Pest Control Methods Used in Food Establishments?

Pest Control Singapore

Introduction:

In terms of sanitation, the food industry is one of the most sensitive. Whether is it office pantry, kitchen, restaurants or food storage places, they are the most venerable places to pest infestation. As food establishments are the perfect habitat for pests, what will happen if they are not careful with their pest management? Pest infestations in the food industry can have a serve effect on the following:

  • Food Hygiene
  • Relations with Customers
  • Most Importantly, Restaurant’s Reputation.

There are many rules and regulations regarding ensuring food safety for food establishments. Take Singapore for example, the National Environment Agency (NEA) is responsible for ensuring and up keeping the food standard in Singapore. Using different methods for pest control in food establishments is the way to achieve the highest standard of safe food products. In Singapore, food establishment can be defined as the following.

What is Food Establishment?

In Singapore, food establishment refers to all places where food is

  • Kept or stored
  • Processed
  • Manufactured
  • Packed

It includes

  • large dairy industries
  • meat storages and cutting houses
  • grocery stores
  • bakery and confectionery factories and
  • other flour-related item factories.

Food in bulk amount is stored, prepared, and then distributed to wholesale markets and retailers. In Singapore, it is a significant industry by itself. You can imagine how important good pest management is to for food establishments. Proper pest control and pest management is crucial to them.

The truth is that pest management have become a headache for food establishments in Singapore. The presence of pests in food establishments is unhygienic, causes pathogen spread and many other diseases.

Pest Control in Food Establishments:

Pest management in Singapore is a serious measure for pest control. For effective pest control, there are a few things that you need to take note:

  • What Kind of Pests Are In The Food Establishments?
  • What Kind of Pathogens They Carry?
  • How to Effectively Eradicate Them?

Different Kinds of Pests in Food Establishments:

The cold environment and the abundance of food are the two factors that make food establishments best for pest like rats, lizards, and insects.

The food establishment can take a decision either to

  • Hire a pest control agency or
  • Appoint an in-house system for pest control.

Methods Used for Pest Control:

If you hire professional pest control agency like The Pest Control Company, they will make effective pest control strategies. They always prefer physical methods first to eradicate pests and then chemical processes. It depends on the conditions and severity of the infestation.

Physical and Preventive Methods:

Pest Control

Prevention is a more natural way to avoid pests. All food establishments staffs can follow the guidelines given by the pest control management in Singapore to prevent pests.

Cleanliness:

Cleanliness is the key to many of the problems; one of them is pest infestations.

  • Examine food clearly and separate rotten food.
  • Dispose of rotten food properly
  • Clean area of food storage and food processing
  • Make sure to complete sanitation protocols in all steps from raw food to storage, processing, packing, and delivery.
  • Seal the cracks on the floors.
  • The workers themselves should take care of sanitation to avoid any spread in an infestation.

Keeping Pests Away from Food Industry Premises:

Relevant workers at food establishments must keep at least a radius of 50 ft. area around the food industry pest-free. They can do it by:

  • Keeping garbage bags closed
  • Making sure garbage trucks picks up the garbage regularly.
  • Keeping surrounding areas clean.
  • Separate garbage leftovers and rotten food properly. Rotten food like vegetables and fruits are the favorite place for breeding of flies.
  • Any liquid spillage should be cleaned properly. It will attract tiny ants and flies unless appropriately cleaned.
  • Don’t let stagnant water standing outside the food faculty. It is the cause of the hybridization of mosquitoes, flies, and other pests.

If the surrounding area of the faculty is kept clean, chances are the inside will also remain pest-free.

Block all Pathways of Pests:

There are two primary sources of pest entry into food establishments. Doors and windows. You must make sure that

  • Doors and windows are closed properly
  • There must be heavy plastic curtains if doors are open for use.
  • Must fill holes and cracks between the wall
  • Must use lights that are less attractive to pests. Sodium vapor light is best for this purpose.

Check Storage Areas Frequently:

The storage area can be the most susceptible place to pest infestation in food establishments. You can find ants, small cockroaches and flies there. For best pest control in these places, proper pest inspection must be conducted regularly. Two methods are essential in this scenario.

  • To check for the signs of pest infestations. Like feces of rats, foul odor, carcasses of insects and moths.
  • Inspection team can use pheromones traps. Pheromones are the chemicals that females release to attract males. These chemicals prove to be a good trap for insects.

