Consider this: One fly in the sauce cost a high-end restaurant five good customers, and likely countless others.

A woman recently told Pest HQ she was dining out with four girlfriends. Halfway through her creamy pasta dish, she found a fly.

This was not a fly that landed in her alfredo while dining alfresco. No, this fly had been thoroughly cooked in the sauce.

It was nauseating. And it made her wonder aloud how awful the kitchen must be for something like this to happen.

No surprise, she vowed to never patronize the restaurant again. Same with her gal pals, who told friends and families about their bad experience.

So yes, fly lights are good for your business. They attract and kill flying insects that can end up in your product. They eliminate flies that buzz around and annoy customers.  

Fly lights also help prevent food-borne illness. Flies feed and breed in filthy, unsanitary places, like rotting drain sludge, garbage cans and animal feces. House flies can transmit campylobacter, which causes diarrhea, fever and abdominal pain. Fruit flies carry bacteria that can make you sick.

Encounters with flies harm your business’s reputation. A viral social media post can ruin it.

Most businesses benefit from fly lights. These include restaurants, retail stores, creameries, farms, hotels, casinos, golf courses, food production facilities, grocery stores, breweries and wineries, even pet food stores.

Fly populations explode in warm weather. Prepare for the onslaught by installing fly lights.

How to use fly lights effectively

Also called insect light traps (ILTs), fly lights attract and kill house flies, fruit flies and other flying insects. The glow of the light lures in flies, which get stuck on the trap’s sticky glue board and die.

When strategically placed and maintained, ILTs alleviate fly problems around the clock. They kill flies without using pesticides. This is key for food-handling areas and when clientele includes sensitive individuals, pets or children.

ILTs should be evenly spaced in a facility. Do not install them directly over food preparation tables, in customer areas or close to doors and windows.

Fly lights are cost effective to operate 24/7. Replace light bulbs yearly and the glue board as needed.

They’re also a good way to monitor fly populations in your business. If the glue boards show higher numbers of trapped flies, it’s time to find out why and take corrective action.

This might involve:

·         Fixing torn window screens.

·         Installing door air curtains.

·         Cleaning garbage bins.

·         Moving outdoor refuse bins and composting further away from entrances.

·         Taking garbage out more frequently.

·         Removing rotting produce and disinfecting storage areas.

·         Cleaning drains to eliminate fly breeding sites.

Choose professional-grade fly lights

The experts at Pest HQ, Ontario’s leading source of DIY pest control products, recommend the Genus FLI light. Made in the U.K., Genus FLI lights catch flies 67% faster within 60 minutes compared to competitive products.

The ILT comes with a preinstalled glue board and two 15 watt fluorescent light bulbs.

Silent and stylish, the unit mounts on walls and in corners. Or use it as a free-standing device.

The lift-and-stay hinge cover makes for easy bulb replacement and cleaning. The glue board is large and grid-marked for maximum catch area and HACCP compliance. Learn more about the Genus FLI light.

Genus FLI lights ordered online from Pest HQ ship fast or can be picked up at our headquarters.

 Questions about flies and using fly lights? Our experts are here to help. Contact Pest HQ.