What is a critical practice for pest control in storage areas?

• A. Regular pest inspections only.
• B. Keeping doors propped open for airflow.
• C. Avoiding pest access and harborage.
• D. Using scented air fresheners to deter pests.

Answer: (C)

Preventing pest entry and eliminating hiding places is essential in storage areas. Pests are drawn to food residues, clutter, moisture, and cracks that serve as routes in and safe harborage. When you deny entry with solid barriers and remove places they can hide or breed, you disrupt their ability to contaminate goods and spread. This proactive approach tackles the source of the problem and reduces reliance on reactive measures. Regular inspections are useful, but they won’t stop pests if gaps remain and harborage isn’t addressed. Keeping doors propped open, and using scented air fresheners, don’t solve the access or harborage issues and can even worsen the risk. The best practice is to focus on pest exclusion and sanitation: seal gaps and cracks, install door sweeps and screens, store products away from walls and off the floor, maintain clean, uncluttered storage areas, and promptly remove waste while monitoring for signs of pests.