For pest control in the storage area, there are the following methods:

  • Clean the shelves and area properly
  • Use rat traps if needed
  • Cover the food properly
  • Use FIFO (first-in, first-out) technique. It is the most effective technique against pests. Frequently moving food in storage can break the life cycles of insects.

Chemical Method for Pest Prevention:

The use of pesticides in food establishments is not widely appreciated. Pesticides contain many chemicals that can contaminate food and are not suitable for the health of the workers. But when physical methods are not enough for pest control, pesticides is a must. Following checks are necessary for the use of pesticides:

  • Use chemicals that are not too dangerous
  • Use only those chemicals that break the life cycles of pests.
  • Overuse of chemicals can cause resistance in insects.
  • After using pesticides, checking pesticide residues in food is necessary.

Like any developed country, Singapore also has listed MRLs (maximum residue lists). All food chains must follow protocols set by the Singapore government. Consumers must also wash and clean raw food before consuming to avoid any health problem.

Conclusion:

Pest control in food establishments is vital to ensure good human health. There are many methods to prevent pest infestations. But if food establishments become contaminated, it is difficult to eradicate pests 100%. Pest control agencies recommend investing once and correctly. On the other side, it is very essential to carefully use pesticides to avoid contamination of food as pesticides are also not safe for human health. For more information about Pest Control, please visit The Pest Control Company.

What are the Signs of Pest Bites Allergies?

Pest Bites Allergies

Introduction:

Pest Allergy

What if you are sleeping peacefully and wake up with sores and severe allergies on your body. It is probably an allergy reaction due to the bite of the bed bugs. One of the biggest living problems in Singapore’s household and commercial areas is pests infestation. You will find them everywhere, especially in mattresses, kitchen gutters, pantry, cold areas of food storage or anywhere you can expect.

The Pest Control Company’s Pest management  makes sure to take all possible steps to eradicate these tiny creatures. There are two significant goals of pest control in Singapore.

  • Pest control
  • Find the ways to eradicate them and to educate people on prevention

Education gives you a better understanding of the signs and symptoms of pest bites and allergies. It also helps you to take measures for pest control.

Pest Allergies:

Allergies caused explicitly due to the pest bite are pest allergies. Allergy itself is something that is just an immune response of the human body against ALLERGENS. The reaction (allergy) could be headache, sneezing, itching, or any other symptom, depending on the cause. In Singapore, many cases come to hospitals to seek treatment from allergies.

One of the biggest causes of allergy in Singapore is the dust mite. You will be shocked to know that 8 or 9 out of every ten people in Singapore develop this allergy. Furthermore, you can’t see these dust mites because they are small in size. Remember, a pillow on which you lay your head on can have millions of dust mites.

Different Signs of Pest Allergies:

Different pests cause different allergy symptoms. Some of the allergy signs induced by different pests are:

Allergy Signs due to Dust Mites:

Dust mites and their feces are the reason behind the allergy signs in human beings. These mites don’t need your blood to live on. They feed on Dander, shredded dead skin cells of humans.

These are the major cause of triggering asthma, not only in Singapore but all over the world. Some of the signs of allergy due to dust mites are:

  • Sneezing
  • Runny nose
  • Red or watery eyes
  • Nasal congestion
  • Asthma

You should head straight to the hospital if you have asthma. Dust mite allergy can worsen your condition, in some cases, it can be fatal.

How to Get Rid of It?

These are very challenging pest even for pest control agencies. Some of the ways to decrease dust mites are:

  • Decrease humidity
  • Keep your windows clean
  • Clean your bed sheets and pillow covers every week with warm water
  • Keep your bedsheets or blankets in plastic covers.
  • Remove carpets from home

Allergy Signs due to Bed Bug Bites:

  • Itchy arms, neck, and legs due to bug bites
  • Skin rashes and boils
  • Anaphylactic shock
  • Wheezing
  • Tightness in the chest
  • Sleep deprivation
  • Anxiety

Many people don’t get severe symptoms. But those who already are asthma patients, their exposure to bed bugs can be dangerous.

Allergy Signs due to Rodents:

Rats and mice are the main rodents that you will find basically everywhere. Recent studies have shown that particular proteins in the urine of rats cause allergies. As soon as the human body is exposed to rat allergens for the first time, the IgE antibody is sensitized. It causes the release of histamine. Multiple exposures to rat allergens ultimately cause rhinitis. Initial signs of allergy due to rats are:

  • Itchy nose and throat
  • Sneezing
  • Cough
  • Facial pain
  • Asthma

Termites are famous as wood insects, they can also cause allergies. The signs are the same as that of other insects. They are adding allergens to the environment, forcing humans to breathe bad air.

