When we think of the most dangerous pests, the names that come to our mind are probably the ones that sting or bite. House flies cannot bite or sting but can cause still cause significant harm to us.

The worst thing about flies is that they often land on trash, manure, rotten food, and even dead animals. By frequenting these places, flies can pick-up and spread several life-threatening diseases. If you are a business owner operating in the pharmaceutical or food industry, house flies can be a serious concern for you.

Though all of us are extremely familiar with them, there are many fascinating facts about house flies and their habits that many people are not aware of.

• The mouthparts required for chewing food are not present in house flies. This is why they live on a liquid diet. They are not able to chew food, they can only drink it. To do this they vomit up their digestive juices on to the solid foods they want to consume, and the food gets liquified by these digestive juices, which allows the flies to drink the resulting meal using their proboscis.
• Just like butterflies, flies use their feet to taste food because taste receptors are located on their feet and lower leg. Therefore, when flies land on a potential meal, which can be anything from your dinner to animal faeces, they tend to wander around to get the taste before consuming.
• In general, house flies defecate a lot. As they live off a liquid diet, their digestive system moves easily and quickly. It is understood that flies defecate each time they land, including when landing on your meal.
• As a result of their breeding and feeding habits, flies frequently come into close contact with many different harmful bacteria species. As a result, they are the vectors of many diseases including typhoid, cholera, dysentery, etc.
• It may sound surprising to you, but house flies can walk upside down. Their anatomy allows them to climb or walk, whether the surface is vertical, horizontal, or even upside down. Each foot of a house fly is equipped with two fat foot pads known as pulvilli containing tiny hairs capable of producing a glue-like substance.  This substance provides them excellent grip while scaling any surface.
• Flies have amazing eyes and can even see behind them. Known as compound eyes, they have an almost 360-degree view, allowing house flies to see behind them. Also, unlike human eyes, the eyes of a house fly can’t move.
• House flies have extraordinary reaction times and that’s why it is very difficult to swat one. In comparison to 60 images processed per second by the human brain, the brain of a fly can process around 250 images per second.
• The average lifespan of a housefly is around 30 days. However, in their brief life, females can lay up to 500 eggs. Therefore, it doesn’t take long for a space to get fly infested.

If you are serious about protecting your business or workplace from fly infestation, please contact us at Vectothor. Our fly light traps are designed in accordance with the vision spectrum of the house fly and offer extraordinarily high catch rates.

Preference for some colours over others is often thought to be a part of human personality. However, human beings are not the only species to have a preferred hue. Many insects including flies do show a preference for some specific shades of coloured light over others, and this is taken into account while designing a fly light trap.   

Karl von Frisch, a German Nobel prize winner, first described colour vision in honeybee over 100 years ago.  Later on, other researchers found out that many other insects are capable of perceiving colours. In fact, many of them including flies have their own favourite colours that affect their behaviour. For example, given a chance, rather than green light, flies move towards light in the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum. 

As you may already know, light travels as wave, in the form of a series of peaks and troughs. The colour of the light is determined by the distance between two adjacent peaks, which is commonly referred to as the wavelength. Ultraviolet (UV-A) light has a wavelength of less than 400 nm and is visible to flies but invisible to humans. 

When light enters the eye, it gets absorbed by a specific type of photoreceptor. When the light hits these photoreceptors, a series of reactions are triggered to send signals throughout the brain. The brain turns these signals into colour vision by compiling and comparing information from the photoreceptors. Organisms are able to see in colour because of comparisons across the photoreceptors. Most of the fly species have two types of photoreceptors. 

How Flies are Drawn to UV-A

Neuroscientists suggest that sensory perceptions are somewhat similar to ladders. Something new is added to the perception while passing through each level of processing in the brain. Most of the living beings perceive their surroundings through this multi-level, hierarchical process. However, flies also have an additional hardwired escape reflex that gets triggered by their favourite colours. Moreover, according to recent studies, there is a special brain circuit in flies that guides them toward UV-A light. The two different photoreceptors found in flies are tuned to slightly different wavelengths in the UV-A spectrum. Their photoreceptors, identify these different colours. Other information is trafficked into a colour-blind pathway. 

The propensity of flies to be drawn towards UV-A light forms the foundation of designing modern-day electronic fly killer light traps. These traps are available in a variety of shapes and sizes including wall mount, ceiling mount, wall sconce, freestanding, etc. Insect light traps are used extensively in commercial settings such as hospitals, restaurants, food processing facilities, and many other areas to achieve a fly-free environment.

At Vectothor, we offer UV-A light output optimised fly light traps that match the vision spectrum of houseflies perfectly. These traps are CE-approved, RoHS Standards compliant (Removal of Hazardous Substances), and approved for use in HACCP approved food facilities. 

To enjoy the benefits of a fly-free work environment, please contact our expert exterminators today.       

Fly control is extremely important for businesses that operate in a contamination-free environment. All such organisations need an effective fly management solution suitable for their specific environments. Compared to traditional fly light traps, the ones using LEDs are now considered to be better in terms of their environmental profile, with leading providers able to claim similar or greater efficacy, e.g., Astron LED lamps.  

Let’s us find out why LED fly light traps have now emerged as the leading choice for effective fly control and management. 

Sustainability: 

Many of you may already know that LED bulbs are significantly more energy efficient compared to conventional light and fluorescent bulbs. A typical light trap with fluorescent tubes uses three times as much electricity. 

Light output and light spectrum play a critical role in attracting flies. Many LED lamps struggle to provide light in the optimal spectrum, but leading lamps, such as the Astron LED, provide light in the spectrum required to best capture flies.

Standard fluorescent tubes need to be replaced after about one year. in contrast, LED lamps can last up to three years. Therefore, compared to fluorescent tubes, LED lamps not only use less electricity, they also stay effective for a longer period, meaning less landfill waste. 

Safety: 

Fluorescent lamps operate using several hazardous chemicals including lead and mercury, that can pose a safety risk, when disposed of.  In addition to mercury, these lamps also contain various metallic and rare earth phosphor salts as well as tungsten electrodes coated with barium, strontium, and calcium oxides. On the other hand, LEDs lamps don’t have any hazardous component that can escape into the environment. 

Attractiveness to flies: 

The photoreceptors present in the eyes of a housefly are tuned to wavelengths in the region of 350 nanometres. LED lamps can produce intense light in the UV spectrum’s most sensitive part that can be seen by flies.  As indoor environments have very little UV light, flies see the LED lamps as bright sources of light and get easily attracted to them. 

 Greater reach: 

At Vectothor, we offer environmentally responsible fly light traps that are highly effective. Utilising revolutionary Dynamic Oscillation Pulse Technology, our LED fly light traps produce optimised UV-A light to match the vision spectrum of houseflies and ensure high catch rates. Please contact our experts today to find out more about effective fly control and management. 

Over the years, many different fly control and management measures have been used around the world. Out of all these methodologies, fly light traps have now emerged as a preferred alternative because of their benefits. However, if you are looking to make the most out of them, you should be able to ensure proper usage and maintenance of your fly light traps. When used and maintained in the right way, these units can be extremely effective at both monitoring as well as killing flies. 

Mentioned below are some maintenance and usage tips that can help fly light traps function at the peak level of performance. 

Using Fly Light Traps:  

As far as the right usage of these units is concerned, location and positioning of the light trap is of prime importance.

• Light traps should be installed either on a wall adjacent to the entryway or perpendicular to it. To avoid attracting outdoor flies, it is important that the attractant light is not visible from outside.
• Avoid other sources of light that may compete with your trap and don’t place the traps in areas that are brightly lit. 
•  Don’t place anything in front of the light traps so that the flies are able to see the light without any obstruction. 
• These units are most effective when flies are funnelled into narrow spaces. Therefore, fly light tarps installed along the path to processed or stored food are highly effective.
• In food-processing premises, traps should be placed so that the flies are drawn away from the food and food preparation areas. 
• To trap overwintering flies, place traps in drop ceilings or attics. 
• Never place your light traps in areas with strong air currents.  

Fly Light Trap Maintenance:  

Please remember to regularly dust off the lamps. Also, clean the unit, and the lamps at least quarterly using warm, soapy water. NB You MUST always unplug the units before doing any maintenance. You should also check for loose electrical connections or  damaged wires.  

As a part of routine maintenance, empty the collection trays and clean them on a regular basis. Dead flies left in the trays may attract other insects. Therefore, clean them before it’s full of insects. A small paint brush can be used for this purpose. 

Glueboards become ineffective when they are dusty or full of dead flies and debris. Even if they are clean, glueboards will eventually dry out. When replacing your glueboards, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. 

Most fly light traps require the lamps to be replaced at least once every year. The lamps still look like they are working, but unless you use a UV-A meter, you would never know as UV-A light is invisible to the human eye. In the case of cheap lamps, they are often stop emitting UV-A light within 3-months and are no longer able to attract flies! 

Vectothor lamps are guaranteed to last 12-months and Vectothor also sells a UV-A meter so you can check for yourself that the lamps are working.

If you want to find out more about fly light traps and their usage or maintenance, please get in touch with our experts.   

Flies are extremely common pests found in both indoor and outdoor environments, particularly on hot summer days.  Once a few of them are spotted indoors, it is time to take control measures because they can multiply in almost no time. Therefore, this problem must be addressed as soon as possible. 

There are many different types of fly control products available. If you want the best possible protection against flies, electronic UV-A fly light traps can be a good option for you.  However, in order to ensure optimum performance of fly light traps, it is important to take certain points into consideration. In this brief discussion, we will share some simple tips that will help you achieve optimum performance from your light traps. 

Firstly, for controlling any pest around your home or business, it makes sense to gather some idea about the habits and life cycle of the pest you are looking to eliminate. Mentioned below are some important points to take into account while using a fly light trap. 

• Flies venture into our living spaces mostly in search of food. This is why they tend to gather around our kitchens or dining rooms. It is important to remember that all fly control measures are not suitable for these food handling areas.
• In general, flies prefer places with light and sunshine. Also, they are naturally drawn towards the higher parts of a room because these areas are warmer. Taking these points into account can enhance the performance of fly light traps. 
• Depending on the environment, it may help to have a set up that remains discreet, but still attracts flies using light. 

There are many different types of insect light traps available in the market, including glueboard types, electrocuting types, and combinations of the two. They also come in many different shapes and sizes such as freestanding, corner-mount, ceiling-mount, and wall-mount. More often than not, right placement of these traps is the key to better performance.  

• Inside the facility, the traps should be placed way from the windows and outside doors. 
• Traps should never be placed in areas that are brightly lit because other sources of light may complete with the light from the trap.
• It is highly effective to install the traps along the path to processed or stored food because the flies get funnelled easily into narrow spaces.
• Nothing should be placed in front of the traps so that the flies are able to see the light.
• In food-processing areas, fly light traps should be placed in a manner that draws flies away from the food. Therefore, NEVER place them near food prep surfaces or over exposed food.
• Avoid placing the traps near air blowers or in areas with strong air currents.  

If you have more questions about enhancing the performance of your fly light traps, please contact us at Vectothor.

If you are a business owner finding it difficult to get rid of flies from your facility, you need an integrated approach to eliminate them. This kind of approach to pest management and control involves both preventive methodologies as well as improving your practices to reduce or eliminate food and food waste that are responsible for attracting flies.

Many different types of fly light traps are available on the market with various types of lamps, sizes, shapes, and fly elimination techniques. Choosing the right one for a given situation can be difficult. To help you make the right decision, here are the most important factors. 

Attractiveness to flies: This is one of the most important factors to take into consideration while choosing your fly light trap. While reviewing different products, you will observe that all manufacturers clearly mention their device’s effectiveness, area covered, brightness, and much more. However, you must remember that all UV lamps are not the same. Studies indicate that the photoreceptors of flies are turned on in wavelengths of around 350 nanometres and this wavelength is closer to the UV output of high-end LEDs only. The intense light produced by high-end LEDs is within the most sensitive part of the UV spectrum, which can be seen by the flies. This is why such LED lights are a brighter light source for flies, compared to fluorescent lamps. Unfortunately there are many lamps on the market that do not perform at this high standard. So you need to be careful in your selevtion. If the price is low, be very wary of any claims made on performance.

