World Grain - February 2005 - 40

HEALTH & SAFETY: MILL HYGEINE

Pest Control in Mills:

S U C C E S S S TA R T S W I T H S A N I TAT I O N

ills are at risk for all kinds
of pests - including rodents,
cockroaches and stored-product
pests - for a variety of reasons: foodstuffs
provide sustenance for pests, a mill's
building gives warmth and shelter, and
pests can ﬁnd their way inside through
constant deliveries. Once they are indoors, pests can ruin a mill's reputation,
contribute to foodborne illnesses and,
worst of all, cause regulatory violations
that can force an establishment to close.
Nearly all mill operators know that
they have to keep pests out to maintain
a safe and sanitary operation. But there
is a stronger connection between sanitation and pest control that is often overlooked. The fact is, a neat and clean mill
not only bodes well during audits, but it
can also aid in the battle against pests.
In order for sanitation and pest control
to work together in the most effective
fashion, Orkin strongly recommends
an ongoing program of Integrated Pest
Management (IPM). In fact, a vigilant
sanitation scheme is a key component
of IPM. Moreover, IPM is an approach
to pest control that stresses the use of
all available methodologies to prevent
pests from being in a given environment. Pesticides are used only when
necessary to achieve acceptable levels
of control with the least possible impact
to humans, other non-target organisms
and the environment.
STORED-PRODUCT PESTS:
SMALL IN SIZE, BIG IN THREAT
Grain and ﬂour represent two staples
for the milling industry. As both are dry
substances, this presents a sanitation
problem because each has the ability to
40

by Zia Siddiqi, Ph.D., BCE

By keeping a mill clean, millers deprive
pests the sustenance they seek

become airborne. Once airborne, these
substances can make their way into
cracks in a mill's foundation and other
crevices within machinery, overhead
pipes, conveyer belts or various pieces
of equipment.
An excess of grain and ﬂour
in and around a mill is like extending an invitation for storedproduct pests. Tiny stored-product
pests - measuring 0.32 to 1.59 cm
in size - can live in the places
described above, like cracks,
crevices and pipes.
Stored-product pests such
as grain weevils, rice weevils,
maize weevils and Angoumois
grain moths thrive on grain,
bran, rice and ﬂour. These particular pests are threats to mills
because they can penetrate the
seed coat of grain kernels and
actually complete their entire larval development inside the grain.
Sometimes a single grain can be
the source of an infestation.
Another reason stored-product
pests can cause so much damage
is that they contaminate much

more than they eat, meaning even a
small infestation can have a signiﬁcant
impact on ﬁnal product output.
As discussed, proper sanitation is necessary for all mills, but it also plays an

Maize weevil. Photo courtesy of Cereal
Research Centre, AAFC.
February 2005 / World Grain / www.World-Grain.com

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World Grain - February 2005

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