What should be done with vegetation around food premises?

• A. Vegetation should be grown close to walls
• B. Hiding places should be increased
• C. Trees near doors
• D. Vegetation and other hiding places around the food premises are removed

Answer: (D)

Keeping the surroundings around food premises free of vegetation and hiding places is about removing opportunities for pests and making monitoring easier. Vegetation and similar hiding spots can shelter rodents and insects, provide routes into the building, and create damp, shaded microclimates that pests love. When these are removed, pests have fewer places to hide, entry points are easier to see and clean, and overall hygiene improves.

Growing vegetation close to walls or near doors would reintroduce those risks by offering harborage and entry points. Increasing hiding places or having trees near doors similarly adds places for pests to conceal themselves and access the building. So the best approach is to remove vegetation and other hiding places around the site.