Protected Area: Consider the shape and size of the room where you want to install the light traps. Any object blocking the UV light should also be taken into account. Naturally, compared to a dining area or restaurant kitchen, a larger unit would be required for a supermarket fresh-food counter. During installation, position your light traps between the entry point and places you want to protect. 

Energy efficiency: Energy efficiency is yet another important consideration because fly light traps are used for several hours every day. Compared to fluorescent tubes that last about a year, the life span of low energy LED lamps used in fly light traps is around three years.  The low-energy consumption and longer lifespan means reduced replacement and running costs. LEDs also have a lower carbon emission output compared to fluorescent lamps. 

These are some of the most important factors to consider when purchasing fly light traps. Instead of doing all the hard work, you can also come straight to us at Vectothor. Our environmentally responsible fly light traps can solve all your fly related problems for once and all.  

Fly infestation is a major concern for business owners around the world. This is particularly true for businesses that require a contamination-free environment. If not controlled in time, it can create a negative impact on these businesses in numerous ways. Over the years, business owners have employed many different methods for fly control in their establishments. The traditional insect light traps used for this purpose were effective at killing flies.  

With changing times, and concerns over greenhouse gas emmissions a strong market need has arisen for the use of technologies that use significantly less energy. LED technology has emerged for fly killers as a consequence offering energy savings of 50% or more when compared to traditional fluorescent lamps. The problem has been developing LED light technology that is targeted at attracting flies. Many products offer the concept, but few are effective in luring and eliminating flies. 

How do fly killers work? 

All electric fly killers attract flies using UV-A light and then killing them either by zapping them with a high-frequency electrical grid or capturing them on a glueboard. The latter method is by far the best and high-frequency electric grid models cause the flies to disintegrate and their germ laden bodies spread over large distances on the air current. For this reason only glueboard models should be used where food is present.

Functionally speaking, traditional UV-A fluorescent lamps the invisible UV-A light using mercury, and need replacing after 6-12 months. On the other hand, LEDs in addition to using significantly less energy, last for 3-years. This means lower running costs and less landfill. 

Further Advantages of LED traps:  

In addition to longer life and lower cost, LED is used extensively for fly management because of the following reasons.  

Sustainability: LED lamps use no lead and no mercury.

Safety: LED lamps contain no hazardous chemicals or glass that can shatter. 

Attractiveness to Flies: This is the challenge for this technology as most LED lamps are not as efficient in attracting flies. Ensystex has however developed their unique Dynamic Oscillation

Pulse TechnologyTM Astron LED lamps that is capable of producing UV-A light that is even more attractive to the flies than that from traditional fluorescent lamps. 

If you want to know more about LED fly traps that really work, please feel free to contact our expert exterminators at Vectothor. Our research based fly traps are not only extremely effective, but also environmentally responsible. 

Flies are infamously known as the vectors for many diseases as well as for spreading spoilage organisms in healthcare, food, and pharmaceutical industries. If you operate a business in any of these sectors, you need to follow a good hygiene regime to prevent contamination caused by flies that are attracted to food. 

In order to understand the extent and nature of the hygiene risk caused by flies, a number of studies have been conducted by scientists around the world. Their These studies suggest that flies are capable of carrying a wide range of bacteria. One of their key discoveries is that the primary route of contamination comes from flies walking on a surface.  The highest microbial diversity in the body of a fly is found oin its legs and wings. Therefore, they can spread many types of bacteria just by landing on food or surfaces. 

Flies as Disease Carriers

A wide majority of research activities on flies have been focused around microorganisms present in their gastrointestinal tract. Blowflies and houseflies tend to breed in and feed on faeces and rotting matter. As a result of their normal habits, flies encounter many microorganisms capable of causing diseases or degrading animal and plant matter. Recent studies indicate that hundreds of species of bacteria can be picked up by individual flies from the environment in which they live. 

Disease Causing Bacteria 

The most common microorganism found so far in blowflies is Wolbachia. This parasitic bacteria is found in over 60% of insect species around the world. This bacteria has a complex set of relations with its host, including parthenogenesis, killing of males, feminization of males, prevention of reproduction, and protection from viruses. However, Wolbachia is not known to have any significant impact on human health. 

Psychrobacter spp. PRwf-1 is another bacteria commonly found in flies. This bacterial strain is found mostly in permafrost soils and cold environments. However, they can adapt very well to warmer environments and can cause food spoilage. 

Hundreds of other species of bacteria are found on the flies and many of them can cause human diseases or food spoilage. 

• Enterobacter cloacae: Responsible for nosocomial infections of the urinary tract and lower respiratory tract, skin and soft tissue infections, and endocarditis. 
• Staphylococcus: Common cause of wound infections and gastroenteritis in hospitals.
• Salmonella enterica:  Responsible for a number of food borne illnesses.
• Bacillus cereus:  Capable of creating toxins that lead to food borne illness.
• Vibrio parahaemolyticus:  Common cause of gastroenteritis caused by consumption of undercooked seafood,
• Helicobacter pylori: Responsible for some types of cancer as well as stomach ulcer.
• E. coli: Certain types can cause gastroenteritis through contaminated surfaces, water, and food.
• Morganella morgana:  Causes infections in surgical wounds or urinary tract. 
• Acinetobacter baumannii:  Common cause of hospital acquired infections such as wound and burn infections, infective endocarditis, secondary meningitis, urinary tract infections (UTIs), and bacteremia. 

Based on the points discussed above, there is no denying the fact that flies can be are a huge concern for any commercial establishment. If you notice flies at your workplace, it is important for you to implement corrective measures without any delay whatsoever. At Vectothor, we offer the most advanced range of fly control devices, created specifically for your needs. Contact our experts today for more information.   

If you are a business owner frustrated dealing with flies at your factory, warehouse, or office, you should ideally opt for an integrated approach to fly elimination. Just in case you are not familiar with this approach, it includes both preventive measures as well as improving your hygiene practices to eliminate factors that attract flies to your facility. 

One of the most important parts of an integrated fly-control and management approach is to use fly light traps that allow technicians to count and record the species and number of flies captured and killed by the trap. Integrated fly control also requires you to ensure that all your exclusion policies and equipment are working in the right manner. Finally, the most critical component of this fly control approach is to ensure the fly light trap is capable of removing flies quickly. 

In today’s thriving market for fly control and elimination, there are numerous models of fly light traps with different sizes, shapes, lamp types, and elimination methods. This is why it can sometimes be difficult to choose the fly light trap that is both appropriate for your situation and effective at catching flies. 

Mentioned below are some important factors that must be taken into account while selecting a   light trap for fly elimination. 

• Attractiveness to flies: First and foremost, the fly light trap that you choose should be able to attract flies. It is important to remember that all UV lamps used in these units are not the same. There are many different ways to manufacture fluorescent lamps to alter the wavelengths emitted. It is possible to manufacture LED lamps capable of emitting particular wavelengths too. For attracting flies, the most critical factor is the relative intensity above the levels of ambient light. This is why flies are attracted more towards wavelengths outside the range of visible light. Many cheap lamps simply do not put out much light in the UV-A range. You need to remember, people cannot see UV-A light, it is invisible to us. So just because the trap has a blue light, doesn’t mean it will catch flies. You need to check the specs and use a UV-A light meter if you want to know what is going on.
• Protection Area: It is also important to consider the shape and size of the room where the light trap will be placed. Don’t forget to check the covered area rating provided by the manufacturer. While deciding on the number of units, ensure that all parts of the space receive adequate light and there are no hidden spaces and corners. Remember too, many unethical marketers will make claims that are just not true. Check the power of the lamps and how much UV-A light they provide.
• Energy Efficiency: Light traps generally operate for extended periods, and this is why it is important for them to be energy efficient.  Lower energy consumption will significantly reduce your running costs as well as environmental footprint. This is why a good LED Trap is best.
• Servicing: The lamp and the glueboard are the two components of a quality fly light trap that need to be replaced from time to time. The ease of accessing or opening the unit to replace the parts depends on its design. It is always more convenient to opt for one that can be opened and serviced easily. 
• You should only use glueboard models as electrocutor models will frazzle flies into tiny particles that contaminate food and the air you breathe.
• Aesthetics: In your commercial facility, it may not be appropriate to use light traps that are the typical metal box containing a metal grid. Nowadays, there are many stylish and unobtrusive models that match different environments while delivering excellent results. 

These were a few factors to consider while choosing your fly light trap. However, if you want to avoid the hard work, you can come straight to Vectothor. We have a wide selection of premium light traps with the highest catch rates. Please contact our experts to find out more.

Flies are one of the most common restaurant pests. Though they are tiny in size, they can cause a significant negative impact on a restaurant. Owing to their size, flies can easily slip into a restaurant and pose a serious threat to the business because of their ability to transport filth. 

Flies feed on some of the dirtiest substances on earth including sewage, faeces and garbage. They pick up millions of dangerous microorganisms such as Salmonella and E. coli while feeding on these substances. The presence of flies can be a serious headache for restaurant owners because an infestation can grow in no time. Even small infestations can lead to loss of reputation, and hence customers. In severe cases, a restaurant may even have to close down because of health code violations. 

A recent survey of diners conducted by a pest management company reveals that over 80 percent of patrons are not likely to return to a restaurant, if they spot any pest on their plate. Over 50% of the respondents also mentioned that they will report all such incidents in the form of social media posts and negative online reviews. Therefore, if you are a restaurant owner, you have to find a way to keep flies out of your facility. Due to the presence of food materials and strict industry standards, fly management in a restaurant involves special considerations. 

Prevention Tips:

In order to protect your restaurant and its reputation from flies, an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan is probably the best approach. This is a proactive approach where the control measures are tailored to your specific business requirements. Restaurant staffs should be proactively focused on maintenance and sanitation of the restaurant. 

Here are some tips the workers and management can follow to protect their hard-earned reputation. 

• First of all, the back-of-house must be kept as clean as possible. Maintaining a spotless kitchen should be your top priority because a dirty kitchen provides a favourable environment for fly infestation. All the equipment must be thoroughly cleaned and all dirty dishes should be removed from the sink before closing for the night. Also, make sure that all spills and standing water are mopped immediately. Restaurant staffs should also keep an eye out for leaky sinks and liquid build-up in kitchen drains. 
• Enforcement of strict waste management practices is also required for maintaining a fly-free restaurant. Lids of the trash cans should be tightly secured and it should be emptied regularly. During trash disposal, it must be taken all the way to the dumpster. Regular cleaning is required for the trash bins as well as dumpsters.
• The dining area of the restaurant should be cleaned several times each day. All tables and chairs should be disinfected from time to time. Also, make sure there is no debris present in the outside drains. 
• All incoming food shipments should be inspected thoroughly for fly larvae.
• Keep all the doors and windows properly sealed. 
• Regularly inspect the building exterior for feeding and breeding sites such as garbage collection areas.

If you are a restaurant owner worried about fly infestation, please contact us at Vectothor for the best possible solution. Our environment friendly fly lights are ideally suited for all food handling environments. 

Out of all flying insects, flies cause maximum damage to business establishments. Flies can be a profound problem for warehouses that store materials such as food, grain, or beverages. These tiny flying insects can ruin the inventory of a warehouse in no time by eating and laying eggs on different stored products. Not to forget, they are also capable of carrying and spreading many different diseases to human beings. 

Flies can be hard to control because of their number and size. In Australia, the most commonly found flies include houseflies, fermentation flies, and blowflies. All these types have their own distinct breeding and feeding habits. Luckily, it is possible to control flies by deploying proper preventative measures. 

Why are Flies Attracted to Warehouses? 

Before discussing the fly control tips, it is important to understand what attracts flies to a warehouse. Typically, warehouses are larges spaces often with areas of stale air. Clutter may build up and mold may grow in dark pockets in a warehouse. These often forgotten areas are ideal places for flies to thrive. Once inside, they tend to infest the entire warehouse particularly if there are any stale air spaces as staging grounds. As a warehouse owner or manager, please remember that it all starts with just a small, unnoticed corner. 

