[Annual Fly Control Issue] One Fly is One Fly Too Many

Eliminating to the Last Fly
by Ole Dosland

Although the house fly is one of the most common flies in the United States, the term “flying insects” refers to much more than just one species. In fact, a significant majority of insects fly, especially around sunset. As spring turns to summer, the temperatures rise to those that are optimal for many flying insects – 75oF to 90oF. Combine that with desirable food, water and shelter, and flying insects can populate very quickly.

What are some basics for you to emphasize at your food plant clients this summer? What are some practical solutions to prevent or decrease the presence of flying insects in general?

Drive by. Food plant “drive bys” can show systematic flaws in managing flying insects. To determine where your customer’s plant may have flaws, drive by and view it through the eyes of the flying insect.

Do you see … open unscreened doors?
Do you smell … odors?
Are there lights …near the openings?
Is wind direction … moving toward lights, odor sources, openings?

I drive by food plants with these flaws and wonder how the plant can produce a clean, wholesome food product. And if these are visible from the outside, what other QA systematic flaws are present?

Prevention. A flying insect issue in a food or beverage plant is a symptom that something is not right with one or more of the basics; that a plant practice is attract-ing the pests and/or allowing them into the plant. Following are some of the most common problems and solutions:

Problem: Opened/unscreened doors, windows.

Solution: If necessary for air flow, durable screening should be installed. Quick roll-up nylon screens are most effective on dock doors. Automatic closures are effective for frequently used pedestrian doors.

Problem: Not eliminating odor attractors — compactors, dumpsters, sewage.

Solution: Set regular cleaning and sanitizing procedures for these critical areas. Chlorine sanitizes and deodorizes — and helps repel flies.

Problem: White lights on the building, near entries, near air intakes.

Solution: Use high-pressure sodium lighting with overhead shielding and position on a perimeter with lights aimed toward the building. Disable lights above most doors.

Problem: Negative air pressure from outside to inside and inside from dirty to clean.

Solution: Conduct a building air flow study, then establish clean, cleaner and cleanest zones to correct airflow direction. Sourcing dirty air into clean zones is a certain microbial hazard.

Problem: Poorly positioned ILTs: too high, near food, in a wind tunnel.

Solution: Do not use power-source proximity for positioning of ILTs, rather extend the power source as needed to install ILTs belt high at open sight lines in non-drafty areas near insect entries.

Problem: The plant staff not knowing their pest management technician.

Solution: You, the service technician, know the facility’s pest pressures. Go to lunch periodically with the plant’s management team and talk.

Problem: Lack of temperature control.

Solution: The optimum temperatures for flying insects are in the 80s. Whenever possible, modify environments to below 75oF to slow insect development, reduce attraction and extend product shelf life.

Problem: A flying insect buffet — from sewage to Dumpster to roof drain to wet mulch to compactor (with negative air) to uncovered trash containers to floor drains to outdated products to food spillage to food production.

Solution: Inspect your plant from the fly’s perspective.

Integrated Pest Management. IPM is an effective approach that integrates key tactics into a logical program, providing long-term solutions to pest problems. Too often, pest control is seen as a reactionary process that requires chemicals to solve a problem, but that is a rather short-term approach. Instead, pesticides in food-processing plants should be used on a justified need basis and be prescription oriented; which means you apply exactly what is needed where needed.

Following IPM is the best solution for all pests. In addition to the areas covered in relation to house flies, the following can help your customers protect their operation against general flying insect activity:

• Implement a master cleaning schedule focused on deep cleaning consisting of a predetermined frequency, method, responsibility and evaluation. Include a focus on rooftops (especially near air intakes) and the entire trash/waste handling process, which are high-risk areas.
• Use team inspections with monitoring techniques to identify infestations before they get out of control. Sticky traps and insect light traps are especially effective as they work 24 hours a day. Seek out the source of insect-active areas where food, water and shelter conditions are present — both indoors and outdoors.
• Keep first in/first out (FIFO) in place. Although FIFO is usually associated with finished products, you should also implement it in areas that house research and development, lab samples, held products and infrequently used ingredients, pallets and packaging supplies.
• Pest management professionals who understand the basics of exclusion, sanitation, inspection/monitoring and FIFO practices are a plant sanitarian’s best friend, so keep the lines of communication open.

Managing flying insects is not an easy task during the warm seasons; it requires combining numerous tactics 24/7. The core of managing flying insects effectively is exclusion, sanitation and temperature. Focus on the big three.
 

The author has 30+ years in food quality assurance. E-mail him at odosland@giemedia.com.