions should still be documented, and minor issues shouldn’t be ignored. The larger issues should just take priority.

Example: A pet food processor had an older building with a multitude of issues, especially when it came to exclusion. While every one of them (that we could find!) was documented, the list was prioritized so they could work on the worst issues first. By sealing their ground floor openings, the number of mouse captures was cut in half just in the first week.

Follow-up question: If we can’t take care of this issue, what can we do in the meantime? It’s impossible to fix everything right away and all at once, especially with issues involving construction. Just because there is an opening that can’t be sealed or a sanitation issue that is going to take some time to address doesn’t mean it’s hopeless. Extra traps could be set, more devices put out or other pest control methods employed. It’s like turning in that term paper that’s not quite finished: It’s better than doing nothing at all.

3. Can you walk me through this service report?

Have you ever had an audit where they asked a question about the last service, and you weren’t confident in answering it? Service reports aren’t always the easiest to decipher. While this doesn’t need to be done every service visit, it’s good to go through it at least quarterly. This way both parties can review the findings, ask questions and ensure there is an understanding of how the program is working and any current issues.

Example: One of the last service reports I went through was more than 30 pages long. That’s a huge amount of information to read through. Most of that was pretty standard, but on one of the pages, there was one note about termites. Since termites weren’t part of their contract, the service specialist never mentioned it to anyone.

Follow-up question: What do you think is the most important item on the report for this visit? There is a LOT on the service reports. There are pests found, devices checked, conducive conditions, pesticides and so much more. All of that is necessary, but it can be overwhelming. The service specialist can pick out the trends and major themes to relay. It’s like asking for the CliffsNotes version.

4. Were any devices missed?

There are a few reasons a device may not have been checked. It may have been broken or missing. Devices may be inaccessible due to pallets or goods. If a device is missed multiple service visits in a row, the station or stations should be relocated to different areas. Devices should be placed according to risk, and if a device is consistently unchecked, pest problems may go undiscovered.

Example: An account I worked with had about three traps that were consistently missed on every service. In addition, the site didn’t realize they were getting charged every week for those missing traps. When we questioned this, we found out the traps kept getting hit by forklifts and were being thrown out. The traps were placed in a slightly different location, out of forklift range, and there were no more issues.

Follow-up question: Does the site map accurately reflect where all devices are? This is something auditors will check regularly. If a bait station, trap or glueboard keeps getting moved out of place, it will be considered inaccurate, and points can be deducted. It’s like getting points off on a test because you didn’t follow directions and put your full name down.

5. What pesticides were used today?

This needs to be documented on the service reports, and the technician knows what and where they applied. Pesticides should only be applied when there are pests present or there is a threat of pests due to conducive conditions. If a pesticide was used, knowing what and where is helpful. This way, others can further inspect those areas, deal with sanitation issues or dispose of infested product. If pesticides are being applied with no pests and no rationale, this is something to discuss with the pest control company and rectify.

Example: In doing an audit for a processing plant, I noticed a cockroach bait was being used on every service. But there was no mention of finding cockroaches or evidence of cockroaches anywhere on the reports. The technician had never been properly trained and was told to just “bait on every service.” That was quickly corrected.

Follow-up question: Where is this pesticide on the Approved Pesticide List (APL)? (Spoiler alert — it better be there!). Having an APL is a requirement for audited accounts. Even if it’s not an audited site, it’s still a great idea to have one. Make sure the pesticides used are on that list and all EPA numbers and other info match. This is an open book test, so you may need to double-check products on the internet.

6. When was the last time pest control documents were updated?

Aside from the service reports, most other pest control documents need to be updated yearly. Things like licenses, insurance, facility assessments, site maps and more should all be reviewed, updated, signed and dated at least once per year. It’s helpful to ask this question at the beginning of the year and sometime around mid-year. Auditors spend a lot of time looking at documentation, so it is important to have everything correct and up to date.

Example: Old documents are something I find during many inspections, and they’re such an easy thing to fix. This is also one of the first things that auditors will check for, so why not make sure it’s all accurate?

Follow-up question: Do you know of any changes coming up with your company that will impact our paperwork? Contact numbers change, people turn over and insurance and licenses change all the time. If there are known changes coming up, everyone can be prepared to respond to those as quickly as possible. It’s being prepared for the upcoming test!

