[Annual Fly Control Issue] Maintaining ILTs for Maximum Effectiveness

The Eyes Have It!

Flies are remarkable creatures that have survived thousands of years, in part, because of their ability to avoid danger. If you’ve ever tried to sneak up on an unsuspecting fly, you know how difficult it can be. Fortunately, PMPs have a wide range of control options at their disposal, including ILTs that use ultraviolet light to lure flies to an untimely death. All light sources emit some level of UV light, which house flies naturally seek out, mistaking it for the sun’s rays. Insects, like flies, that are attracted to light are said to be phototactic.

The Business Behind Flies

Integrated fly management approach provides business benefits and higher customer satisfaction.

By Dale Koenig

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data, the total number of restaurants in the nation is nearing 1.4 million. For pest management professionals, this represents a business opportunity to implement fly management programs for food establishments that cannot afford having flies as frequent visitors.

In simple terms, flies are not allowed. They are unsightly and more seriously, are vectors for disease. Their presence alone sheds an unfortunate light on establishments, leading customers to fear that unsanitary conditions might be present. Unfortunately for restaurant owners and operators, the environment is perfect for flies — food, trash, kitchen equipment, floor drains, etc., are all common breeding grounds for flies.

The problem with flies is that they are mobile, entering via all avenues of entry in a facility. This creates a need for establishments to implement a comprehensive fly control program utilizing a combination of solutions, including contact and residual insecticides, trapping and monitoring. Some customers only may be thinking about implementing one or two of the aforementioned options. When discussing a control program with your customers, walk through all the options and why each is important to achieve better control of flies.

Contact insecticides. Contact insecticides are commonly used to quickly knock down indoor and outdoor adult fly populations. This is a very useful strategy to control the visible symptoms of an infestation and to quickly reduce the number of egg-laying adults within the facility. This method is most effective when integrated with other techniques that aim at reducing the invasion or reproduction of flies in and around the facility.

Residual insecticides. Residual insecticides are often used to control adult flies on resting sites and other surfaces frequented by flies. This type of treatment is most commonly used around Dumpsters, loading dock areas, and around windows and doorways. It’s meant to kill as many flies as possible either before they enter the structure or before they have an opportunity to lay eggs inside.

Trapping and monitoring. Insect light traps (ILTs) can be useful for both capturing and monitoring flies. ILTs are great at preserving the intact flies for easy analysis. Identification is quick and catch counts allow for trend analysis and accurate recordkeeping. When positioned properly, they can serve as excellent lines of defense against flies coming in from outside. Whether a breeding source exists indoors or outdoors, ILTs can be positioned to capture flies before they enter sensitive areas or even capture them once they’ve entered a sensitive area.

As you discuss fly control program options with your customers, you may find other business opportunities too.

Up-selling opportunities. If your business offers sanitation services in addition to pest control, then you know that facility cleanliness is an important general fly management issue. Upon inspection, you may find sanitation issues your company is equipped to handle, such as drain cleaning and maintenance.

A thorough inspection of the facility also may lead to other pest control options, such as cockroach or rodent control. It’s important to thoroughly discuss all services with your customers and clearly communicate the program in the customer agreement.

Go above and beyond. Take every opportunity to discuss your customers’ problems, educate them on the options and provide your expertise. You have the knowledge and know-how to guide your customers through comprehensive pest control programs to address the specific pest, and further, species of pest. For flies, many species exist and all of them can be found in restaurant environments:

• Small fruit fly — typically found around ripening fruit, fermenting material, garbage, unrinsed recyclables, drains, mops and other decaying organic matter.
• Phorid fly — found on decaying organic matter, trash and decayed food under kitchen equipment or in cracks.
• Bottle fly — common breeding media include meat, garbage or decaying vegetables.
• House fly — most commonly found on garbage or other decaying matter.
• Flesh fly — another meat and garbage-lover.

Flies are a reality for any restaurant owner. And with business loss at risk, not to mention federal and state food guidelines that must be followed, leaving them to their own end is not an option. With the right tools, PMPs have the knowledge and expertise to guide customers through comprehensive fly control programs that result in effective, long-term fly control.

The author has 25 years of experience in pest management technical sales and marketing, servicing both pest management professionals and large animal confinement facilities. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in chemistry and business from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Koenig started his career a chemist with Agrigenetics. He currently works for BASF Pest Control Solutions.