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Why Your Business Should Consider Organic Pest Management
12/22/13
Many businesses are considering the benefits of using organic pest control in order to control pest problems in and around their facilities without over-reliance on chemicals. This is especially true for facilities that deal with organic products. Having an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program in place within your facility and using an experienced pest management professional will help to ensure that pests are successfully controlled in a manner that maintains your products’ integrity.
The definition of an organic product is a product that is created using ecologically sustainable products without the reliance on synthetic chemicals. In order to make sure that these guidelines are being met, the National Organic Program (NOP) was developed to create a set of standards that must be met in order to market a product as organic. Within the NOP program, IPM is supported for managing pests within organic facilities. IPM focuses on solving pest problems by eliminating all methods of non-chemical control first, prior to considering the use of pesticides. Examples of IPM practices used to control pests within businesses include:
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The sanitation of your facility- Remove clutter, food and water sources for pests. Without basic necessities, most species of pests will avoid your facility.
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The exclusion of pests from your facility- Areas around your facility that are allowing pests inside should be repaired. Gaps around windows and doors should be caulked, torn screens should be replaced, roofs should be repaired, and doors should not be left open for long periods of time.
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Physical, not chemical control methods are used. Instead of pesticides, traps are used to physically contain and then remove the pests from your facility.
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The education of your employees on proper storage and rotation of your product. With the help of employees, your pest management program will be far more successful.
IPM has been used for years as an effective pest control method. It’s not just appropriate for a “green” or organic program, but has become the industry gold standard for long-term effective pest management that solves the root of a pest problem, rather than treating its symptoms with a “spray and pray” mentality.
In a truly organic facility, IPM alone will not meet the requirements of the organic program and you must keep specific lists of pesticides that can be used when non-chemical control strategies have failed and the problem still must be solved. This is where a professional pest management service with significant experience in commercial organic facilities can really help guide the process and ensure all the elements of your program meet the requirements and are being implemented appropriately in your facility.
For more information about using IPM services to control pests in your facility, contact the experts at Copesan today. Our pest management specialists will work with your company to develop a unique pest management program that will effectively and safely protect your product, employees and customers from pests and their damages.