Pest Control
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Flies feed and breed on decaying food and waste, and they carry bacteria from there onto surfaces and food. In a kitchen, food production unit or packing area, that makes flying insect control a basic part of food safety. Ultraviolet flying insect control units are the standard tool. Here is how they work, what LED lamps change, and how to get the best from them.
How the units work
Many flying insects are drawn to ultraviolet light. A flying insect control unit uses UV lamps to attract them and then deals with them in one of two ways:
- Glue board units catch insects on a replaceable sticky board. Nothing is scattered, which is why they are the usual choice in food preparation and food handling areas. The board also gives a record of what is being caught.
- Electric grid units, often called zappers, kill insects on a charged grid and collect them in a tray. Insect fragments can be thrown out of the unit, so they are better suited to areas away from open food.
Units are a monitoring and control measure. They catch the flies that get in. They do not stop flies getting in, and they do not deal with a breeding source on site.
LED or fluorescent?
Traditional units use fluorescent UV tubes. Their UV output falls steadily with use, so the tubes need changing at least once a year even though they still light up. A tube that looks fine can be catching far fewer flies than when it was new.
LED lamps change this in several ways:
- Output holds up for longer. LED lamps lose UV output more slowly, so the unit stays effective for longer between lamp changes. Follow the manufacturer's service interval.
- Lower running costs. LED units generally use considerably less power than fluorescent units of a similar size.
- No glass and no mercury. Fluorescent tubes are glass and contain mercury, so a breakage in a food area is a contamination problem. LED lamps avoid both.
- Lighter and cooler. They are easier to mount and run cooler and quieter.
If you have older fluorescent units, upgrading them to LED is worth considering when they are next due for lamp changes or replacement.
Where to put them
- Not over food or preparation surfaces. Site units where a falling insect cannot land on food, equipment or packaging.
- Between the entry point and the food. Near doors, hatches and delivery areas, so flies are intercepted before they reach the kitchen.
- Out of sight from outside. A unit visible through an open door or window can draw flies in from outside.
- Away from competing light. Strong daylight and bright lighting reduce how well the UV draws insects in.
- Enough of them. The number and size of units depends on the room, its layout and how flies get in. A survey settles it.
Maintenance
A unit only works if it is maintained. That means changing lamps on schedule, changing glue boards before they fill up, emptying and cleaning catch trays, and checking that the unit is working safely. Looking at what is on the glue board is useful too. Large numbers of a particular fly point to a source: drain flies to drains, fruit flies to waste or spillages, bluebottles to something decaying. Finding and dealing with that source is what reduces the catch.
When to call us
We survey, supply, install and maintain flying insect control units for food areas, as part of wider fly prevention with screens and proofing. If you need new units, want to replace old ones, or are seeing more flies than your units can deal with, see our commercial pest control page or call 01926 632 929.