7. What should we be concerned with over the next quarter?

The best pest control programs prevent as many issues as possible. While there may be no current pests or current conducive conditions that can lead to pests, that can always change. Each season comes with different pest pressures, and weather events can affect where pests move. Door seals may be in great shape right now, but they can start to wear.

Essentially, you are asking for the current conditions that may lead to conducive conditions that could lead to pest problems. Maybe it’s the tree that isn’t touching the building now but will be in a few months. Or it’s the upcoming cold weather that is going to drive rodents close to the building.

Example: I worked with a site in the Midwest that had rodent problems every fall. The account was surrounded by agriculture, and every fall, when the fields were harvested and plowed, an influx of mice were pushed out. Knowing that, we put up temporary stations for about two months to help reduce that population.

Follow-up question: How are you preparing your other customers for the next seasonal change? Every account is a little different, and each should have a customized IPM plan. There will be overlap, especially when it comes to seasonal pests. Knowing what is happening with other accounts in the same area can help prepare with more prevention. This isn’t cheating; this is combining all the data for a better analysis.

8. Are there upcoming changes to pest control from regulatory agencies?

This is another question that doesn’t need to be asked frequently. Some changes can be quite small, like minor label language on pest control labels. Others can be huge, like changes to rodenticides that may be coming next year. It could be new federal regulations that change how food facilities operate (think back to FSMA). With advanced notice, there is the time to put new practices in place to compensate.

Example: The EPA is currently reviewing rodenticides. While we don’t know exactly what the outcome will be, rodenticide use will likely be restricted. This could mean we have to trap more and service sites more. Knowing that now, many sites are already making changes to prevent rodents with other means.

Follow-up question: Are there any new products we should add to our APL? Pest control isn’t a static system; it should change and adapt as needed. That includes new products that could do a better job or are more targeted to specific pests. Check to see when the last time the APL was updated. Every time it is revised, date and initial it. Lesson plans change with new information. It’s good to keep up.

9. Has anyone here at this site told you about any potential issues?

Frontline employees are often the first ones to know about problems. If there isn’t a clear procedure in place on how to report these issues or where the pest sighting logbook is located, those problems will continue, and they will spread. Good technicians often talk to people as they perform their inspections. That information needs to get to everyone so problems can be addressed.

Example: I was called to a site that produced food-grade packaging. They had a shipment rejected by a customer because insects were found on it. The very first person I talked to on the processing line took me right to where the issue was. It had been going on for months, but there was no reporting system in place. This cost the company a lot of money in returned and destroyed products.

Follow-up question: When was the last time someone noted something in the pest sighting log? If it’s been a while, some quick training on pest control would benefit everyone at the account. Learning is an ongoing process. Taking “refresher classes” helps to retain the knowledge.

10. When is the next facility assessment due?

Audit standards require an in-depth, documented pest management survey at least annually. That analysis needs to include monitoring data and what improvements need to be made to the pest management plan. It’s the pest control company’s responsibility to do this, and it’s the site’s (yours) to understand it and make changes if necessary. While many companies will do this at the very end or very beginning of the year, there is no rule that it can’t be done at any point of the year. We all have to turn in our essay assignments on time!

Example: The last pest control assessment I reviewed was one page long. It had no information on pest trends, findings or corrective actions. While this may technically meet the criteria, it did not meet the intent. This assessment can be very helpful in illustrating what happened and how to make things better. Otherwise, the same mistakes can continue to happen, and pests can continue to impact the facility. Also, pictures are great to have.

Follow-up question: What changes did we make after last year’s assessment, and what was the impact? Not every year requires major changes, but there are typically some tweaks that could improve the system. If changes were made, were they effective?

Communication is essential when dealing with different teams with different responsibilities. Making sure everyone is aware of their tasks means discovering pest issues early when they are still small and manageable. Most people don’t like writing papers for class, but documentation is essential for food processing and pest control. It’s also good to ensure that everyone has the training they need and that refresher courses are completed. Don’t fail your next test: Make sure you and your pest control company are working together so your next audit goes smoothly.