Structural Prevention: 

This is the most effective way to prevent or reduce fly contamination. 

• Window and door screening: Doors, windows, and ventilation points are the most important ingress points for flies. These entry paths can be eliminated by placing insect screens on all these points and maintaining them properly.  
• Door opening and closure: Frequent opening of doors creates an excellent opportunity for flies to enter a space. Automated door systems can be installed to keep this open time to the absolute minimum. 
• Air curtains: In a warehouse, certain doors need to remain open at all times. Air curtain can be installed at these points and the airflow should always be in an outwards direction.
• Door and window seals: Flies may also make their way into a facility through a faulty seal. Therefore, it is important to ensure that all doors, ventilation units, and windows are properly sealed. 
• Proper air conditioning: It has been observed that flies are not comfortable in cool and low odour environments. Well maintained air conditioning and ventilation systems can make your space unattractive to flies. 

Some other Measures:

Several other measures can be implemented to prevent fly infestation in warehouses.  

• There should be no flowering plants within 10 meters from any entry or exit point.
• Regular clearing and cleaning of all garbage beans, pathways, furniture, etc.
• Odour management by regular cleaning of filters and exhaust outlets.
• Waste management by ensuring that all trash is kept in sealed bags and cleared regularly.

So far, we have discussed some of the ways to prevent and manage fly infestation in warehouses. Unfortunately, infestations do happen even after implementing all these measures. If you notice any such signs in your warehouse, contact Vectothor without any delay whatsoever. Our eco-friendly fly light traps are ideally suited for all types of commercial facilities. 

Flies are amongst the most commonly found pests all over the world. In Australia, more than ten thousand species of flies are found. However, only a small percentage of them have a harmful nature. Some of the commonly found harmful flies in Australia include house fly, fruit fly, bush fly, blow fly, and fungus gnat.

Though they appear to be innocuous and don’t pose any direct physical risk to us, flies are considered to be extremely dangerous pests. Flies are responsible for spreading more than 200 different types of parasites and pathogens to humans as they regularly come in contact with rotting food, decaying animal flesh, faecal matter, trash cans, etc.

Staying safe from flies can become much easier by gaining some knowledge about them. It is important to note that flies merely do whatever comes naturally to them, without any deliberate intention to harm us. Therefore, if we are able to gather some knowledge about their behaviour, that knowledge can be used against them.

Common Flies in Australia:

Flies belong to the insect order Diptera. Unlike all other flying insects which have four wings, flies only have one pair of wings. House flies, bush flies, blow flies, stable flies, and sand flies are the most commonly found flies in Australia.

• House Flies (Musca domestica): It is said that house flies arrived in Australia with early European settlers. The adults have a length of about 5-7 mm with reddish eyes. The body colour is greyish on top and yellowish underneath, with four black stripes on the thorax. They have a creamy coloured larva that can be up to 10 mm in length.
• Bush Flies (Musca vetustissima): These are the irritating tiny flies that often get into our eyes during the summer season. The appearance of the adult is similar to that of house flies, with a length of 4 – 6 mm. Unlike house flies, however, they have two black stripes on the thorax.
• Blow flies (Calliphora): These flies are bristly and large, and tend to be drawn to our kitchens while cooking meat. In Australia, about 70 different species belonging to the genus Calliphoraare found. Typically, these flies are hairy, robust, and large. The size of these flies is almost twice compared to that of house flies.
• Stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans): These blood sucking flies bite domestic animals and people, and are also associated with livestock. They are identical to house flies in size. However, on the abdomen, they have a chequer board pattern. These are also known as March flies and deliver a painful bite.
• Biting Midges or sand flies (Culicoides): These tiny blood sucking flies torment people outdoors at dawn or dusk. These flies are so tiny that we often fail to see them. More than 150 sand fly species are found in Australia. They are about 1 – 3 mm in length and often have spotted wings.

Symptoms Indicating the Presence of Flies:

• Appearance of maggots in compost bins and kitchen tidies
• Fly droppings on benches and window sills
• Bite marks on pet ears and human skins
• A smell resembling decomposed carcasses.
• Appearance of flies circling over animal droppings.

If you notice any of these symptoms, please get in touch us at Vectothor without wasting any time. We have a range of environment friendly fly light traps designed specifically for commercial establishments.

UV-A or ultraviolet rays have emerged over the years as a major tool in integrated pest management for the elimination of house flies. One of the key fly control properties of ultraviolet light is that flies are naturally lured in the direction of its source.

Once the flies are attracted by UV rays, it is important to capture, kill, or contain them. The earliest of fly traps introduced to the market used to electrocute the flies on a grid. These fly traps are still available but it is strongly recommended that you do not use these traps. They are unhygienic and can in fact spread bacteria more rapidly than if you just ignored the houseflies. They are also noisy as they ‘zap’ the flies and more expensive to run as they use significantly more electricity.

Modern fly traps, instead of electrocuting flies, trap them on a special glueboard. There is a great deal of science that goes into glueboard design so you need to be aware of cheap, traps as these glueboards often do not hold the flies and they escape. Quality glueboards will last for over 3-month in the field and catch and hold flies, helping to keep your premises fly-free.

What is Ultraviolet Light?

On the light spectrum, ultraviolet light is found slightly to the left of the visible spectrum of light. It is measured in nanometers, and its wavelength tends to lie between 200 and 420 nm.  UV light is divided into three spectrums, UV-C, UVB, which are dangerous to people and UVA which is used in quality fly lights. UV-A has a wavelength between 300 and 400 nm.

Why Are Flies Attracted to UV Light?

We, the humans, can’t see UV light. However, flies can see ultraviolet light because of the complex structure of their eyes. The eyes of flies comprise of hundreds of tiny hexagonal lenses. These lenses create a curved lattice across the eye. As they are attracted to light, flies are said to be phototactic.

Flies get mostly attracted to UV lights with wavelengths between 350 and 370 nm.

Capturing Flies Using UV Light

Ultraviolet fly traps are used extensively these days in schools, offices, nursing homes, hospitals, and different food handling areas to eliminate flies. There are two variants of fly traps that utilise UV light, with different methods of killing or capturing the flies.  As mentioned above, you must only use glueboard models for your safety. These can then either use fluorescent lamps, or more modern units use LED lights, which are much greener as they use significantly less energy, which means they are lower cost to run. Also the lamps last 3-years, compared to 1-year for fluorescent lamps; so there is less waste being dumped.

Vectothor is the most trusted name in Australia, when it comes to effective fly management. The company offers a wide range of environment-friendly fly lights, glueboards, and many other highly effective products. If you are worried about fly infestation at your home, office, or factory, this research based organisation has the most effective solutions for you.

Flies obviously need no introduction as they are one of most common types of pests found in almost every place with human habitation. Flies lay eggs on garbage, animal faeces, and rotting organic materials. Fly infestations are not only extremely irritating, but also a potential cause for spreading many types of diseases. Some common diseases caused by flies include food poisoning, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, tuberculosis, eye infections, topical infections, etc.

Naturally, fly control is an important hygiene requirement for every business. Out of the wide spectrum of fly control alternatives available to us, LED fly killers offer the latest technology in pest control. They are not only highly effective, but also cause no harm to the environment. This brief article will tell you more about these fly killers and how they can ensure a fly-free premises for you.

LED Fly Killers:

We all know that UV light is not visible to the human eye. However, this type of light is incredibly attractive to all types of flies. Quality electric fly killers make use of this property of UV light to lure flies in and and trap them on a glueboard.

When excited by an electric charge, traditional UV bulbs give off light utlising a substance called phosphor that coats the inside of the lamps. The light is created by mercury atoms being fired on to the phosphor coating. It gives off invisible UV-A light as well as light in the visible range, and heat. These lamps degrade and within one year, the bulbs need to be replaced.

UV LED models, however, don’t use phosphor or mercury. Light emitting diodes allow electric current to flow between the positive and negative terminals of a circuit. With the right technology we can produce UV-A light in a very targeted band and no heat. UV LEDs use 50% less electricity and last 3-years, so they are not noly more effective and better for the environment, they are less expensive to run.

UV LED Fly Killer Advantages:

Compared to other fly control techniques, there are many advantages of using LED fly killers. UV LEDs are rare as few companies have the technical skills to optimise this technology for fly control but offer the following benefits.

• All of us are aware of the trademark humming sound that comes from fluorescent bulbs. This sound can be quite annoying, and is caused by magnetic ballasts used for controlling the flow of current into the bulb. LED lights, on the other hand, run completely silently because they don’t use this technology.
• Compared to fluorescent bulbs, the heat generated by LEDs is five times less. This is why UV LEDs are considered to be perfect for fly killers. All of us know how difficult it can be to deal with the extra heat generated by fluorescent bulbs, particularly during the hot Australian summer. And they use more power as a consequence.
• LEDs are tough, durable, and can be used continuously for over 20,000 hours

If you are worried about fly infestation at your home or office, please contact our experts at Vectothor. We are one of Australia’s most trusted flying insect control experts with an exquisite range of lights, glue boards, zappers, and other products for effective fly control.

Recent research published in the Journal of Medical Entomology has shown that flies inside hospitals were carrying antibiotic resistant bacteria. The majority of the flying insects caught in the hospitals in England were carrying these potentially dangerous germs. These germs included Ecoli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus.

What’s worse, is that more than half of the bacteria found on the flying insects were resistant to antibiotic treatments. Penicillin was found to be among the least effective of the antibiotics, with vancomycin and levofloxacin not too far behind. This is a vivid reminder of how the overuse of antibiotics in healthcare settings is making infections more difficult to treat.

This may seem appalling to some, due to the high hygiene standards offered by healthcare institutions. However, the researchers responsible for the article have allayed fears that bacteria could cause any serious harm. Federica Boiocchi and Anthony Hilton, authors of the study, said that the risk of infection exists. However, contrary to what some believe, this risk is not as high as one might think.

The risk of infection brought into hospitals by insects depends on the length of exposure to bacteria carried by them. The study showed that flying insects like flies assuredly carry bacteria. In contrast, the amount of bacteria carried in most cases is not enough to cause infection of people or equipment.

This doesn’t mean, however, that the presence of flying insects within a hospital should go unnoticed. If left untreated, bacteria does multiply and after several hours may be enough to contaminate patients or medical equipment.

One of the study’s lead authors said that, as a majority, British hospitals are extremely clean environments. The author commented that the risk of bacterial infection from insects is “very low”. Regardless, it’s important to take steps to prevent bacteria entering a sterile environment via flying insects, flies especially.

During the study mentioned in this article, researchers used ultraviolet light fly traps to attract insects over an 18 month period. The insects were later analysed with scientific rigour.

Of the 19,937 individual bugs captured, flies (Diptera) were the most common, representing 73.4 per cent of the sample. These included species like common houseflies, bluebottles, greenbottles, midges, and mosquitoes. Other insects caught and analysed during the study included a mix of aphids, ants, wasps, bees, and moths. These were trapped by UV light traps and inspected for presence of bacteria.

The traps were positioned in maternity wards, neonatal wards and regular wards. Traps were placed amongst patients that were at the highest risk of harm rising alongside infection. The vast majority (73.4%) of insects captured were some species of fly.

What’s perhaps most interesting, though, is the high proportion of drug resistant bacteria found in these samples. 53% of the bacteria caught on flies were resistant to antibiotic treatments. Penicillin was found to be amongst the least effective of the antibiotics. The researchers pointed out that this is a crucial reminder about the tolerance humans and animals have developed towards antibiotics.

Antibiotics in healthcare settings are making infections less serious. However, their overuse has been criticised in other studies for developing a tolerance in patients who need them. This is due to overuse of antibiotics to treat conditions that don’t necessitate their use.

Another shocking finding of the study was the widespread occurrences of flies caught breeding in hospitals. Outdoor insects were caught in some numbers within the hospitals that participated in the study. The diversity of the insects caught by UV fly light traps was astonishing.

