Through a special arrangement, presented here for discussion is an excerpt of a current article from Grocery Headquarters magazine.
The topic of flies, roaches, rats and mice is enough to turn the most stalwart people a bit squeamish. For retailers, however uncomfortable insects and rodents might make them, pest control is a necessary part of business.
Unfortunately, infestations can happen at any store, warehouse or distribution center because, as experts note, the presence of food makes them an easy target.
"Grocery stores tend not to be located in the newest buildings and commonly share walls with other businesses making them a poor fortress for keeping out pests," said Greg Baumann, senior scientist, vice president of technical affairs for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). "Combine this with open doors in the back room and constant shipments being received and you see a situation ripe for an issue," he noted, adding that newer stores are not exempt from pest issues.
Pest problems can crop up quickly in any retail environment, Mr. Baumann said.
"Pests need food, water and a place to hide and there is no shortage of places like that in a grocery store. The bulk of the issue is typically not seen until an infestation has already occurred because most pests prefer dark, hidden areas. This is not to imply grocery stores are not doing a good job with sanitation because I think they are," he said, but noted that daily spills and breakages in the store contribute widely to the problem.
Mr. Baumann agrees that retailers and pest control companies need to work together to ensure the best outcome possible. "When it comes down to it, while the professional is the one who will take care of the problem, the retailer and their employees are most familiar with the store and are the ones there the most."
Carl La Frate, president of ProCheck, a national food safety consultancy and licensed pest control applicator, said that increasingly, pest control and food safety audit scores are being tied to a store manager's evaluation and ultimately their bonuses.
"In addition to holding the store manager answerable we need to start holding department managers responsible as well. If people reported things when they happen you can take corrective actions before they become a problem," he said.
Discussion Question: Is pest control a major problem for the grocery industry? What solutions have you seen around infestation? Does the grocery industry need a more integrated approach for dealing with pest control issues?