The situation
Warehouse operator faced annual SQF (Safe Quality Food) audit with rodent management as a core pillar. Their prior pest contractor had been passing audits but providing limited documentation — audit findings in the preceding two years had included incomplete monitor records and inconsistent IPM reporting. A single finding can delay SQF certification by up to 60 days. The warehouse handled food-grade and pharmaceutical distribution; certification delay would mean loss of major contracts. Six weeks until the next audit.
The assessment
Full multi-building survey over three days. Findings: 23 identified exterior entry points across loading-dock bays, truck-seal gaps, and utility penetrations. Interior monitor grid needed re-densification (existing grid at 140 stations; SQF best practice for a facility this size is 180+). Prior contractor's documentation was verbal-summary format, not SQF-audit-ready. We proposed a 6-week structured overhaul: exclusion sealing, monitor grid expansion, and SQF-grade documentation from day one.
The intervention
Week 1–2: exterior envelope exclusion — galvanized mesh on loading-dock door gaps, refitted truck seals, sealed utility penetrations. Week 3–4: monitor grid expansion to 180 stations with unique ID numbering and scannable barcodes for mobile check-in. Week 5: staff training on pest-awareness reporting and sighting protocols. Week 6: first month's monitoring cycle complete with full SQF-format documentation including station-by-station records, activity interpretation, and corrective action log. Ongoing: monthly service with same-week documentation delivery to Quality team, SQF-ready at any inspection window.
The outcome
SQF audit passed at week 6 with zero pest-management findings. Subsequent year's SQF audit also passed with zero findings. Rodent monitor activity declined approximately 78% over 12 months post-exclusion work — the underlying population was materially reduced, not just managed. Warehouse operator moved to a 3-year IPM contract at contract renewal. Documentation format we established has since been adopted as the regional SQF standard for their parent company's other facilities.
Why the prior contract was failing audits
The prior contractor was doing quarterly service and replacing bait in stations — which addresses current population without addressing entry points, and without producing audit-grade documentation. SQF auditors require station-by-station records, activity interpretation, and corrective-action logs. Facilities that treat pest management as ongoing compliance rather than discrete service calls pass audits consistently; facilities that treat it as a line-item vendor relationship fail audits regularly. The fix is structural: exclusion + documentation + quality-team integration.
Customer outcome“Our SQF auditor specifically noted the documentation standard — said it was the best she'd seen at any Lower Mainland warehouse. We went from hoping to pass each year to treating pest management as a genuine asset. The Wild Pest doesn't just service pests, they service the audit.”
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Every job gets the same documentation standard — photos, findings, protocol, outcomes. 60-day pest guarantee plus 3-year exclusion warranty on every treatment.