The fact is that the chance of acquiring an infection from a flying insect is low. However, it won’t hurt to reduce their populations in hospitals just to be safe.

If you work in a hospital environment and are concerned about the presence of flies, contact Vectothor today. We will happily provide an effective pest control solution to your hospital workplace.

Vectothor supplies a range of UV fly traps that are highly effective at attracting flies and removing fly populations. We help prevent bacteria being brought into healthcare settings via house flies and other insects with our UV light traps. We are open to trade between Monday and Friday, 8:00AM to 6:00PM. Contact us today on 13 35 36 to discuss your needs.

VECTOTHOR by Ensystex delivers European design excellence in combination with University proven performance benefits. We create the most effective flying insect management system on the market.

Our environmentally responsible fly lights, fly zappers, glue boards and other pest control products are highly effective. We provide all urban pest management solutions: fly light traps, fly traps and other fly killers.

With yet another gruelling Australian summer just around the corner, many of you must be worried about flies. Compared to other pests, flies are found more commonly and are responsible for causing many different types of diseases. According to the World Health Organization, houseflies and other common species of flies are the carriers of more than 65 types of diseases. Flies are also a serious threat for business establishments, particularly the ones operating within the food industry.

Latest developments in pest control technology have led to the creation of many highly effective tools for fly control in recent times. Most of these systems work exceptionally well. Interestingly, you can also take some smart measures on your own to get rid of flies naturally.

• We all know how flies are attracted to food particles. Dirty dishes lying in your sink, half-empty pet food bowls, uncovered garbage bins are attractive food sources for flies. Check your entire house thoroughly to eliminate all these food sources. If you really need to keep food items on your dining table or anywhere else, please ensure that they are covered. Also, please remember that performing this check once in a while will not help. Get into the habit of doing this always to keep your house fly free this summer.
• If you have a pet at home, you need to do some extra work to keep flies at bay. Flies are capable of producing up to 100 eggs at a time and animal poops are one of their favourite spots for this activity. Also, please remember that fly eggs require less than 24 hours to hatch. Therefore, pet owners must ensure that the poops are picked up regularly and immediately.
• If you want to restrict flies from entering your house, it is important to find out their entry path. Apart from doors and windows, torn or damaged screens and gaps around the doors and windows are common entry routes for flies. Fixing these issues will certainly help you restrict the flies from entering. Also, the weather stripping around the door should be inspected periodically and adjusted, if required.

These are a few things you can do on your own to restrict flies from entering your house. However, if you are looking for a sure-fire way to eliminate them, Vectothor is the name you can trust. We offer a wide range of environmentally responsible fly control devices such as glue boards, fly zappers, fly lights, and much more.

If the air quality in your home is not good enough for your liking, you may have considered what you can do to freshen the place up. If you are looking to provide pure, refreshing air for your home and its occupants, Vectothor’s Air160 is definitely the product for you. You might have a lot of pets, or be a smoker, or concerned about airborne viruses or bacteria. Either way, you’re probably seeking to freshen things up in the home. Fans and air conditioning are not the best option to do so, as they simply recycle the air that is already circulating in your home. The Air160, however, uses high quality filters to remove particulates from the air and UV-C light from a Philips 60 W lamp to destroy bacteria and viruses. It leaves your home smelling and feeling clean at all times.

The Vectothor Air160 is highly effective at eliminating biological micro-organisms, and removing carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, tobacco smoke and other volatile organic compounds from the atmosphere. Airborne bacteria and viruses won’t stand a chance against the Philips UV-C light. Neither will carbon monoxide escape from the 3M filter if you live near a main road full of cars.

Formaldehyde is a common chemical present in more than 3,000 household products and may cause cancer. The Air160 will filter this out of the air. In the same regard, volatile organic compounds that can easily become vapours will be removed from the air in your home. You won’t have to worry about the smell from paint thinners, moth repellents, glues, aerosol sprays or dry cleaning fluids about the house any longer.

This fabulous air purifier is suitable for areas up to 300m³. The device circulates up to 50m³ of air per hour. Air is drawn into the underside via a high-performance, low noise fan and is expelled out the top of the unit. This creates good air circulation. Air within the chamber is disinfected using the Phillips UV-C lamp and an ionizer. The radiation from the lamp tears apart viruses, bacteria, moulds and other micro-organisms on a molecular level. This keeps the air fresh and clean.

Standard functions include time monitoring to keep a record of how long the device has been operating. This allows you to maximise the efficiency of the device. The Vectothor Air160 also features reduced noise levels and a compact unit size, making it the perfect addition for any residence, no matter how big or small.

Contact Vectothor today. We’re open to take your call from Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 6:00pm. Call us on 13 35 36 during business hours to place an order or to ask any questions about this product.

Fly trap lights are one of the most ecologically friendly ways to keep flying insect populations under control in the home or workplace. They use a high frequency UV light with glueboard trap to attract and kill flying insects and flies.

In contrast with other fly killers – aerosol sprays which may poison the ozone layer and electric fly zappers which leave dead bugs everywhere, light insect traps are a more hygienic and more effective for fly control. Correct placement of light traps is essential to ensure the best results.

Once you have bought a fly light control, you may find yourself wondering, ‘where do I position it for best effect?’ We have written the following guide to teach you where to place your UV fly lights to keep yourself and your patrons free from bothersome flies buzzing around.

Fly Trap Positioning

Best practice is to place insect light traps so they are out of view through glass doors and windows. Simply position the trap so that the light does not face windows and doors, otherwise you risk drawing flies into your premises.

You will want to place the trap in a highly visible location from indoors, but where you can’t see it from outdoors. Flies inside will be drawn to the light and become trapped, but those outside won’t be allured inside through open doors and cracks in the windows.

Ideally traps are placed at a height of 1.5 m, but for practical reasons it is often better to place them higher. They should not be placed near air-conditioning vents of or fans, nor over hot surfaces or cooking benches.

Keep Flies Away From Food

As mentioned above, you should keep fly light traps as far away from food sources as you possibly can. At least three metres should be kept between any exposed food and a fly light trap.

In similar fashion, you don’t want flies to cross over food before coming into contact with the fly light trap.

How High To Place Fly Traps

• Common house flies fly quite low to the ground, so traps should be positioned 1.5 m 3-5 feet above the ground to capture flies. For practical reasons, and to keep them out of reach of children, it is usually better to place them a little higher than this.

Fly Trap Maintenance

Your fly trap should generally require the glueboard to be changed every three months. In high risk areas, you may need to check it and replace is more frequently.

Consider a Vectothor insect light trap as an effective insect killer alternative. Don’t bother with troublesome bug zappers available from hardware stores. Invest in a highly effective and innovative fly control solution from our online store today to keep your happy occasions free from flies.

Contact Vectothor Today

Our fly light traps have been proven time and time again as highly effective ways to control fly populations. Contact Vectothor to place an order for a fly light trap today. We will be happy to answer any and all enquiries about the products advertised on our website. Give us a ring today and one of our friendly staff will be happy to speak to you.

Check out the Vectothor range of flying insect killer light traps on our Products page for more information about modern fly control solutions. Get in contact with us by calling with any questions about our solutions. We’re available between 9:00-5:30PM Monday to Friday AEST and our friendly team will happily answer your questions when you do

Houseflies are some of the most annoying pests to roam the Earth. Flies lay eggs in human and animal waste, sometimes thousands at a time, and these hatch into larvae which shortly develop into the flying insects that are so common throughout Australia. In our blog post ‘Understanding the Australian Fly’ we looked at the life cycle and food consumption of common Australian flies. Here, we discuss who the fly’s natural predators are.

Most fly predators won’t actually attack adult flies. Some of fly predators will attack the eggs, by laying their own eggs inside them, and thus preventing the emergence of the larvae. Other parasitic predators will attack larvae after they have hatched, burrowing into the flesh of the maggots and eating them for a snack. Other predators simply live in the same environment as pupae and will happily eat them for a meal.

One common predator, a Parasitoid: is a miniature wasp species who lay their eggs on top of the fly eggs. These merge with the fly eggs and the wasp larvae consumes the fly larvae. The wasp progeny will emerge from the fly’s egg having digested its meal as an adult wasp sized about the same as a fly’s head.

Spiders are one backyard friend that will happily spin webs and catch flies for a tidy meal. St Andrews Cross are one particular species of spider that spin webs amongst trees and other backyard landmarks. They catch bothersome flies and moths so keep them around.

The Australian fly’s natural predators, while essentially lethal to flies in all stages of development, from egg to larvae to pupae and adult form, are harmless to humans and our pets. As fly populations tend to grow exponentially, it’s always good to have a few predators around.

Vectothor are the experts when it comes to fly control solutions. Our UV technology is extremely effective at killing flies without the use of toxic chemicals.

Check out the Vectothor range of flying insect killer light traps on our Products page for more information about modern fly control solutions. Get in contact with us by calling with any questions about our solutions. We’re available between 9:00-5:30PM Monday to Friday AEST and our friendly team will happily answer your questions when you do.

Flies are annoying no matter the species, and you certainly don’t want them flying around your house or business premises. When you spot a fly, you probably don’t give much thought as to the type of fly it is – but you should, as they both carry bacteria and present a health risk. In this blog post Vectothor will be highlighting the difference between house flies and fruit flies so that you are easily able to tell them apart.

Appearances

House flies are easy to identify, as they are a large and common fly with bodies varying in shade from ash grey to black. They are approximately 5-8 mm in length, and they have a yellow coloured abdomen. Their eyes are brown/red in appearance and they have stripes on their thorax.

Fruit flies are much smaller, only around 3 mm in length. They are a yellow/brown coloured fly with bright red eyes, and their abdomen hangs much lower than that of the housefly. Fruit flies like to hover whereas houseflies move around at a more rapid rate.

Where are they found?

House flies can be found just about anywhere and are most attracted to rotting piles of rubbish and food scraps. Fruit flies, as the name suggests, are attracted to both fresh and rotting fruit. They are most likely to be found hanging around your kitchen and fruit bowls, and they particularly like moist environments, so you may also find them hanging around your laundry if you’ve left any damp mops or buckets lying around. Other common places to find fruit flies are around rubbish bins and even your kitchen sink.

Do Fruit Flies Pose a Health Risk?

Many people are under the impression that fruit flies pose less of a health risk than houseflies. Whilst it is true that house flies tend to prefer decaying food and are known to carry bacteria such as E. Coli and salmonella, fruit flies can also carry bacteria and germs. It is best to avoid both types of flies. Installing a Vectothor flying insect control system is ideal for this purpose.

It is especially important that flies are kept away from food preparation areas, as both species will be attracted to the products found within. Without proper control methods, there is a serious risk of spreading bacteria or flies finding their way into prepared food. This poses a serious health risk for humans. Whilst fruit flies may carry a slightly lower risk than house flies, it is simply not worth taking your chances.

Vectothor UV Insect Killer – Your Defence Against Flies

Vectothor UV insect killers provide effective control and eradication of house flies. Live worry-free knowing that your home or property is safe and protected with Vectothor flying insect control systems.

It’s particularly important to keep in mind the quality of air within your home in today’s circumstances. The advent of the global coronavirus pandemic provides a good reason to keep the quality of air within the home clean. There are many products on the market that claim to purify the atmosphere within the home. None are as efficient or effective as the Vectothor Air 160.

The Air 160 purifier uses three different innovative technologies to eliminate contaminants and micro organisms from the air within your home. Filtration systems, UV-C Light disinfection and air ionization are used in tandem to improve air quality.

Filtration removes airborne particles and pollutants from your home. The hospital grade mesh traps particles that are harmful to the human body because of their size. These particles are moved to a disinfectant chamber where an anti microbial agent destroys the particles. As well as destroying bacterium, the filter increases the efficiency of the air conditioning system in your home by trapping dust.

The second stage of the purification process uses UV-C radiation. Radiation destroys the DNA of viruses, bacteria, moulds, fungi and other micro organisms and prevents their reproduction. It is completely harmless to humans but will provide clean air that is much healthier to breathe.

