Overview
Hygiene measures reduce pest populations by controlling or removing sources of infestation risk.
- Examples of hygiene practices include removing and destroying fallen fruit, managing alternative hosts within a registered site, and removing infected leaves or branches.
- Evaluating the efficacy of this measure requires demonstrating that hygiene practices will reduce pest populations at times when the commodity is vulnerable.
- Hygiene practices are widely used commercially, often together with other pest management measures. They can be considered when conducting a pest risk assessment or be proposed as a phytosanitary measure.
- Assurance can be achieved through maintenance and audit of records of hygiene practices, and through physical audit.
Evidence to support efficacy
Evidence is required to demonstrate that removing infestation sources significantly reduces pest abundance and, thereby, the risk of infestation at the registered site. Details of pest biology, such as pest dispersal and the role of alternative hosts in population dynamics, may need to be considered. Hygiene practices are often undertaken when the commodity is not vulnerable, for example after fruit harvest. Here, the delayed effect of hygiene practices will need to be considered.
Applying the measure
How it is used
Hygiene practices are commonly used to manage production pests. Here they are used to limit potential sources of pest populations by controlling or removing sources of inoculum or host material.
Hygiene measures that are commonly applied commercially may be considered when conducting a pest risk assessment. They can also be applied as a phytosanitary measure. For example, alternative host plants may be prohibited in production sites (e.g. of pests in orchards) or transport hubs (e.g. of hitchhikers pests in container yards).
Use with other measures
Hygiene is typically combined with other pest management measures. It is often used as a dependent measure to support Pest Free Site or Low Pest Prevalence Site and buffer zone measures.
When deciding the level of hygiene required, it is important to make sure hygiene practices do not limit opportunities for Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPDM) or biological control. For example, keeping habitats for beneficial insects may be needed to support these methods.
Similar measures
Hygiene is different from sanitation measures because it is focused on controlling and removing sources of infestation risk, rather than killing or neutralising the pest on surfaces and preventing transfer risk.
Assurance of correct implementation
Records of the dates of hygiene activities may be required. Physical inspection of the production system and audit by authorised personnel may be required, with oversight by the NPPO or relevant authority of the exporting jurisdiction. This might be to ensure compliance with hygiene standards and to audit the records of hygiene activities.