The flies are coming!
Monday, April 7th, 2008The warm weather is finally coming and you can be sure that a whole host of flying insects will follow. Everyone knows that flies in kitchens and catering establishments can become a major problem if not dealt with properly. It’s the extra influx of customers also brought out by the warm weather that often mean these important pest control measures get forgotten.The key to reducing flies in and around your establishment is to ‘think basic’. When this topic comes up it would fair to say most people think straight away ‘fly killers’, although an important tool in the fight against flies, prevention should be top of your list.
Although stating the obvious, extra effort needs to be made to ensure that your establishment is clean. An extra push should be made to reach those ‘forgotten corners’ inside and out. Rubbish can be the main attraction to flies, we can’t avoid it, but we can keep the flies out. ‘Pedal’ style refuse sack holders help keep flies out, care must be made not to over-fill bags though, a burst sack can be a nightmare!
With all the best efforts in the world, flies will always appear. This is where a fly killer comes into play. Electric UV units are standard for almost all kitchens now, models available vary enormously. Most units give a coverage rating, a fly killer shouldn’t be chosen by these criteria alone though. Factors such as airflow (windows and doors), people traffic and any extra sources of flies can mean larger coverage ratings or multiple units are required.
Many people also make the mistake of placing fly killers just inside doors and windows. As the units are designed to attract insects this can actually draw more flies into your establishment! Units should also be sited away from food preparation areas to avoid contamination. The ideal height is between 2 and 2 ½ metres above the floor. Fly Killer bulbs should be changed at least once a year for maximum effectiveness.
Geoff Kennedy – April 2008
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