The final process used to clean the air within the home is ionization. The Air 160 purifier launches 8.5 million negatively charged ions into the air as it leaves the UV-C radiation chamber. These negatively charged ions form compounds with the positively charged molecules that bacteria use to travel. These become heavy and sink to the ground where they’re captured by another filter.

Poor air quality within the home can lead to several detrimental health effects. Allergic and asthmatic symptoms, lung cancer and chronic lung problems can manifest when dust, allergens and other micro organisms are present. It’s worth investing in an air purifier to keep your home fresh and your lungs as healthy as can be.

The Vectothor Air 160 is most effective against:

• Biological organisms
• Carbon monoxide
• Formaldehyde
• Tobacco smoke
• Volatile organic compounds

All of these and more will no longer be present in your home following purchase of a Vectothor Air 160 purifier. One device is effective at purifying indoor air quality to a degree of 99.99% – within smaller areas of up to 300m3.

The Air 160 purifier is a standalone plug-and-play system. It’s easy to service, looks stylish and very effective at purifying the air within your home. To place an order today, head to our products page or get in contact with us to place a bulk order.

Vectothor have been providing air purification systems for decades now. We understand what it takes to keep your home air supply fresh. Contact us for more information.

It’s not uncommon when there are flies in the house all of a sudden to question where the flies came from, how many flies are there in Australia, how long flies live, where do flies go at night, what do flies eat and why do flies exist. Of course, your fly problem is unlikely to cease without investment in a fly light trap or other uv insect killer, but it’s interesting to know a little about this common Australian pest and how to beat them at their occupation of your own house.

How Many Flies Are In Australia?

The CSIRO estimates that there are over 30,000 species of flies living in Australia, a total sample of which only 6,400 have been discovered. The most common flies in Australia come from ten families that thrive in suburban areas as they recycle nutrients, hunt and pollinate. The most common Australian flies are the Blow Fly, Flesh Fly, Bush Fly, Fruit Fly, Cluster Fly, House Fly, Drain Fly, Lacewings, Fermentation Fly and March Fly (Horse Fly). These all have unique characteristics and thrive under different living conditions.

What Do Flies eat?

Any variety of fly requires a food source to survive. Precisely which meals are ingested by any fly depends upon their species, but these meals vary to include rubbish in bins, animal sweat and excrement, sewage, fermenting waste, fruit and other food and pollen – a truly delightful menu.

How Long Do Flies Live?

Again, each different species of fly has a different lifespan. Flies hatch from eggs as larvae, and then evolve to their final form in anywhere from one week to six months. Adult flies can then live anywhere from two weeks to two months. Of course, by investing in a commercial fly trap for your home or workspace, you significantly reduce the lifespan of any common fly found in your property. Any Ensystex product is effective at killing flies, and we are a preferred supplier of Ensystex Australia fly control products.

Where do Flies Go At Night?

Flies sleep at night, just like most other visual creatures. Flies rely on polarised light to function and become sluggish when the cooler night time temperature manifests. Flies aren’t too fussy about where they lay down to kip and aren’t too fussed about the potential for predators to be nearby. Flies will happily settle on curtains, walls, tree trunks, in plant stems, in cracks around windows and doors, etc, while they sleep. Of course, turning on your Vectothor UV insect killer at night is a great way to attract the attention of flies when other natural light sources are unavailable. Controlling flies will leave you with peace of mind and a more germ-free house.

The Australian climate is home to over 150,000 species of flies who breed just about anywhere and who love buzzing around unfortunate human victims, leaving them angry and frustrated. Waking up in the middle of the night to the low-pitched buzzing of a fly flying around is one of life’s worst happenstances. The difficulty of killing a fly in the dark (or any other time, really) is paramount, and this difficulty is only compounded when ineffective tools are used. There are a plethora of techniques that can be used to repel and kill flies within the home or business, here are just a few:

Repellent

Insect repellent is one effective method for preventing those annoying winged insects from enjoying a human snack, particularly outdoors. Insect repellent is available from a variety of well-known household brands and works by making the areas of skin covered by repellent invisible to insects. Insect repellent is easy to apply and isn’t location-exclusive, meaning once it’s applied you can walk about without fear of being bothered. However, insect repellent must be applied every two hours which can be inconvenient. Repellent can also cause irritation, especially if accidentally entered into the eyes, nose or mouth. This problem is especially common for kids who are inexperienced at applying repellent and are sometimes put off by the smell.

Mosquito Coils

Mosquito coils are another particularly effective trap that involve burning a coil of material, offensive to insects, over the course of an hour. Mosquito coils clear the area of flying insects quite rapidly can be an effective outdoor solution for small groups; when camping or hanging out in the backyard during the evening. They don’t smell and the smoke is unobtrusive, however mosquito coils can manifest clouds of insects just outside the area of effect which, in turn, results in people getting bugged whenever they leave the proximity of the coil.

Pest Management Lighting

Experts have been aware of the effects of UV lighting on insects for over seventy five years. The light waves emitted by pest management lighting are in the range of the light spectrum that is highly attractive to insects. Drawn in by the bright light, flies (and other winged insects) are then trapped by a temperature-optimised glue board and starve to death. Just like at a party, where the most aggressive partygoers are unable to resist the dance floor, flies living in an environment containing pest management lighting are unable to resist the allure of the lighting. Pest management lighting is a highly effective long-term solution for controlling flies around your whole house or business space and Vectothor has an impressive range suitable for any situation.

Get in contact with us today via phone or email to discuss your pest management needs. We’ll ask a few questions about the area of your property that requires pest management lighting and will then make recommendations about the most effective product or products for your needs. Enjoy a fly-free home today!

Australia is a great place to live, but the flies can sure be a nuisance. Whether you run a business or are simply sick of flies getting in the way at home, there are a few natural ways to deter them. Whilst ensuring that all doors and windows are shut upon entry is a great place to start, we all know that flies still manage to find their way in eventually. Using a few common household ingredients, you can create your own barrier to deter flies.

These affordable fly deterrent methods are well worth trying out around your home or business. They are by no means long-term solutions, but they will help keep your fly problem under control in the meantime. For commercial fly control you can rely upon year-round, look no further than Vectothor fly control lamps.

Fly Species in Australia – How to Identify Them

Australia is home to around 30,000 species of fly, but we usually only see four of these. Each species has different characteristics, life cycles, breeding sites and habits. Below you will find some information on each of the 4 most common flies to assist with identification.

Adult Blow fly – the blow fly is clearly distinguished by its metallic blue body. It has similar behavioural characteristics to the house fly, and is about ¼ to ½”8-12mm in length. 

House fly – the most common fly we often see indoors. It has four black stripes running along a grey coloured thorax, and usually a yellow abdomen. Eggs mature quickly, and they are particularly fond of breeding in decaying vegetable matter (e.g. uncovered rubbish bins) or even pet food. Fully grown, they are about 5-8mm in length. 

Fruit fFly – Fruit flies have a yellow/brown appearance and are about 3mm in length. They like to hover, and you will usually find them around decaying fruit or unclean areas. 

Bush fFly – Bush flies are about 2-6mm in length, and they live for between 2-5 weeks. They are attracted to humans and large animals, and they can transmit eye infections and other diseases. Bush flies look similar to house flies, but they are smaller. 

6 Natural Fly Deterrents to Try

• Basil Plants – the smell of basil is not appealing to flies, so it’s a good idea to have a few basil plants around your kitchen windows. You’ll have beautiful flavourful leaves on hand for all your cooking, and repel deter flies and mosquitoes in the process.
• Cinnamon – another potent smell which flies can’t standdislike, cinnamon will help to freshen the air too. Place a few fresh cinnamon sticks in a jar (without a lid) and help keep the flies at bay.
• Cloves – dried cloves smell lovely, but not to flies. This is one of the most effective ways of deterring flies, even more so when you combine cloves with citrus. If you don’t like the smell of cloves you might wish to try some of the other suggestions. 
• Essential Oils – aromatherapy is great for your personal enjoyment and wellbeing, but it can also help to deter flies. Essential oils which are particularly effective are peppermint, lavender, lemongrass and eucalyptus. Use this in your diffuser to keep your rooms smelling fresh and fly free.
• Lavender – Lavender is available in many different forms, and flies hate them all. Try growing fresh plants in your garden, especially near any doors or windows. You can also use dried lavender and scented candles to help keep the flies at bay. 
• Trap of apple cider vinegar – If you want to trap fruit flies which find their way inside, you can try making a homemade fly trap with apple cider vinegar. Get a shallow bowl and place a small quantity of apple cider vinegar and liquid soap inside. The flies will be attracted to the apple scent, and will become trapped in the bowl when they land. 

These methods all help, but you will still see some flies as they are not 100% effective, but they are natural and smell good.

Stop Flies Once and for All with Vectothor Fly Control Solutions

We hope you found the above fly repellent tips helpful. If you own a business and need a proven fly control system, get in touch with the team at Vectothor today. Astron lamps will help you catch more flies more quickly and are specifically targeted at the house fly vision spectrum.  Call today on +61 2 9364 1800 or email info@vectothor.com for further information. 

We all know how irritating the common house fly can be. Whether they’re landing on your freshly prepared meal, swarming around your body or finding their way inside your storage areas; there is nothing more irritating than pesky flies.  Frustrating as they may be, they are also responsible for spreading some pretty nasty diseases. No business owner wants to be dealing with frustrated customers or staff, and nor do they want to increase the chances of people falling ill. For these reasons it is important that an appropriate control method is implemented to limit the impact flies have. In this blog post we’ll highlight the reasons why flies are more than just an irritant, as well as some ways Vectothor Flying Insect Control methods can help.

The Dangers of Flies

When a fly lands on your food, your first thought might be “where has it been?” or “what germs are now present on my food?”. Given the fact that flies are associated with dirty areas and rotting waste, it’s only natural that such questions arise.

It is true that flies carry bacteria, viruses and parasites. It is possible that these can be transferred to food, however the risk from a brief visit to your food by a house fly is very low. If flies have been wandering about your food for a few minutes or more, the risk of illness increases as pathogens start to grow and multiply.

Flies can pass on the following diseases/illness:

• Typhoid
• Dysentery
• Diarrhea
• Tuberculosis
• Salmonella
• More than 60 other diseases

If you operate a food business, there are no if’s or buts – if food is visited by flies, it should be thrown out. If your preparing a sandwich at home and it is briefly visited by a fly, whether you throw it out or not depends on your own acceptable level of risk. If you are healthy and have a fully functioning immune system, there’s probably not much to worry about. Regardless you certainly should take precautionary measures to limit your risk of food being affected by flies, and you may like to try some of the following.

Preventing Flies around Your Home or Business

Keep your family, staff, and customers safe with the following fly prevention strategies:

• Remove rubbish on a frequent basis. Rubbish areas should be located away from public areas/doors, and bins should have lids.
• Cover food at all stages – including preparing, cooking and serving.
• Don’t leave food or ‘leftovers’ out in the open, as this will just attract flies.
• Install fly screens across sliding doors and all windows to prevent entry
• Clean up animal waste immediately
• Clean and sanitise cooking areas daily

Vectothor Flying Insect Control – How it Can Help

Vectothor understand all too well the frustration of flying insects, and we’re a market leader in flying insect control. If you have a fly problem and are concerned about the potential health risks associated with this, please call us today.

VECTOTHOR light trap systems will eliminate flies in the most effective and safest way possible. Our range is complimented by the following products and technologies to help your business get on top of flying insect control and track insect activity:

• Vectothor Astron Lamps
• Vectothor UV Tester
• Vectothor Natural UV-A Sunlight Technology
• Vectothor Heat Trapment – Vectothor Peregrine
• Vectothor Natural Contrast Grids
• Temperature Optimised Glueboards
• Insect Counting Software

To read more, please visit the ‘Why Vectothor’ page on our website. Please feel free to contact us today to discuss your flying insect control needs, we look forward to assisting you.

Everyone is aware of the damage that termites can do to the structure of a building, and as a prudent property manager you should be on the lookout for any signs of termite infestation. As we head into summer, you should be aware of the threat that winged termites can pose to your building. The warmer weather and humidity mean that winged termites will now be emerging from their nests and the risk of termite infestation will begin to rise.

