Warehouse Pest Control Checklist: A Manager’s Guide

As a warehouse manager or operator, you know how important it is to maintain optimal conditions in your facility. Along with controlling temperatures and humidity levels and taking steps to protect goods from fire and theft, you also need to be conscious of pest management. 

Undetected pests can cause damage to property and inventory, contaminate products, and spread disease. Fortunately, you can take steps to reduce the risk of infestations. This warehouse pest control checklist can guide you in implementing best practices in your facility.

Warehouse pest control checklist 

The ultimate goal of pest control in a warehouse facility is to make infestations less likely. Taking specific actions is key, so we’ve broken this checklist into daily, weekly, monthly, semiannual, and yearly tasks for you and your team to complete. Use this list as a starting point and feel free to modify it as needed to suit specific conditions in your facility.

Daily

• Remove all garbage from the facility daily. Secure bags tightly before throwing them into dumpsters.
• Double-check that the dumpster cover is on tightly at the end of each shift.
• Inspect incoming shipments for pests. Keep newly received goods stored separately until the inspection is complete.
• Wipe down counters and tables in break rooms and sinks in bathrooms with warm water and a multi-purpose cleaner.
• Restrict eating to designated break rooms.
• Sweep floors in all areas to remove debris.
• Clean up spills and pooled water promptly.
• Keep all doors closed when not in use.
• Create a pest control logbook for employees to report sightings and review it daily.
  

Weekly

• Clean all garbage bins thoroughly.
• Replace the lining in the dumpster after trash collection.
• Mow grass around the facility during the late spring, summer, and early autumn months.
• Scrub out toilets and clean exposed plumbing fittings that lead to them.
• Mop floors throughout the facility.
• Walk the internal and external perimeter of the facility looking for signs of pests.
  

Monthly

• Deep clean floor drains with a flexible brush drain cleaner.
• Trim trees and shrubbery around the building.
• Check any interior and exterior lighting fixtures for the presence of pests.
• Deep clean sinks, refrigerators, microwaves, and cabinetry in break rooms and bathrooms.
• Wipe down all fixtures and racks in storage areas.
  

Quarterly

• Your Hawx Pest Control team will visit your property on a quarterly basis to inspect your property and treat where needed.
• Thoroughly inspect the interior and exterior structure for gaps, cracks, and holes. Make arrangements to have these sealed or filled when you notice them.

Semi-annually 

• Clean gutters and downspouts.
• Have an experienced industrial HVAC technician inspect the ventilation system and perform routine maintenance.
• Conduct a complete pest control audit, revising your policies and procedures as needed.
• Deep clean all racks and fixtures in storage areas.

Yearly 

• Conduct a complete refresher training on pest control best practices.
• Include adherence to pest control guidelines in annual employee reviews.

As needed

• Conduct an initial training section about pest control. Ensure every team member understands their role.
• Train new hires about the importance of pest control. Review the checklist with them.
• Coach employees who aren’t following pest control procedures. Reinforce the importance of keeping your facility pest-free.
• Install trap guards on floor drains. These rubberized gaskets allow water and debris to enter but make it difficult for pests to come through.
• Inspect the roof for standing water following periods of heavy rain.
• Audit and revise your pest control procedures if an infestation occurs.

Signs of a pest infestation 

Even with tight pest control measures in place, rodents, cockroaches, ants, and other insects may still find their way into your facility. Sometimes, you may not see pests until infestations become severe. Staying alert to subtler signs of pests can help you spot problems sooner. 

Be on the lookout for:

• Rodent droppings around sinks, countertops, or floors
• Sounds of scurrying, gnawing, or squeaking from walls, ceilings, or behind racks
• Nesting materials like cardboard, paper, or rags that look chewed or fluffed
• Gnaw marks on food containers, cables, soft metals, wood, or conduits
• Rancid or musty smells
• Remains of dead insects
• Exoskeletons or oval-shaped egg casings from cockroaches on floors
• Black or brown smears in corners, behind racks, under sinks, and in other tight spaces
• Ant mounds located along the exterior of the facility
• Papery wasp and hornet nests in light fixtures or outside in building overhangs, shrubbery, and trees

Warehouse pest control solutions 

When you notice signs of infestations in your facility, responding promptly can limit the potential for serious damage. Hawx Pest Control is ready to take action. We use a three-fold process for warehouse pest control with high-quality tools and products to address infestations. We can also discuss your current pest control efforts and recommend a maintenance schedule that fits your business needs. If pests come back between treatments, we will, too, at no additional cost to you.