NRFSP Pest Control and Facility Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What action should a manager take to eliminate harborage areas for cockroaches in a kitchen?
- Apply boric acid powder throughout the kitchen
- Seal cracks and crevices and remove clutter and cardboard boxes (Correct answer)
- Install UV light traps near food prep areas
- Increase the frequency of mopping
Correct answer: Seal cracks and crevices and remove clutter and cardboard boxes
Sealing cracks where cockroaches hide and eliminating cardboard boxes and clutter removes the harborage sites cockroaches need to survive and breed.
Question 2: Why should cardboard boxes from deliveries be removed from the food service facility promptly?
- They take up storage space
- Cockroaches and other pests can hide in and travel via corrugated cardboard (Correct answer)
- They are a fire hazard only
- Health codes prohibit cardboard in kitchens at all times
Correct answer: Cockroaches and other pests can hide in and travel via corrugated cardboard
Corrugated cardboard is a common hitchhiker harborage for cockroach eggs and other pests, making prompt removal essential to prevent infestation.
Question 3: What facility maintenance practice most directly helps prevent drain flies in a food service kitchen?
- Using chemical drain cleaners weekly
- Regularly scrubbing floor drains to remove organic buildup (Correct answer)
- Covering drains with heavy metal grates
- Pouring boiling water down drains daily
Correct answer: Regularly scrubbing floor drains to remove organic buildup
Drain flies breed in the organic slime that accumulates inside floor drains, so regular mechanical scrubbing removes their breeding medium.
Question 4: Which pest poses the greatest risk for contaminating food with Salmonella in a food service environment?
- Cockroaches
- Rodents (Correct answer)
- Flies
- Fruit flies
Correct answer: Rodents
Rodents, particularly mice and rats, are significant carriers of Salmonella and other pathogens through their droppings, urine, and fur.
Question 5: What is the recommended gap size under exterior doors in a food service facility to block rodent entry?
- No larger than 1/2 inch
- No larger than 1/4 inch (Correct answer)
- No larger than 1 inch
- Gaps are acceptable if a door sweep is installed
Correct answer: No larger than 1/4 inch
Mice can squeeze through gaps as small as 1/4 inch, so exterior doors must have no gap larger than 1/4 inch to effectively exclude rodents.
Question 6: How should a food service manager respond when a health inspector cites the facility for a pest infestation?
- Request a follow-up inspection in 30 days
- Immediately contact a licensed PCO, implement corrective actions, and document all steps taken (Correct answer)
- Apply over-the-counter pesticides before the re-inspection
- Close only the affected area and continue normal operations elsewhere
Correct answer: Immediately contact a licensed PCO, implement corrective actions, and document all steps taken
A pest-related citation requires immediate professional pest control, enhanced sanitation, corrective action documentation, and follow-up to demonstrate the problem is resolved.
NRFSP Pest Control and Facility Management 2
What action should a manager take to eliminate harborage areas for cockroaches in a kitchen?