In this blog post, Vectothor will share some helpful tips on recognising the signs of a termite problem and how our flying insect traps can help in guarding against this.

Recognising a Problem

Termites are a significant cause of damage to homes and buildings in Australia; more so than storms, flooding and fire damage combined. It is critical that you carry out a pest inspection on a regular basis, as termites are notoriously difficult to spot and can go undetected for years, all the while eating away at the structural foundations of your building.

It’s always best to catch the problem early, so it pays to be on the lookout during the summer months when large clusters of flying termites (swarms) can be easily spotted – particularly around the exterior of buildings with wood foundations. This can indicate one of two problems:

• 1 – You may have an existing termite problem
• 2 – A colony is nearby, and you may be at risk of a termite infestation

Termites swarm after a period of heavy rainfall and warm/humid weather, as they seek to start a new colony. If you’re noticing swarms inside your building, this colony may have taken up residence near your building. You should keep an eye out for any shed wings around doors/windows, as this is a key indicator for an active colony within your premises.

The first step to take is to get a professional pest inspection.

DON’T do the Following

Spray Winged Termites

There’s no point in attempting to eliminate a termite problem by spraying the swarmers as this will accomplish nothing. Worker termites, hidden inside the timber do the damage. These worker termites will remain active and continue to do damage.

Block their Escape

If you’ve managed to find the hole through which flying termites are emerging, DO NOT be tempted to block it. If you do, they’ll just find another way to escape, causing even more damage.

Ignore the Problem

It is imperative that the colony is found and eradicated, as otherwise you will have a serious problem on your hands.

Tips for Preventing Termite Infestation

Termites are very difficult to eradicate, so it’s best to take a defensive approach. There are a few things you can do to minimise your risk of termite infestation. You should consider the following:

Install an EXTERRA Termite Protection around your building to allow early detection and future eradication.

Keep all sub-floor areas clean, dry and well ventilated where possible.

Fix up leaking plumbing e.g.: downpipes, gutters and taps, and make sure there is good drainage around your home.

DO NOT build up soil, mulch or garden beds against the walls of your home.

DO NOT store timber or cellulose-based materials underneath or against the walls of your home.

Take Preventative Measures with Vectothor – Call us Today

Following a professional pest inspection, the next best line of defence against flying termites is an appropriate flying insect control system. Vectothor are the market leader in flying insect control, and we would greatly appreciate the opportunity to develop a comprehensive defence strategy to protect your property against the risk of termite infestation.

Contact Vectothor today. We look forward to assisting you.

The weather is warming up and summer is nearly here, and that means so too are the flies! There’s nothing worse than flies hanging around your kitchen, living room and other areas inside your premises. From the hygiene concerns to the irritating buzz and annoyance of having them fly around your face, flies simply have no place inside our homes.

Whilst you may be tempted to break out the chemical sprays, we urge you to hold back and instead consider the following options first. It may not be possible to eliminate the risk of flies entering your home, but there are a few precautions which can be taken. We’ll also let you know some safe control methods which won’t place the health of your family at risk.

1. Blocking Out Entry points

It may seem simple, but you would be surprised at the many different entry points flies are able to locate. You should start by installing mesh and flyscreens across all doors, and ensure that the main doors are shut at all times. It is also a good idea to call in a pest control expert, as they will be able to identify other entry/exit points and put measures in place to stop flies getting in.

2. Reduce Attraction for Flies

Flies are attracted to dirty and unhygienic areas, so if you want to reduce the attraction you will need to pay close attention to cleaning and sanitation around your home. Simple measures to take include cleaning up spills immediately, daily emptying of bins and cleaning food/water bowls daily. You should also ensure that you have adequate ventilation, as flies and other flying insects love moist environments.

3. Find the Source of Infestation

It is important to change your bins regularly, and you should also inspect flour and dry baking ingredients for signs of infestation as they both attract flies. Flies lay eggs which eventually turn into maggots, and eventually they will turn into flies. This can cause an ongoing infestation issue. You can reduce the risk of this occurring with insect control light traps. If you’re having trouble locating the source of infestation, you may need to call in a professional pest controller who will identify and advise accordingly.

4. Consider Your Control Methods

Chemical sprays should only be used as a last resort. Instead of chemical sprays, consider the use of, UV light traps, natural contrast grids, and optimised glueboards. If you would like any assistance in choosing a VECTOTHOR product, please don’t hesitate to contact us today and we’ll point you in the right direction. We are at the forefront of UV light control, offering the most powerful traps on the market. With environmentally responsible design, HACCP compliance, proven performance with money back guarantee and 24 hr support, we are leading innovations in pest management.

Vectothor Products make Fly Control EASY – Contact Us Today

Don’t put up with pesky flies this summer. Not only are they incredibly irritating, but they are also a sanitation risk which could threaten the health of your friends and family. Contact Vectothor today and we’ll find the right flying insect control solution for you

Over the years, different types of pest control techniques have been used around the world with varied degrees of success. Unfortunately, pest infestation continues to be a major concern for all of us.  However, a recent boom in lighting technology has opened up an unexpected avenue to effective pest management. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are being used now to create a pest-free environment.

Please note that the idea of using light for fighting insects is not new. For example, for many years, bug zappers have been used, taking advantage of flying insects’ attraction to light. Green and yellow fluorescent lights are also used commonly to control insect activity. It has also been found that reflective mulching sheets are capable of repelling whiteflies and aphids, when they are placed between two or more rows of crops.

Lights for Pest Management:

Scientists have been aware of the capability of ultraviolet (UV) light to kill microbes for more than a century. As a result, UV lights have been used extensively for food, air, and water purification. Over the last two decades, the field of LEDs has experienced tremendous progress and now we can make light do things that was unthinkable a century ago.

Unlike the gases of fluorescent and incandescent bulbs, solid-state lighting using LEDs provides intricate control over colour, wavelength, and tone. Energy efficiency is the foremost reason behind the growing popularity of LEDs. However, LEDs are also gaining a lot of attention recently because of their applications in modern pest management methodologies.

What Types of Lights are Attractive to Pests?

We, human beings, are capable of seeing light wavelengths that fall within the visible spectrum between 400 and 800 nanometers. In terms of colours, this ranges between violet and red. However, our range of visibility does not include ultraviolet (UV) light at the wavelength of 300 – 390 nm. On the other hand, the range of perceivable light for many insects is solely within the wavelengths of 300-450 nm. The wavelength range of 380-420 nm is most preferable for attacting insects, which is the core range for UV-A light. One of the most important factors in terms of attracting insects is the UV-A output of a light source.

In addition to the wavelength and colour, insects also get attracted by the brightness and heat generated by the light. Lights with higher wattage generate more brightness, and have a greater drawing distance. Lights with glowing filaments generate more heat and cool lights with flowing gases create a lower amount of heat.

Important Characteristic Features of LED:  

The wavelength of LED bulbs can range between UV (350 nm) and infrared (700 nm). Since light in the UV-B range around 350 nm is dangerous, it is important to make sure only quality LED lights are used that maintain all the light output in the safe UV-A range.

The pattern of emitted light depends on the angle of dispersion and can range from broadly diffuse to extremely narrow. The amount of current passing through the bulb determines the brightness of an LED. Compared to incandescent bulbs, LED lights consume significantly less power and last much longer.

LEDs that emit significant amounts of UV-A light are new to the market.

Do LEDs Attract Insects?

Most types of LEDs generate little heat and don’t emit UV light, and are of no attraction whatsoever to insects. However, the LEDs used for pest control and management are specially manufactured so that they can produce UV-A light, and attract the insects.

How to Choose LED Light:

LED light in the UV-A range on its own has been shown to be not very attractive to insects. At Vectothor, we have recently created a breakthrough in pest management by utilising the LED technology with our exclusive Dynamic Oscillation Pulse Technology™, to provide the highest levels of insect attraction on the market. We have launched an exciting range of products using this technology. Our devices provide a significantly higher fly catch rates compared to similar products, while saving you almost 50% in energy costs and there is less land-fill as the lamps last three times longer too.

From energy-efficient light bulbs to fuel-efficient cars, most of the eco-friendly initiatives not only protect the environment, but also benefit the uses. The same concept holds true for shifting to an environment-friendly pest control strategy.  In most instances, these techniques replace the traditional pest control methodologies that use harsh chemicals or chemical based products. In addition to safeguarding the environment, these eco-friendly measures can keep your home or business safe from pests as well as exposure to the harmful chemicals.

In the recent years, the pest control industry has witnessed the emergence of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs that utilise the latest technological advances. These programs take a holistic approach to pest management that involves addressing the root causes of the problem such as the pursuit of the pests for shelter, water, and food.

Adverse Impact of Pesticides:

The use of pesticides has increased steadily throughout Australia since the 1990s. At present, there are more than eight thousand formally registered pesticide products in the country. The Australian Bureau of Statistics mentions that in Queensland, the households spend $180 million per year on pesticides. These are unnerving figures considering the degree of damage these pesticides can cause to the environment and human health.

• Even when the pesticides are applied to a confined space, they tend to travel outside the space through water, soil, or air. Depending on their chemical composition, pesticides may remain in the environment for many years before getting decomposed.
• Use of pesticides has been linked to the killing of non-target creatures including pollinators such as hummingbirds and butterflies, as well as lizards and several small mammals.
• Pesticide exposure for human beings may lead to issues related to their overall health, development, and reproduction. Birth defects, cancer, genetic changes, blood disorders, and nervous system malfunction are some of the effects of chronic pesticide exposure.
• Pets exposed to pesticides may display symptoms such as vomiting and fever to respiratory failure and seizures.

Benefits of Eco-friendly Techniques:

Eco-friendly pest management involves the use of biological or natural controls such as light, oils, tastes, scents, etc. along with greener and safe chemicals to target specific pest species, without affecting others.  In addition to being safe for the nature and human beings, these pest management techniques have many other benefits.

• These techniques generally provide long-lasting results because they address the root cause of pest infestation.
• Traditional pest control using pesticides can ruin your landscape by destroying the grass, plants, and bushes. No such problem has been reported while using environment-friendly management techniques.
• Use of pesticides kills certain insect species that are beneficial for us. However, there are no such problems with eco-friendly pest control methods because they are specifically targeted.
• No need to deal with string and obnoxious smells.
• Unlike pesticides, there is no need to evacuate the house for treatment.

Some Examples of Eco-friendly Pest Management:

• Fly Lights: These units utilise UV light to attract flying insects and arrests them on a non-toxic sticky board.
• Heat Treatments: This treatment method uses a portable heater and duct to heat the pest infested area. The heat penetrates into the harborage areas to eradicate the pests. Heat treatment also helps prevent the growth of bacteria, viruses, and mold.
• Odor Neutralizer: This is a specialised device used to eliminate persistent odors that are known to attract pests.
• Active Monitors: A latest technological innovation, active monitors use scent technologies, carbon dioxide, and advanced heat to draw pests out of its dwellings.

Use of LED light

In addition to the alternatives mentioned above, LED light traps are also used extensively these days as an environment friendly pest control alternative.

Some of the environmental advantages of using LED lights are mentioned below.

• Compared to incandescent or fluorescent and light, LED lights are up to 80% more energy efficient.
• LED lights do not contain any toxic elements
• LED Lights have approximately six times longer lifespan compared other types of lights. This translates to a significantly lower carbon emission. Moreover, a longer life means fewer replacements, and reduced resource utilisation for the manufacturing process.

At Vectothor, we have recently made use of this advanced technology to deliver a new standard for pest control and management. By combining LED technology with our unique Dynamic Oscillation Pulse Technology™, we are offering a range of products capable of creating light beam fluctuations that can significantly improve fly catch rates. These LED lamps consume 50% lower energy compared to traditional lights, and do not contain lead, mercury, or any other environmental pollutant.

