How to Check Deliveries for Pests

How to check deliveries for pests?

1. Check the package before entering the house
2. Look for physical signs
3. If you can, check the truck

 

In the past year, the number of deliveries happening every day has skyrocketed because of the pandemic and its lockdowns. All sorts of deliveries, be it for food or other packages, make their journeys as fast as possible every single day to keep up with dues and deadlines. Because of their hectic schedules, it’s up to us to double-check the safety and integrity of our packages, especially against pests. That’s why everyone needs to learn how to check deliveries for pests.

The presence of pests can both be a nuisance and a danger to your health. One of the ways that pests become deadly is by spreading harmful microbes like bacteria. For this reason, it’s doubly important to check your food deliveries for signs of pests. Pests can be a nuisance because they grow exponentially fast. A few pests in an area can quickly turn into a large infestation without you knowing. If you accidentally bring a pest-infested package into your home, it might turn into a disaster later on.

To avoid that, take a look at the tips we prepared on checking your deliveries for pests. Keep reading to learn more!

 

Check the package before entering the house

When you receive a delivery, it’s tempting to immediately take it inside and open it right away. But as mentioned earlier, this puts you at risk of introducing unwanted pests inside your house. Once you’ve set foot inside, pests that are small enough and might be hiding in your package could easily jump off and make themselves at home in your own house. That’s how large infestations start.

Instead, make sure to check your package before entering the house. This is more important when you know that there are risk factors for your package. Deliveries carrying food are more attractive and therefore susceptible to pests. Large packages can provide shelter for pests during the cold season. If you can, inspect your packages before entering your house.

 

Look for physical signs

Pests aren’t exactly expert con artists or burglars — they often leave a trail of evidence on where they’ve been. Thanks to this, you’ll know if your package has been infested or tampered with by pests if you see any physical signs of their presence. Different pests leave different signs that they’ve been scampering around or messing with your package. The key is to learn what to look for. Here are the common signs of infestation from common pests:

 

Rodents

Rodents like to squeeze into delivery trucks and packages when looking for food and shelter. Some of the most tell-tale signs are holes and gnawed packaging, but you might also encounter small footprints, droppings, and urine stains.

 

Flies

If you hear buzzing or droning, that may be a fly trapped underneath or inside your package. You may also find nests, dead fly bodies, fly wings, or maggots. All of these indicate a fly infestation.

 

Cockroaches

To check for cockroaches, look for cockroach eggs or oothecae, molted exoskeletons, droppings, cockroach legs, antennae, or other parts, or the insects themselves.

 

Ants

Packages with sweets inside may attract ants. If you see a small pile of soil or sand, that may be an indicator, but you’ll typically see the ants themselves if they’re present.

 

Birds

Sometimes, birds somehow get into people’s packages and tamper with them, especially big ones. Some warning signs are feathers, droppings, and in some cases, nests and the birds themselves.

 

Beetles

Some beetles and weevils make it into packages as they search for food. If there are beetles present, you’ll see the beetles themselves or small maggots. You wouldn’t want to eat food with maggots.

 

If you can, check the truck

You can’t always do this, but if the delivery truck is parked just at the right angle, is close enough, or the delivery person is nice enough to let you check the inside of the truck. This ensures that no pests are present in the truck that may have been on your package without you noticing. Check for the same warning signs like webbing, droppings, and insects to make sure that it’s a safe place to store packages.

 

Key Takeaway

Knowing how to check deliveries for pests might be what saves you from all the hassle of dealing with an infestation at your home. If you see any of these signs, you can refuse to accept the parcel and contact the proper people about it. If you’ve already accepted it and see the warning signs, isolate the package outside if possible before getting rid of the pests. If food has been infested, throw it away.

Pest problems are definitely undesirable, but there are solutions out there to end your struggles. Topbest is the most trusted pest control service in the Philippines, having a staff of experts and working with households and commercial buildings since 1997. If you need pest control help, contact us here for a FREE consultation!