Allergy Signs due to Insect Bites:

Those houses which have carpets become the cause of insect and dust allergies. Other than that, you will find small cockroaches and insects in the kitchen, washrooms, pantry. Their feces contain allergens and an odd odor that creates a bad environment in the house.

Small children, even adults, are susceptible to their allergens. Here are some of the signs of allergy due to insects:

  • Itching at site of insect bite
  • Redness
  • Small or cluster of bristles
  • Swelling
  • Pain
  • Anaphylaxis (although it is not common) life-threatening reaction.

How to Confirm the Cause of Allergy?

Our body has a unique immune system. It shows different responses to different allergens (foreign substances released from pests or their bites). There are various tests to identify the cause of allergies.

  • Blood test
  • Specific IgE test
  • Patch test

Role of Pest Control Agencies:

Pest control agencies in Singapore are working not only for pest control but for the safety of the people.

  • Educate people about allergies so that they can get medications on time.
  • Find the holes, cupboards, furniture, and other places of pests. Eventually, try to eradicate the pests.
  • Spray with pesticides, if needed.
  • Make sure to keep your place pest-free.

They also guide you on how to keep your place clean. They keep in touch and ask about pest conditions, if any.

Make your environment hygienic:

One of the top ways to keep your surrounding pest-free is cleanliness. You can obtain it by following ways:

  • Keep your furniture clean.
  • Keep your room airy.
  • Try to open all windows of a home in the daytime, so that wind and light can pass.
  • Keep an eye on any pest signs like insect or rat feces.
  • Spray your living area and bedrooms with an excellent fragrance to remove the foul odor of pests.

Try not to use pesticides on your own. Engage a professional pest control if needed. As these chemicals are hazardous for health. Some people and most children become sick if exposed to pesticides. These can trigger more symptoms like

  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Dizziness
  • Abdominal cramps
  • Throat itching and
  • Chest tightening

Conclusion: The experience of pest management in Singapore has revealed that asthma is a significant respiratory disease caused by pest allergens. Either it is dust mite, rat, cockroach, or any other insect, all of these cause allergies that ultimately cause respiratory infections. Pest control is necessary. Pest control agencies are taking part in controlling these hazardous pests. Pests are not only dangerous for health but also destroy property and food. Hygiene is the key to get pest-free space. For more information about Pest Control, please visit The Pest Control Company.

Everything You Need to Know About Good Pest Management in Your Home

Pest Control Management

Pests like bees, rodents, termites, lizards, and mosquitoes can be very dangerous to live with. They are disastrous to your house as well as to your health. Getting rid of these pests is difficult at times because they keep coming back again and again. They lay eggs in hidden places, so even if you kill the adult ones, there are chances that the eggs will hatch soon and spread all over again.

You need to act quickly to control pests, but if you think these tiny insects have already infested your house, it’s time to get some professional help from a pest control agency. You do not need to worry because we have tried to gather all the necessary information for pest control in this article. So, keep reading!

Preventive Measures for Pest Control

Though you can control pests once they have thrived, it is always good to have some preventive measures on. Hence, below are some handy tips that you can adopt not to let those nasty bugs grow in your home.

Regularly following these preventive measures will not just hold the pests away but will also keep your home nice and clean. Great, right?

So without any further ado, let’s head towards the measures.

Do Not Leave Stagnant Water Unattended:

This is a very prevalent reason for letting pests grow. Pests, especially mosquitoes, cockroaches, and termites, find stagnant water the best spot for their home. So to not let them grow, the first step you need to do (every day) is to check out all the buckets and containers of your home to make sure they don’t contain any standing water. And if you own an air-conditioner, one that eliminates water, you also need to make sure that you aren’t using anything that makes the water stand, like vessels. You better be looking for alternatives! You may go for pipes; they always work well for carrying water out.

Keep Your Kitchen and Bathroom Clean!

A dirty and wet atmosphere is a perfect breeding ground for pests to thrive. Hence, not cleaning your kitchen and bathroom can bring you pest infestation troubles! Before that happens, read the guide here and keep your kitchen pest clear.