Insect Light Traps (ILTs) have emerged these days as an extremely popular alternative to get rid of flying insects. Whether you install and maintain the device on your own or engage a third-party pest management company for this purpose, there are a number of insect light traps installation and maintenance guidelines to be followed. Mentioned below are a few simple tips that will not only enhance the performance of ILTs, but also keep it operational for a long duration.

Insect light traps (ILTs) are now available in different types such as the glue board type, the electrocuting type, and a combination of these two types. They are also available in a wide range of sizes and shapes including freestanding, corner-mount, ceiling-mount, wall-mount, wall sconces, etc.

Before the installation of insect light traps, it is useful to take the following three factors into account.

• Pressure Assessment: Work closely with the custodial staff of the establishment to thoroughly analyse the production flow, entry points, and operational practices such as waste disposal. This will provide you a clear understanding of the places with maximum pressure.
• Strategic Placement: This is the most important step in the installation of insect light traps. Installation best practices include placement of the units in the interior walls next to loading-dock doors or exterior doorways at a height of two to five feet. In case of outdoor walls of the production area, the ILTs should be placed approximately at a distance of five feet from your door. Also, please don’t ignore areas where different external items are brought in, such as office areas, break rooms, cafeteria, etc.
• Sensitive Area Protection: In case of areas that are sensitive, it is better to use ILTs with covered glueboards so that the captured insects are not blown away by air currents. If you need to identify an insect, a clear plastic may be placed over the glueboard.

Choosing the best location:

All insect light traps come with detailed instructions for installation assistance. However, the selection of the best location depends a great deal on the activities and local layout of the facility. Please follow the installation guidelines mentioned below for maximum efficiency of your new ILT.

• A large majority of problems related to flying insects are caused by pests coming from outdoors. While installing ILTs, you should always try to place them between the areas you want to protect and the major entry points. This will ensure interception of the pests before they can reach areas that are most sensitive.
• All ILTs are designed is a way that attracts the pests. Therefore, you should never install them close to the points you want to protect. Instead, install them in areas that are likely to divert the insects away from those areas.
• The presence of sunlight is another factor that must be considered while installing ILTs. Regardless of how strong you indoor lights are, sun will always outshine them. Whenever there is a competition between direct sunrays and an insect light trap, the sun will always be the winner. Therefore, you should always try to place your light traps as far away as possible from windows. Ideally, you should look for areas with shadow or dark background.
• If your business has anything to do with food, make it a point not to use electrocuting traps. These units will bring the food in direct contact with insect fragments. They are banned by the US FDA. Traps with glue boards are required for food areas. However, even these traps should not be placed directly over food handling surfaces.
• Most of the common flying insects prefer flying within a height of three to six feet above the ground. Therefore, installation near this height range will undoubtedly maximise the capture efficiency of the device.
• Avoid installing light traps in narrow passageways or other areas that experience high workplace activity because this may lead to potential damage of the unit.
• Avoid installing these units near or directly above potentially hazardous areas such as deep fryers, extreme heat ovens, etc.

ILT Maintenance:

In order to maintain its effectiveness, your ILT requires periodic maintenance. Over a period of time, airborne grease and dust tends to collect on the units.  Naturally, this reduces the efficiency of the devices. Glue-boards will also require replacement.

Here are a few more things you may do to maintain the performance of your ILT.

• Carry out routine service and regular inspection of bulbs and glue boards.
• Change the bulbs as required by the manufacturer.

If you are planning to install ILTs for your home or business, please get in touch with Vectothor’s team of experts. We provide the market’s most effective flying insect management systems capable of killing maximum flying insects in minimum time.

Effective pest management has always been a challenge for commercial establishments. The presence of insects not only spoils the environment of a workplace, certain businesses also require a pest-free premise for their regular operations. In the recent years, insect light traps have emerged as a popular alternative, especially for eliminating the flying insects.

Before discussing ahead, let us discuss what an insect light trap is. These devices utilise a unique technology to effectively and hygienically capture flying insects. Unlike the conventional electric insect killers, these devices make use of UV light technology to attract the insects and trap them on a concealed glue board. The functioning of these devices is based on the well known fact that insects are attracted to light.

Components of Flying Insect Traps:

Though there can be certain variations across manufacturers of different types of trap, an insect light trap, in general, is comprised of the following components.

• Housing: Most of the traps are a light source placed within a cage-like structure.
• Light: A source of ultraviolet (UV) light, or black light is placed in the housing and the flying insects are attracted towards the emitted light.
• Attractant: After the insects are lured closer by the UV-A light source, a glueboard is recommended to be used to trap them, especially if food is present or hygiene is important. In some cases, certain pheromones or smells are used to attract the insects.
• Trap: Some insect light traps eliminate the flying objects by electrocuting them. In such cases, a pan placed at the bottom is used to catch them. On the other hand, in case of glue boards, the insects are trapped by the adhesive. Electrocution models are NOT recommended as the insects fragment on contact and can contaminate food and sterile areas.

Placing the Trap:

In order to ensure maximum efficiency for your insect light trap, their strategic placement around the property is extremely important. Mentioned below are some simple guidelines for placing insect light traps.

• Placing an insect light trap near the entrance of a room will ensure that the device is able to trap the maximum number if insects before they can enter the room.
• Target the areas that are known have high insect population.
• Most of the flying insects prefer living in warmer areas. Therefore, it makes sense to place the traps in areas with temperatures around 25-30 degrees centigrade.

How do Insect Light Traps Work

Before discussing how insect light traps work, it is important to understand why insects are attracted to light sources. Interestingly, there are a number of theories offering a possible explanation of this insect behavior.

Some insects are attracted to light because they consider this to be a safety signal. Another popular theory suggests that insects use light sources as a navigational aid. This method, however, only works as long as the light source is constant.

It is important to note that all insects are not attracted to light. This behavioral difference can be explained by a phenomenon known as phototaxis. Certain insects (cockroaches and earthworms) have a negative phototaxis, and are repelled by light sources.  On the other hand, insects such as flies and moths are naturally attracted to light because they have positive phototaxis.

Moreover, though human beings can’t see UV light, a number of flying insects can see and get readily attracted by UV light. This is the reason why UV lights are extremely preferred for insect light traps.

Some Expert Tips for Using Insect Light Traps:

If you have already decided to install an insect light trap, here are some additional recommendations for you.

• Avoid installing an insect light trap near water or damp locations, competing light sources, and excessive heat sources.
• Never use electronic grid traps in food areas. They can cause contamination and disease of flying insect parts as the insects disintegrate on contact.
• Always use glueboard models where food is present or hygiene is important.
• Place the insect light traps traps in a manner so that the insects are not drawn near or across any process, product, or related materials.
• In case of food processing industries, the insect light traps should be placed in a way that intercepts the insects before they enter the processing areas.
• The unit should be placed carefully to ensure that it can be easily accessed for inspection and periodic service of bulbs and glue boards.

We encounter a wide variety of flying insects in our houses and yards. Effective flying insect management demands their accurate identification followed by the implementation of proper preventive as well as corrective measures. In this article, you will find loads of useful information related to the most common flying insects including their appearance, prevention, and removal.

Bees and Wasps: Many of you may not be aware of the fact that bees and wasps are responsible for sending over 500,000 people each year to the emergency room. However, at the same time, these flying insects play a crucial role for the environment by pollinating the fruits and vegetables consumed by us. Removal of bees and wasps can be a dangerous practice and should be performed only a professional.

Mentioned below are the most common types of bees and wasps.

• Baldfaced Hornet: These wasps have a bluish-black color and white marks on their abdomen, upper body, and face. Their nests can be up to three feet long, and are mostly found attached to bushes, trees, and buildings. Baldfaced hornets are extremely protective about their nesting areas.
• Bumble Bees: They have a body length of about one inch, and their hair-covered bodies have black and yellow stripes. Their preferred nesting places include burrows on or near the ground. In order prevent nesting; remove all materials they may use for this purpose.
• Carpenter Bees: They are almost similar to bumble bees in appearance. However, yellow hairs are found only on the upper front portion of their body. Their abdomen can be purple metallic, green, or blue-black in color. Carpenter bees prefer being close to different wooden structures. These pests can be kept away by staining and painting wood.
• European Paper Wasps: Black and white in color with yellow stripes, these wasps are extremely common around homes. Their nests are commonly found hanging from overhangs of homes and tree branches. These wasps are about one inch long.
• Yellow Jackets: Very close to hornets in terms of appearance, yellow jackets have black and yellow stripes in their abdomen. They nest in underground burrows, holes inside the walls, or hollow logs.
• Honey Bees: These are social insects that build hives in different types of man-made structures and hollow trees. They are responsible for the pollination of some of the most important crops. Honey bees can be extremely aggressive if they are disturbed.

Boxelder Bugs: As the name suggests, these insects are found on and near Boxelder trees. They thrive during the summer months and feed on seeds, flowers, and leaves. Boxelder bugs are quite harmless because they don’t sting or bite. However, secretion from their bodies can leave stains on drapes, furniture, and clothing. It has been observed that Boxelder bugs are attracted towards homes with lots of sunlight and western or southern exposure. As the first line of defence, make sure there are no Boxelder trees in your house. If there is a tree in your neighbour’s property, fix all the cracks, holes, and crevices in your house with a good quality caulk.

Flies: Flies are found in a wide range of habitats and they there can be a significant variation in lifestyle and appearance amongst different fly species. In addition to being a nuisance, they are also the carriers of serious diseases such as typhoid, diarrhoea tuberculosis, dysentery, and many other food borne illnesses. The most common fly species include blow flies, cluster flies, drain flies, fruit flies, house flies, and phorid flies.

Some of the prevention tips that you may follow are

• Keep your doors and windows close, whenever possible. Use mesh screen on all your doors and windows.
• Ensure that all the garbage lids are closed and there is no trash inside the house.
• Use of insecticides
• Use of ultraviolet light traps

Ladybug: These insects are found in many different colors including yellow, shiny black, orange, red, or brown, with dark spots and markings. Though they are beneficial in general, ladybugs can become a bother because they tend to look for shelters in buildings. Sealing the cracks around the doors, windows, siding, and other openings is the best way to keep these insects out of home. If you already have ladybugs in the house, remove them by using a vacuum.

Mosquitoes: Mosquitoes are one of the most harmful flying insects because they are the carriers of several critical illnesses. Areas with warm temperatures and high rainfall are preferred dwelling places for them. One of the best ways to reduce mosquito population around your house is to eliminate standing water in plastic covers, buckets, old tires, rain gutters, and other containers. Also, the water in the potted plant trays, rain barrels, wading pools, fountains, and birdbaths must be changed once every week.

Stink Bugs: Stink bugs are found in different shades of brown, and have white stripes along the abdomen, antennae, and legs. These flying insects are seen in large numbers in warm, sunny, and reflective surfaces. They often infiltrate homes inadvertently in fall, while looking for warm places. In most instances, they enter homes through cracks near the door and window frames, chimneys, or air vents. Stink bugs can be kept away by sealing all the cracks and placing wire screens over all the openings.

If you notice any flying insect at your home, contact us immediately. Please remember that the removal of these pests can sometimes be extremely dangerous. At Vectothor, we have a wealth of experience in managing all types of flying insects. Get in touch with our experts today to discuss your problem.

Though termites do not fall under the category of flying insects, some of them can fly for a relatively short time period before losing their wings. Workers, soldiers, and alates are the three termite castes found inside a termite colony. Out of these three, only the alates can fly. These termites are sexually developed and their flying pattern is referred to as swarming. This is why the presence of flying termites at your home is the indication of a serious problem in the days to come. Luckily, however, there are quite a few flying termite control and prevention techniques you can implement.

Why do Termites Swarm?

Swarming of termites takes place for the purpose of breeding and starting new termite colonies. This stage is the beginning of the life cycle of the termites. During the swarming season, sexually developed and winged males and females abandon their nests and take flight. A large number of winged termites congregate in their flight and mate with other members from the same or other colonies. After successful mating, these flying termites shed their wings and start their new colonies.

How to Identify Flying Termites?  

