Flying insects such as flies, wasps, moths, midges, flying beetles etc. are classed as food pests. Not only might they end up in the food, they carry dirt and bacteria, which can be harmful to humans if transferred on to food. Because of this, the law takes the control of such pests seriously and requires that:
- Pests must be kept out of food businesses as much as possible by designing and constructing the building properly and operating to good hygiene standards
- Pests inside a business must be controlled.
Why Use an Electronic Fly Killer?
Even good businesses may have flying insects getting in through the front door, or as deliveries are made etc. By law, businesses must control this problem. One of the best ways of doing this is the use of Electronic Fly Killers.
How do they Work?
Electronic Fly killers have two parts, ultraviolet (UV) tubes to attract insects, an electrified grid to kill them, or a sticky board to catch them.
The tubes fitted to electronic fly killers produce UV light. This is not visible to humans but attracts flying insects if it is strong enough. Unfortunately, these tubes do not last forever and lose their effectiveness long before they fail. Because of this, you cannot take for granted that your fly killer is working properly, even if the tubes are visibly lit. In general the tubes need to be changed every 12 months.
Once the UV light attracts the insects in, the sticky board catches them, or the high voltage grid or mesh inside the equipment then kills them. The grid can still be live even if the tubes have failed – always turn the unit off at the wall before touching it.
Location
Putting the unit in the right place is important to make sure it works properly.
In order to get the best out of your fly killer and protect food, you should remember the following:
- We recommend you use a professional pest control service to advise you on the best control measures for your business, and to carry out the installation of any equipment.
- If you decide to fit your own unit, carefully follow any instructions supplied with the machine. A competent electrician must carry out any alterations to the wiring of your building.
- To prevent staff unplugging fly killers to use other equipment, the device should either be powered through a permanent switched fused electrical spur or plugged into an electrical socket, which is not easily accessible to staff during their normal work.
- Other light sources will distract insects from the fly killer, so it is best placed away from bright windows and other lights.
- Fly killers should be placed between the most likely point of entry or source of insects and the food. Just inside and above the main door is often a good site, as this will tend to catch insects as soon as they enter the food room.
- Fly killers should not be placed above or close to food preparation areas. This will prevent parts of killed insects from contaminating food and work surfaces.
Maintenance
Electronic fly killers are specialised pieces of equipment. Therefore, it is always a good idea that maintenance is carried out by a reputable pest control technician. We recommend that all flying insect killers should be on a routine maintenance contract with a reputable pest control company.
Because the effectiveness of UV tubes deteriorates quickly, these must be replaced at least once a year, even if they still appear satisfactory. You should aim to replace them in early spring so that the tubes are at their most effective when flying insect numbers are highest. A reputable pest control company will possess equipment to check the strength of your UV tubes.
Dirt, dust and insect debris will block UV output and hence reduce the effectiveness of units. For this reason they should be regularly cleaned out. If you are cleaning a unit yourself, make sure it is completely isolated from mains. Depending on how it is wired, you can do this by unplugging it or switching off the wall mounted spur and removing the fuse.
Because it is not easily possible to tell whether the high voltage grid is working correctly, this servicing is best left to an expert.
