If a cockroach were to walk
across your table in a restaurant, you would leave immediately, however,
if a fly were to land on your plate, you would probably just wave it away
and carry on eating. Yet, flies carry as much disease potential as cockroaches.
Flying insects have been found to carry a wide range of dangerous microorganisms all over their bodies, in their saliva and excreta, including E.coli, Salmonella, Klebsiella, Campylobacter and many others. Even a tiny dose of any of these is enough to cause serious disease. At the very least, insect contamination reduces product quality, making it unsaleable.
By law, food that is sold must be wholesome and free from contamination. Companies are required to demonstrate ‘due diligence’ that they have taken every precaution against contamination from flying insect pests.
Flying insect pests are highly mobile and make no distinction between food prepared for our consumption and any other surface that they land on, walk over, defecate on or eat. Many insect species have particularly unsavoury habits and therefore represent a high contamination risk to our food.
With this in mind, fly control becomes more than just hanging any unit where it can be seen. Its effectiveness, according to type and siting, has a real bearing on how much protection you and your customers receive. Poor quality or incorrectly sited units can just make matters worse by giving a false sense of security.
All fly control equipment needs regular servicing if it is to remain effective. Whilst the initial cost may be important, consider maintenance and running costs. To maintain maximum efficiency, change tubes ideally every 6 months but at
least every 12 months.