For kitchen, keep the drawers, racks, and stove-top clean and use disinfectant cleaner. Tiny crumbs of food should be cleaned out as soon as possible, especially after your meal.

For bathrooms, try to keep them dry and cleansed. Clean the sink on alternate days. Make sure the shower is free of moss. And, check if the drains are clogged.

Disposing and clearing of rubbish bag every day, not placing fruits and vegetables out for too long, and keeping the garden clean are other significant preventive measures of pest control. While these steps might not end them entirely but they will reduce them to a great extent!

Health Threats Due to Pests

People are very concerned about pest control because these tiny insects are known to cause many diseases in humans. Some crucial problems caused by pests include:

Vector-Borne Disease: This disease is usually disseminated to humans and animals by vectors (blood-feeding insects). It is induced by mosquitos, bacteria, infected arthropods, etc. Per annum, 700,000 deaths occur due to this illness. Most children are affected by this disease. For precaution, one should have to wear full and long clothes.

Asthma and Allergies: These are some of the most common problems caused by pests, such as cockroaches and termites. The pesticides used to kill these pests are also known to cause asthma and allergies because they contain certain harmful chemicals. Such chemicals should only be used by trained professionals. In The Pest Control Company, all staffs are professional trained to use such chemicals.

Termites are abundantly found in Singapore and it affect both humans and non-living things. They are the kinds of pests that are economically destructive. It can lead to severe damages to buildings if left untreated. They rarely bite humans, but in hypersensitive individuals, the sting of the termite can cause swelling and allergies.

Dengue and Malaria: Mosquitoes are very commonly found, and they can transmit diverse infectious parasites and pathogens that can cause diseases such as dengue and malaria.

Pest Management Singapore

The Pest Control Company provides full-fledged services to eliminate pests, including tracking and identifying the basic problem. They work to terminate pest infestation that can spread quickly in your household. To prevent your residential area from being affected by pest, The Pest Control Company initiates effective and professional methods to eliminate these pests.

Chemical pesticides can be harmful to human life, and they should be controlled only by the aid of experts and professionally trained people for pest removal.

The Pest control service includes first inspecting and assessing the pests present in your house. After analyzing the kind of pest and its effect, the professionals will devise a strategy to place a trap for them. You should use sprays to reduce their number and follow the preventive control precautions recommended by the experts.  Use an insect trap for monitoring flights of insects at night. Chemical methods of pest control will help to remove them from the residential areas. The chemicals are toxic and poisonous compounds that can quickly kill them without causing any damage to human life.

How to Get Professional Help from The Pest Control Company

Pest Management Singapore

You can contact them by visiting the official website of the pest control agency. The company offers a free consultation service where the customer can explain their problem. The experts will soon assess and devise a plan to help you get rid of the pests. You can use the given contact number as well (+65 9616 8818).

Conclusion

It is always good to keep your house clean from all the insects. By getting rid of the pests, you can protect yourself and your loved ones from falling sick. The pest control services provided by the pest control company will help you eliminate the core reason for the spread of any pests in your house so, why wait? Give us a call at +65 9616 8818 or visit us at https://thepestcontrolcompany.org/.

How Bedbugs Bite Causes Allergies?

The Pest Company is a pest control agency that not only provide solutions and whole methodology of pest control, it also educates people about pests and the diseases they spread. Pests infestation is one of the common issue face by many households in Singapore. Despite many pest’s management solutions, rodents, cockroaches, mosquitoes, and bedbugs are still affecting many families in Singapore.

Why is it Important to detect and Eliminate Bedbugs As Soon As Possible?

One of the main focus of pest management is on bedbugs, and it’s necessary to make homes bedbugs free. They are very small and not easily visible. They can hide in your bedsheets, furniture, and mattress. Here are few points why it is important to get rid of these bugs as quickly as possible:

  • Female bedbug gives birth to an average 20 eggs per week. If it’s not dealth with properly and in time, the number of it will increase rapidly in a very short amount of time.
  • Not long after hatching from the egg, the nymph starts its search for blood as its 1st meal.
  • You or your children’s blood, when laying on the infested bed is most likely the 1st meal on which they will survive and breed.
  • They can live for many months without a meal.
  • These ectoparasites like to dwell inside their host’s homes so that they can suck blood easily, especially at night.
  • They cause allergies, skin rashes, and even blisters.
  • House pets like Chickens, dogs are also their host. If you keep these house pets in your home, you will need to check thoroughly on their body as well.

