A pest control log is the record of every trap, bait station, glue board and light trap in a food business, each numbered on a map, and of every check: the date, what was found, what was done and who looked. It's what shows an inspector or an auditor that pests are being watched for, not just hoped against, and it's often the first warning of a problem, a few flies on a glue board or droppings by a trap, while it's still small. In the example below, a preserves kitchen checks its inside traps weekly and its outside bait stations monthly, finds flies by a propped-open door one week and droppings in dry storage the next, and writes down what it did both times. Below is what to record, reading the log, working with a pest control company, and a free template.
The short version
- Number every trap and monitoring point, and keep a map of where each one is.
- Check inside points weekly and outside bait stations at least monthly, or as your plan says.
- Record each check: date, point, what was found, how many, action taken, initials.
- Write "None" when there's nothing; a blank isn't a check.
- When something's found, record the cause and the fix, not just the count.
- Keep the pest control company's visit reports with the log.
- TaroStack holds back food that may have been affected; it doesn't keep the pest log. More below.
What to record
Old Mission Preserves, a made-up preserves maker in Traverse City, Michigan, I use in these examples, has six points:
| Point | Type | Location | Checked every |
|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | Rodent bait station, outside | North wall by the dumpster | 30 days |
| R2 | Rodent bait station, outside | South wall by the loading door | 30 days |
| T1 | Snap trap, inside | Dry storage, back corner | 7 days |
| T2 | Snap trap, inside | Under the prep sink | 7 days |
| G1 | Insect glue board | Production room, by the back door | 7 days |
| L1 | Insect light trap | Receiving area | 7 days |
Each check is a line in the log: the date, the point, what was found, how many, the action taken and the initials of who checked. "None" is written every time nothing was found, because a blank line can't be told apart from a check that didn't happen. Which records a food business keeps, and why, is set out in its food safety plan.
Reading the log
| Point | Last checked | Checks with activity | What was found |
|---|---|---|---|
| G1 | 2026-10-14 | 1 | 6 flies on October 7: back door propped open; door closer fixed, staff reminded, board replaced |
| T1 | 2026-10-14 | 1 | Rodent droppings on October 14: pest control called, dry storage inspected, opened bags of oats moved to sealed bins |
| R2 | 2026-09-30 | 1 | Bait eaten on September 30: bait replaced |
A single finding with a cause and a fix is the log working. The same point finding activity check after check is a sign the fix didn't work, or the cause wasn't found. And activity near food raises the next question: was any ingredient or product exposed, and what happens to it?
When something's found near food
Droppings in dry storage mean the ingredients stored there get a close look: anything in an opened or damaged package is thrown out, and anything that might have been exposed is held back until it's decided. The record of which lots were in that storeroom, and which batches used them, is what lets the decision be specific instead of throwing out everything; how ingredient lots are kept is in track ingredients by lot. This is general information, not food safety or legal advice.
Working with a pest control company
A licensed pest control company sets and services bait stations, especially outside, and leaves a report after each visit: what was checked, what was found, what was applied and where. Those reports go with the log, and the map of numbered points is shared, so both use the same numbers. How long these records are kept is in how long should HACCP records be kept.
Get the template
Download the pest control log template. Two sheets: points, with every trap and station numbered, its type, location and check frequency, and for each the last check, the checks that found activity, and whether it's overdue against the date you set; and the log, a line for each check with the date, point, what was found, how many, the action and initials. It's an ordinary Excel file with no macros, and it works in Google Sheets, LibreOffice and Numbers.
Where this stops working
The log says there were droppings in dry storage on Tuesday. It doesn't say which lots of oats, sugar and pectin were on those shelves, which of them went into batches since, or which stores got jars from those batches.
How TaroStack does it
TaroStack holds back food that may have been affected. Plainly: it doesn't keep the pest log; the template does that.
Ingredients by lot and place. Ingredients are received by supplier lot and kept by site, so what was in dry storage on Tuesday is a list, with dates.
Holds and write-offs. Lots that may have been exposed can be put on hold, kept apart from what can be used or sold, until they're cleared or thrown out; throwing them out is an adjustment with its reason.
And the trail. Batches note the lots they used automatically, so one report walks an ingredient lot to every batch and every customer who got jars from it.
| The job | Spreadsheet | In TaroStack |
|---|---|---|
| Trap checks and findings | This template | This template |
| What was on those shelves | Guess from the notebook | Stock by site and lot |
| Hold it until it's decided | A sign on the shelf | Lots on hold, kept from use |
| Which batches and stores got it? | Read the batch sheets | One report, lot to customer |
Lots, holds, adjustments and recalls are on every plan, from $49 a month. The first 30 days are free, with no credit card. If you'd like a hand setting up, ask, and we'll do it with you.