IPM in Restaurants

Progressive PCOs are turning to abatement strips to solve a variety of fly problems in commercial accounts.

Sunshine. Sizzling temperatures. Swarms of filthy flies. In July, summer is in full swing, and perhaps more important for pest management professionals, summer is peak fly control season. As temperatures soar, so do the number of nuisance flies, including house flies (Musca domestica L.) and lesser house flies (Fannia spp.), PCOs say.

“Effective fly control is critical for businesses, especially food processing and handling establishments,” says Jim Kallam, president of Kallam Exterminators, Stokesdale, N.C. “Flies can carry diseases, they’re a nuisance and the public despises them.”

BAD FOR BUSINESS. Nothing ruins a good appetite more than the sight of flies near food. It’s no wonder, therefore, why restaurants are considered one of the hottest fly control markets in the pest control industry. “When people see flies swarming around a restaurant dumpster, they don’t want to eat at the establishment,” says Mike Fletcher, sales manager for Lesco Inc., Gainesville, Fla., who has sold pest control products for seven years.

Not only can fly control problems result in fewer customers for restaurant owners, but also fines or more severe penalties in the event of a failed health inspection, notes Kallam. Nuisance flies and poor sanitary conditions often go hand in hand. That’s where the PCO comes in, ensuring that flies are controlled in their most sensitive commercial accounts where the stakes are high.

But serving the fly control market isn’t easy. PCOs are expected to generate results — fast. “Customers are more demanding than ever,” emphasizes Kallam. “They want fly control and, if possible, elimination.” They also desire a fly control product with minimal odor, he adds.

In recent years, industry professionals say they’ve seen a shift from pest control sprays to pest control abatement strips and other IPM tools. Customers often prefer abatement strips because they’re easy to apply and less conspicuous, especially during product application. “The industry will see a tremendous change in pest control application in the next five years,” says Kallam. Eventually, he predicts that all pest control products will be sold in abatement form. <

A SIMPLE SOLUTION. The key to effective fly control is simple: sanitary practices supported by superior fly control products, according to industry professionals.

Kallam and Fletcher rely on QuikStrike™ Fly Abatement Strips for effective fly control. Available from Zoëcon, QuikStrike is a unique, self-contained product that targets and controls nuisance flies within seconds. The product, which contains nithiazine as its active ingredient, draws flies with two feeding attractants and a fly sex pheromone.

QuikStrike can be placed near a variety of fly feeding sites including walls, grease pits, compactor chutes, trash receptacles, outdated food bins and recycling areas. The product is designed for outdoor use, but it can be applied in and around partially enclosed or protected areas, such as loading docks and parking garages.

For best results, place QuikStrike near ground level where flies feed. Placing the traps higher than 3 feet isn’t recommended since flies above this level are resting rather than feeding. The abatement strips can be placed in any position by pest control operators. However, they work best when applied vertically. In addition, avoid exposing QuikStrike to moisture and sunlight, which can reduce the length of residual. Never place the product in windy areas, especially in front of fans and blowers. Flies won’t land on moving surfaces.

OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND. QuikStrike has “worked wonders” for several of Fletcher’s customers, including a local restaurant. Located a mile from a large dairy, the partially screened-in restaurant had attracted hordes of nuisance flies until the owner placed a QuikStrike fly abatement strip near a fly-infested trash receptacle. Two days later, the fly population had decreased by half, he says.

“The flies were terrible,” Fletcher recalls. “But once QuikStrike was applied, the population diminished quickly.”

Kallam shares a similar success story. Prior to using QuikStrike, the owner of a service station and restaurant had tried three different brands of fly control products, all of which failed. Three days after Kallam applied QuikStrike around the restaurant’s trash receptacles, the fly population had decreased by 80%; within 10 days of application, the fly infestation was completely under control, he reports.

PCOs ON THE FLY. As summer progresses, customers will rely on PCOs for superior fly control. Pest management professionals who work “on the fly” (i.e., respond quickly to customer needs) and provide an effective IPM program will help ensure end users’ success as well as their own.

Jennifer Richter is a writer for Nelson & Schmidt, Milwaukee, Wis.