General Symptoms:

An Itching along with linear blisters or pruritic lesions on the arms, hands, neck, and legs are the general symptoms of bedbug bite. You will not feel any symptoms when bitten. But after few hours, an intense urge to itch is common.

Allergies Caused by Bedbugs:

Allergy is the 1st symptom of bedbug bite. Other symptoms can take longer time to appear. You will see red circles on the part of the body where the bedbug bites. Difficulty in breathing is also a symptom for asthma patients. If they are a lot in numbers, theairborne histamines become a threat for asthma patients causing anaphylaxis, throat tightening, and swelling.

How Bedbugs Cause Allergies:

For pest control, it is necessary to know the reasons behind allergies caused by bedbugs. Whenever a bug bites you, that specific area starts getting red along with severe allergy.

Antigens in saliva:

Detailed scientific studies have found that the saliva of the bedbug contains antigens. These antigens in the saliva are the cause of alarming immunogenic substrate. Ending in hypersensitive reactions.

Cutaneous Reactions:

Bug bites on the skin cause small and pruritic lesions. These are cutaneous reactions. They cause diffuse urticaria, papular urticaria and local urticaria. Skin reactions differ from person to person as some may have more sensitive skin. Intense itching due to bedbug bites can cause cutaneous reactions.

When antigens present in the bedbug’s saliva enter the dermis, antibodies IgG circulating in the blood cause hypersensitivity III reactions. Local inflammation starts when immune complexes bind on leukocyte receptors forming an activating complement.

Cure:

In case of a cutaneous reaction, wash the infected area with soap. For pruritic lesions, anti-pruritic agents or corticosteroids are prescribed.

Bullous Reaction:

These are rare reactions and cause bullous lesions. When bug bites, the initial response to nitrophorin antigen, present in the saliva of bugs. In response to antigen, the human body release Ig-E antibodies. This is a type 1 immune response. After this response, activation of mast-cell occurs in the skin, causing inflammation.

This reaction is followed by the synthesis of leukotrienes, chemokines, cytokines. All of these chemicals recruit more leukocytes towards the infected area, causing late-phase reactions. This is the main reason behind illness.

Histamines:

Even after the eradication of bugs, high levels of histamines are found in the air. Histamines are the chemicals responsible for allergic reactions. Studies have shown a 20% higher rate of histamines in homes with bedbug infestation than clean homes.

Bed bugs produce histamines as waste on your bedsheets and mattresses etc. These chemicals are released for mating signals and warnings to other bed bugs. These chemicals are one of the reasons for asthma in people. Studies have shown the presence of histamines in asthma patients. Although it happens rarely, cases are reported.

Other Effects of Bedbug Bite:

It has been observed that bedbugs don’t transmit any diseases, but they can cause other symptoms like:

  • Emotional distress and trauma
  • Anxiety
  • Insomnia
  • Iron deficiency in infants, children, and older people is caused by ongoing blood loss from the site of the bite, and if uncontrolled, it can be dangerous.

Self-treatment Against Bugs:

People having asthma are allergic to pesticides. The pest control agencies prescribe them to do the following things on their own if delays for pest control occur.

  • Wear clothes that covers most part of the body because bedbugs love to bite on naked skin.
  • Cover the doors of infested rooms with thin nets. This will prevent bugs from moving to other rooms.
  • Wash the beddings with hot water
  • Try to make the room more ventilated.
  • Well-lit rooms are also helpful in the restrained activity of bugs as they are nocturnal.
  • Clean your mattress and furniture corners frequently.

Although bedbugs show no effect against pesticides and insecticides hence, they can be treated by cleanliness.

Conclusion:

Causes of allergies in humans by bedbugs are not thoroughly studied. There is a need for more research and study on symptoms and effects on a molecular and cellular level. Chemical use does not necessary harm them and, if used inappropriately, it is harmful to humans. They should be eradicated by other means. They do not spread any parasites in humans, but 40 different pathogens are found in them. Pest management agency in Singapore like The Pest Control Company not only works on the eradication of bedbugs but also studies symptoms caused by their bite. Pest management must be exercised. Our pest control agency is keen to educate people about bedbugs and the danger they bring. This is because people with symptomatic allergies are sometimes referred to pest control agencies and pest management. To find out if your household is infested by bedbed, visit our website at https://thepestcontrolcompany.org/ or whatsapp us at https://wa.link/l7i899