Pest control in hospitality industry
Pest control refers to the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest, usually because it is perceived to be detrimental to a person’s health or infrastructure. The housekeeping department plays an important role in detecting the presence of pests in or around the establishment and organizing their control or eradication. However, the services of pest control such as spraying of pesticides are typically contracted out to specialized pest control agencies under the supervision of the housekeeper.
Pest control is an important aspect of the hospitality industry, as pests such as rodents and insects can cause damage to property and harm to guests, as well as damage to a hotel or restaurant’s reputation.
Prevention is key when it comes to pest control in the hospitality industry. This can include regular inspections of the property to identify potential problem areas, such as cracks or crevices where pests can enter, and taking steps to seal these areas to prevent entry.
What is Pest ?
A pest is an organism that competes with humans, domestic animals, etc for food or water; injures human, domestic animals, structures; transmits disease to humans, domestic animals, etc; or annoys humans and domestic animals. Examples of pests include insects (e.g. cockroaches, termites, beetles, fleas), arthropods (eight-legged organisms)(e.g. mites, ticks, spiders), microbial organisms (e.g. bacteria), weeds (unwanted plants), molluscs (snails, slugs), and vertebrates (e.g. mice and other rodents).
Types of pest
• Insects(e.g.-cockroaches, termites, beetles, fleas)
• Arthropods(eight legged organisms)(e.g.- mites, ticks, spiders)
• Microbial organisms(e.g.- bacteria)
• Weeds (unwanted plants)
• Molluscs(snails, slugs)
• Vertebrates (egg- mice& other rodents)
To identify and control pests, it is necessary to know the physical features of pests, the characteristics of damage they cause, their development cycle and biology, and the goals of the pest management program. The goals of pest control can include prevention, suppression, and eradication. Threshold levels are the levels of pest population beyond which pest control action should be taken if you want to prevent the pest from causing unacceptable injury or harm.
Methods of Pest control in hospitality industry :
1) Natural controls –
• Climate –weather conditions (temperature, day length, & humidity) affect pest activity. Pests may be killed or suppressed by main, freezing temperature, drought, or other adverse weather conditions.
• Natural enemies- birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, & mammals feed on some pests & help controls their numbers.
• Geographic barriers- features such as mountains large bodies of water restrict the spread of many pests.
• Foods & water supply –pest population can thrive only as long as their food & water supply lasts.
• Shelter- over wintering sites& places to hide from predators are important to the survival of some pests.
2) Applied controls in a hotel-
• Mechanical/physical control- traps, screens, barriers, fences, nets,radiation & electricity can sometimes be used to prevent the spread of pest into an area.
• Sanitation- good sanitation, improving cleanliness, eliminating pest harbourage, increasing the frequency of garbage pick-ups & proper
design of food-handling area help to prevent pest infestations.
• Chemical control- pesticides are chemical used to destroy the pests, control their activity, or prevent them from causing damage.
ROLE OF HOUSEKEEPING – INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT – Pest control in hotel Housekeeping
Integrated pest management is the combination of appropriate pest control tactics into single plan to reduce pests and their damage to an acceptable level with least disruption to other living organisms and non organic surroundings at the treatment site.
To develop an integrated pest management system, one must
• Identify the pest or pests to be dealt with
• Determine the pest control goals
• Know what control tactics are available
• Evaluate the benefits and risks of each tactic
• Choose most effective strategy
• Use each tactic in the strategy correctly
• Observe local, state, and union regulations that may apply to the situation
You can also check : Hygiene And Sanitation In Food Sector
