Commercial fly control
Flies are seasonal, mobile and easy to underestimate. Control works when the type of fly is identified and its source is closed, with fly units recording what still gets through.
Which flies are a problem on commercial sites?
Different flies point to different sources, so identification comes first. Each catch is recorded by unit in the service report, which shows where the source is.
Fly types and their usual source
| Fly | Usual source | Where the fix is |
|---|---|---|
| House fly | Waste areas, open doors, nearby organic waste | Waste management, door discipline, screening |
| Blowflies | Meat and fish waste, dead rodents in voids | Bin hygiene, finding and removing carcasses |
| Small fruit or vinegar flies | Fermenting residue in bars, drains and produce storage | Cleaning the breeding material, not spraying the adults |
| Drain flies | Organic film inside floor drains and sumps | Mechanical cleaning of drains and gully traps |
Fly units in food areas
Ultraviolet fly units attract flying insects and hold them. In food areas the programme uses glue-board units rather than electric grids, because glue boards keep the catch intact instead of scattering insect fragments, and the boards themselves become a record: what was caught, how many, and when. Units are placed away from food preparation surfaces and out of sight lines from outside, so they draw flies from inside the room rather than pulling them in from the street.
Keeping flies out
- Fly screens on opening windows in food areas.
- Self-closing doors, strip curtains or air curtains on back-of-house and dock entrances.
- Lidded bins, emptied and washed on a schedule, with waste enclosures kept clean.
- Floor drains cleaned mechanically, not just flushed.
- Produce and bar residues cleared at close.
Most of these are site actions, and the service report will name them when the fly unit catches show they are needed.
Questions facility managers ask
How often are fly unit glue boards changed?
At each service visit, or sooner in peak season if the board is full. The count on the old board is recorded before it is replaced, which is what makes seasonal trends visible.
Will a fly unit fix a fly problem on its own?
No. A unit removes and records flies that are already inside. If catches stay high, the source is still open, and the report will point to the waste area, door or drain responsible.
Related pages
Sources
Request a site audit. Our partner's technician walks the site and checks the records your verifier or committee will ask for. You receive a written scope with a monitoring layout and a quoted visit schedule.