Prevent Regulatory Action and Potential Product Contamination

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When structural fumigation couldn’t rid a food plant of its mouse problem, it turned to McCloud Services for resolution. A thorough inspection and the installation of the ActiveSense® system revealed structural challenges that offered mice safe harborage from the fumigation attempt. Learn more about how the data provided by the system helped the facility avoid a regulatory closure.

A food plant, which produces a variety of bakery products, had an ongoing mouse problem despite a structural fumigation conducted by the previous pest management company. The food plant faced potential regulatory scrutiny as a result of the pest situation. McCloud Services was hired to resolve the problem.

An inspection uncovered several structural challenges to control, primarily a capped ridge on the building roof. The building had been modified and the parapet was covered by a metal cap to seal it from weather. When the metal cap was removed, torn insulation and mouse droppings were evident inside the parapet. The assumption was the structural fumigation did not achieve the necessary concentration to eliminate the mice in this harborage area as the metal caps did not fit tightly.

ActiveSense® System Deployed

ActiveSense® monitors were placed on snap traps beneath the metal ridge cap as a test. The monitors also were placed in rodent stations containing snap traps in the dumpster area.

 

“We tested ActiveSense in areas where accessibility is a concern. We appreciate the reduced service time and safety benefits when monitoring challenging environments.” -- Pat Hottel, BCE, technical director, McCloud Services

 

Monitoring and Results

Facility avoided regulatory closure because the mouse problem was quickly resolved.

  • Service time was significantly reduced with ongoing monitoring.
  • The need to manually remove the metal caps to gain access to the traps was reduced.
  • Less frequent servicing on the roof improved safety with less access needed during winter months, when adverse conditions can be more prevalent.
 
“The client appreciated the monitoring data as much as we did. They were looking for results, and as long as we got kills, they were happy. They did not want to see a mouse in the facility. It was critical that there be no sightings or signs of mice in the processing area.” -- Pat Hottel, BCE, technical director, McCloud Services

Case Studies

Find out more about the ActiveSense® system in action through case studies.

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