TFHC Pest Control and Facility Safety 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the minimum opening size that mice can squeeze through to enter a building?
- A hole the size of a dime (about ¼ inch) (Correct answer)
- A hole the size of a quarter (about 1 inch)
- A hole the size of a golf ball (about 1.5 inches)
- A hole the size of a penny (about 1/8 inch)
Correct answer: A hole the size of a dime (about ¼ inch)
Mice can compress their bodies to fit through openings as small as a dime, making thorough sealing of even small gaps essential.
Question 2: How frequently should a food facility conduct pest inspections?
- Regularly as part of routine operations, with scheduled professional PCO visits (Correct answer)
- Only when a pest is visually observed in the facility
- Once per year during the annual health inspection
- Every five years when renewing the food handler permit
Correct answer: Regularly as part of routine operations, with scheduled professional PCO visits
Ongoing pest monitoring through regular in-house checks and scheduled PCO visits catches infestations early before they become severe.
Question 3: What should a food handler do immediately if they discover a live cockroach in the food preparation area?
- Stop food preparation, notify the manager, and contact the pest control operator (Correct answer)
- Kill the cockroach and continue working
- Only report it at the end of the shift in the log
- Spray the area with kitchen-safe insecticide and resume work
Correct answer: Stop food preparation, notify the manager, and contact the pest control operator
A live cockroach in a food prep area is an active contamination event requiring immediate work stoppage and professional pest control response.
Question 4: Why is it important to keep garbage containers covered and emptied regularly in a food facility?
- Uncovered garbage attracts and provides food and breeding habitat for pests (Correct answer)
- To comply with decoration and aesthetics standards in the kitchen
- To prevent food waste from absorbing chemical odors
- To reduce the time spent on daily cleaning tasks
Correct answer: Uncovered garbage attracts and provides food and breeding habitat for pests
Exposed garbage is a major attractant for rodents, cockroaches, and flies, providing both food and a moist breeding environment.
Question 5: What precaution must be taken when a licensed PCO applies pesticides in a food facility?
- All food and food-contact surfaces must be covered or removed from the treated area (Correct answer)
- Food workers must wear masks and stay in the kitchen during treatment
- All food must be placed in the freezer for 24 hours
- Customers must be notified before any pesticide is applied
Correct answer: All food and food-contact surfaces must be covered or removed from the treated area
Food and contact surfaces must be protected or removed to prevent chemical contamination of food during pesticide application.
Question 6: Which area of a food facility is considered the highest risk for pest entry?
- Delivery doors, floor drains, gaps around pipes and utility lines (Correct answer)
- Walk-in cooler interiors
- Food display cases
- Dining room ceiling fixtures
Correct answer: Delivery doors, floor drains, gaps around pipes and utility lines
Entry points around delivery areas, plumbing, and drains are prime pest access routes and require regular inspection and sealing.
TFHC Pest Control and Facility Safety 2
What is the minimum opening size that mice can squeeze through to enter a building?