Pest Control and Biology Quiz

Pest Management

Course: Food Safety and Management, EHS 310
Institution: Abu Dhabi University
Topics covered: Insect Control, Rodent Control, Bird Control

Insect Control

Arthropods: Cockroaches, Houseflies, Fruit Flies, Ants
Cockroaches:
- Most common pests in food processing and service facilities.
- Carry and spread many disease-causing microorganisms (e.g., Salmonella, Shigella, Vibrio cholerae).
- Spread pathogens through contact with food (biting and chewing).
- Primarily feed on carbohydrates.
- Also consume human waste, decaying matter, dead insects, and various food materials (shoe linings, paper, wood).
- Young cockroaches feed on the same materials as adults.
- Primarily active in dark, warm areas at night.
- Found in various locations where food is present (processed, stored, prepared, or served).
- Favor small spaces between equipment and under shelf liners.
- Multiply rapidly with monthly production of small egg cases (15-40 eggs).
- Live up to over a year and mate multiple times.
- Can be identified by entry into darkened areas and turning on the lights.
- Feces are small, black or brown, and almost spherical.
- Control can involve: identifying the type of cockroach, chemical and sanitation methods, eliminating debris.
- Control methods: using chemicals, effective sanitation, eliminating cracks in walls and floors, sealing spaces, using sodium-vapor bulbs instead of incandescent lights, examining incoming materials for insects and eggs, removing cartons and boxes post-unpacking.
Houseflies:
- A major pest, even more so than cockroaches.
- Transmit various pathogens to humans and food.
- Cause diseases like typhoid, dysentery, diarrhea, streptococcal, and staphylococcal infections.
- Feed on animal and human waste.
- Collect pathogens on feet, mouth, wings, and gut.
- Deposit pathogens on food or in their excrement.
- Must consume liquid food, secrete saliva to dissolve solid food before ingestion.
- Fly spittle (vomitus) contains contaminating bacteria.
- Live in warm locations protected from wind (electric wires, garbage cans).
- Thrive in a 12-35°C environment.
- Become inactive below 6°C.
- Life span about 1 month.
- Lay an average of 120 eggs per week.
- Control involves preventing entry, thorough waste removal, securing containers/refrigerators containing food, using air screens, mesh screens, double doors.
- Additional control measures: using electric fly traps, using chemicals (pyrethrins), using traps with blue light
Fruit Flies:
- Smaller than houseflies.
- Primarily active in late summer and fall.
- Attracted to fruits, particularly decaying ones.
- Do not attract sewage or animal waste (thus carrying fewer harmful bacteria).
- Adult flies measure 2-3mm, have red eyes, and light-brown bodies.
- Life cycle and feeding habits similar to houseflies.
- Control focuses on preventing fruit spoilage and accumulation of decaying matter.
Ants:
- Frequently nest in walls, especially around heat sources like hot water pipes.
- Control involves using bait traps where insecticides are applied.

Rodent Control

Rodents: Rats, Mice.
Characteristics: Single pair of continuously growing incisors in upper and lower jaws.
Rats:
- Can live up to 3 years.
- Nocturnal (active dusk to dawn).
- Build nests from soft materials and shredded paper.
- Drawn to dried/bagged stored food.
- Risk of contamination, property damage, spreading diseases (leptospirosis, typhus, salmonellosis).
- Millions of pathogens carried in droppings (aerosolized and contaminating food/utensils).
- Highly developed senses of hearing, touch, and smell (making control challenging).
- Enter small places, climb vertically, and are strong swimmers (found in drains/toilet bowls).
- Reproduce 4-7 times per year, with 20 offspring per year.
- Receive adequate food, they typically stay within 50m from their nests.
Mice:
- Smaller than rats.
- Enter buildings through small openings (nickel-sized holes).
- Skilled swimmers passing through floor drains/toilet traps.
- Excellent balance.
- Attain maturity within 1.5 months.
- Female mice give births to 5-6 young in each litter.
- Reproducing 8 times a year, with potential for 30-35 young per year.
- Don't require external water sources; obtain water from metabolic processes in food.
- Easily carried in boxes or cartons.
Control Methods:
- Prevention of Entry: Sealing gaps, covering vents, installing screens, raising equipment above ground.
- Eliminate hiding places: Store food away from walls, place food items inside containers.
- Eliminate rodent food sources: Organize storage rooms, remove garbage and food deposits, maintain sanitation
- Control by poisoning, gassing, trapping, and using ultrasonic devices.

Bird Control

Birds: Pigeons, starlings, sparrows.
Hazards: Droppings carry harmful microorganisms (salmonellosis, viral encephalitis), birds are vectors for mites and insects.
Control Methods: Good management, sanitation, eliminate holes and gaps in walls, install screens on doors, windows, and ventilation openings, use of electric wires, use of pest exterminators (Strychnine considered most effective), and removal of bird nests with water.