Timely identification is extremely essential in order to implement proper preventive measures against termite infestation. Fortunately, flying termites differ significantly in their appearance from other flying insects. Depending on their species, flying termites are found in a wide range of colors. In general, like other castes, the flying termites mostly have a tan or beige colored body. They are equipped with two straight antennae with a slight curve and two sets of wings that have same length. The wings are translucent or white in color and have a veiny appearance. Termites can also be identified by their thick body that comprises of just one part. Also, they do not have a constriction between the abdomen and thorax.

Often times, the identification of flying termites can be confusing because of their similarity with flying ants. In some instances, you may dismiss flying termites and white ants. However, please remember that there is no such thing as white ant.

Mentioned below are few quick tips to distinguish between flying termites and flying ants.

• Waist Shape: The waists of the ants have a pinched appearance between the abdomen and thorax. On the other hand, the body of the termites appear straight throughout.
• Antennae: The antennae of the flying ants tend to be bent in the middle. However, the flying termites have antennae that look like springs that can extend straight.
• Wing Length: Flying ants have wings with unequal length that layer upon one another. The wings of the flying termites are distinctly identifiable because they are symmetrical in nature.

Indications of Flying Termite Infestation:

Even if you are not able to see flying termites in and around your home, your house may have already fallen prey to them. Take immediate measures if you notice any of the following indications.

• Swarm of winged insects with beaded and straight antennae
• Mud concentrations on exterior walls and wooden beams
• Cracked paint or wood
• Termite droppings
• Laminated floors with blisters
• Carpets with holes
• Walls with holes and cavities
• Ceilings with buckles resembling signs of water damage

How to Get Rid of Flying Termites:

Though this task is best left to the professionals, there are certain simple tactics every homeowner can implement to prevent their home from flying termites. Firstly, please ensure that termites do not have any access to food, which, for them is mostly wood.

• Remove wood mulch and plant debris from your garden or porch
• Remove paper, lumber, and firewood piles away from infested areas. If you need to store wood outside the home during the winter, raise it above the ground so that there is no soil contact.
• Remove all termite infested trees and wooden stumps

Moisture control is another effective alternative to keep flying termites away. Here are a few simple tips that may help.

• Repair all the leaky pipes, faucets, and A/C units
• Clean your gutters and downspouts on a regular basis
• Seal all entry points to your building around water pipes
• Make sure there is no water accumulation on the roof

As far as treatment is concerned, there are many different alternatives depending on the types of termite. It is always better to engage professional exterminators because they can properly identify the problem and recommend different treatment options. At Vectothor, we have been helping home and office owners keep their properties free from all types of flying insects for many years. Contact us today to create a comprehensive flying insect mitigation plan for your property.

The term wasp represents all insects of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita, excluding all types of bees and ants. Hornets and yellow jackets are the most common types of wasps.  As the Australian summer starts to get hotter and the fall approaches us, the menace of wasps takes a serious proportion. These pests not only threaten your home or office, but may also cause serious harm to the health of the occupants. Wasp stings are known to cause reactions ranging from mild swelling and redness to emergency situations. Luckily, these are several ways to keep wasps away.

Before discussing preventive measures, it is important to understand certain behavioural traits of wasps. Please remember that their most preferred nesting areas are the crevices and other structures around your building. Holes or breaks on the exterior framing or siding are excellent homes for these pests. Therefore, it makes sense to have your building exterior checked by a professional from time to time.

Yellow jacket infestation can be dangerous because they are aggressive and tend to burrow in the yard or the building structure. This is why their nests are not always visible.  On the other hand, the nests built by the hornets are generally visible on trees and structures. Hornets can be identified by their black and white colour, and are extremely aggressive. Some other kinds of wasps and hornets are also found in mud.

Keeping Wasps Away:

At the very beginning, please note that chemical treatment for wasp management is not usually recommended unless you can directly treat the colony.

• Prevention: This is always the first and the most important step in keeping wasps away. Wasps generally prefer nesting in different opportune areas of a home. They are attracted by all types of food and sweet materials such as nectar, lotions, perfumes, etc. Therefore, you can keep them out by covering the trash cans and removing all unwanted food waste.

Proper maintenance of the building structure is also important because wasps love building their nests on the crevices, broken panels, or sidings. Make sure all your windows and doors are perfectly functional so that the wasps can’t fly in. Fill up the rodent holes in your yard with dirt or soil because these are potential burrows for the wasps.

• Wasp Repellent Plants: Take a closer look at your landscaping pattern and remove flowers from the areas where you like spending time. Replace the flowers with wasp deterring plants such as wormwood, eucalyptus, thyme citronella, and spearmint.
• Peppermint Oil: It is reported that wasps can’t tolerate any type of mint. Therefore, in addition to planting all types of mint, place cotton pads soaked in peppermint oil at strategic locations around the building. Target the spots where old nests were discovered in the past.
• Essential Oil Blend: Recent studies have revealed that a blend of clove, lemongrass, and geranium essential oils is an effective wasp repellent. Therefore, you may apply a mix of these essential oils along with a small quantity of dish soap in the preferred nesting areas.
• Sugar and Water Traps: These traps contain a tempting treat resembling sugar water to attract the wasps inside. However, after getting inside the trap, the wasps can’t find their way out. These traps can be made easily at home by cutting a two litre plastic bottle’s top and placing it inside the bottom in an inverted manner.

Wasp Nest Removal Tips:

This can be a dangerous practice and it is recommended to hire a professional for the removal of wasp nests. If you are looking to do this on your own, you must visit your doctor and make sure that you are not allergic to wasp stings. Wear proper protective clothing throughout the process and keep an escape route in your mind, in case the wasps start swarming.

At Vectothor, we are a team of specialists offering state-of-the-art techniques to manage all types of flying insects. Please contact us today to find out more about building a wasp free home or office.

The summer season is here, and I am sure many of you are looking for ways to ensure a mosquito bite free season. We all know how irritating mosquitoes can be. However, many of us are unaware of the health risk that mosquitoes pose in some parts of Australia. Every year, approximately five thousand Australians suffer from Ross River virus infection. In fact, the largest ever mosquito-borne Ross River virus outbreak was reported in 2015.

Hiding indoors is certainly not the best possible alternative to stay safe from mosquitoes. Though many different types of pesticides are available, most of these products may have a harmful impact on your family’s health. Therefore, in order to stop mosquito bites, it is always better to take adequate preventive measures and making use of some time-tested natural remedies.

Eliminate Standing Water: This is undoubtedly the most important measure to keep mosquitoes away from your backyard. Standing water provides the perfect environment for the mosquito larvae to grow. Check your garden area to make sure there is no water in the pots. Keep all your water holding containers covered, and drain them out regularly. This may include slumped tarpaulins, discarded tyres, buckets, children’s toys, and much more. Even your pet’s water bowl can be a home for the mosquitoes. Therefore, before refilling, empty the same at least once every week.

Neglected swimming pools are excellent breeding grounds for mosquitoes. It is advisable to keep your pool chlorinated, and clean it twice a month. Don’t forget to check your pool filter for clogging.

Sometimes, the source of your mosquito problem may be above the building. A blocked roof gutter with trapped water is a preferred habitat for mosquitoes. Therefore, it is important to clean out sand, soil, and other debris that may accumulate from time to time.

Marigold Plantation:

It is a great idea to plant marigold in your backyard because this flowering plant is known to have excellent mosquito repellent properties. The marigold flowers are pleasing to the eyes, and their fragrance keeps mosquitoes away. You may also consider planting catnip, basil, and lavender because all these plants come with a natural smell that are unpleasant to mosquitoes, but pleasant to us.

Natural Insecticides:

Instead of using chemical based harsh insecticides, it is always safer to rely on some natural homemade alternatives. It is possible to prepare an effective mosquito repellent at home by mixing vanilla extract with witch hazel and one tablespoon of water. This mixture can be applied on all the exposed areas of the body to keep mosquitoes away. It can also be applied on the areas of mosquito bites for quick relief.

Another good homemade mosquito repellent is the mixture of apple cider vinegar and small pieces of chopped apples. Fill up a bottle with this mixture and keep it near your garden area.

Chilli Pepper Spray:

Chilli powder contains capsaicin, the substance that makes our mouth burn. The strong odor of capsaicin makes chilli powder an excellent mosquito repellent. It is quite simple to make this spray at home by mixing chilli peppers and water and boiling the mixture for about five to ten minutes. You may also mix small amount of a mild liquid soap. Spray this mixture in your backyard and garden area for a mosquito-free summer. This spray, however, must be used with extreme caution because it may cause harm to human skin.

Diatomaceous Earth:

A naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock, diatomaceous earth has significant insecticide properties. It absorbs the lipid content from the exoskeleton of the insects, leading to their death.  Available in any gardening store, it can be applied all over the garden.

Other Insecticides:

There are thousands of mosquito control products available in the market. However, while choosing a product, make sure the same is registered with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) and follow the instructions meticulously. As far as the topical mosquito repellents are concerned, products containing picaridin and DEET (diethyltoluamide) provide the most long lasting protection. However, as mentioned at the very beginning, it is always better to use plant-based product such as tea tree oil.

Mosquito Traps: 

We do not recommend Vectothor for mosquitoes. These are not the best available alternative to stay safe from mosquito bites because they are capable of catching only a limited number of mosquitoes while decimating many beneficial insect populations.

At Vectothor, we have a team of flying insect management experts dedicated to helping you enjoy a healthy, insect-free life. We have a comprehensive range of products tailored to meet your exact requirements. Please contact us today to find answers to all your mosquito related problems.

Flying insects are a universal cause of contamination throughout the food processing, manufacturing, and distribution businesses all over the world. As the summer months approach, this problem often becomes a huge issue. Controlling and trapping them is not the easiest of tasks because of their number and size. If left unchecked, these flying insects may start spreading illness and diseases by moving freely between garbage and food products.

From moths and mosquitoes to beetles, wasps, ladybugs, and different types of flies, there are over three hundred different flying objects that are continuous threats for food facilities that require consistent sanitation in order to comply with regulatory standards. Though flies are treated with maximum importance in this regards, night-flying moths and mosquitoes are more common intruders compared to them.

Trash cans with decaying debris, drains, crevices, and cracks can very easily attract phorid flies, bottle flies, fruit flies, and common house flies. Standing water is not only responsible for mosquito infestation, but it also invites fall invaders such as Asian ladybeetles and stinkbugs.

Though all flying insects have different breeding and feeding habits, it is possible to control all of them by properly deployed preventative measures. Before discussing how to protect your food business from flying insects, however, it is important to explain a few other relevant points.

What Attracts the Flying Insects?

Heat and odor, along with decaying food, debris, scum, and trash are the foremost flying insect attractants. Also, facilities with aging infrastructures such as old reservoirs, faulty sewer lines can very easily become breeding grounds for flying insects.

Areas with organic materials such as food wastes can be extremely attractive for filth flies and blow files. In fact, decaying organic material is a favorite breeding site for filth flies and they tend to follow both moisture and odor trails in search of these sites. In addition to food particles, different flying insects are also attracted to light for both warmth and heat. They are also attracted sometimes by the pheromones from other insects of the same species.

Key Food Business Hazards Caused by Flying Insects

• Flying insects tend to feed indiscriminately on excrement, waste, and food products. This invariably results in spreading of bacteria between different sources of food.
• Flying insects carry numerous unsanitary organisms that have extremely harmful impact on human health. Any deposition of these organisms on the produced food materials results in risk of disease transmission and increased spoilage.
• Flying insects sometimes embed themselves within the food particles, leading to further spoilage of food.
• All countries around the world have strict regulations prohibiting the presence of any flying insects within the premises of a food business. Therefore, adequate measures must be implemented by the business to control and eliminate all flying insects.

While implementing any pest control strategy, it is always better to consider preventative measures at the beginning. If these measures are strong enough, the requirement for major elimination procedures may reduce significantly. Mentioned below are some of the most important prevention strategies to protect your food business from flying insects.

Structural Prevention to Reduce Flying Insect Contamination

Door & Window Screening: Doors, windows, and ventilation points are key ingress areas for flying insects. It is a great idea to install insect screens on all entry points and maintain them properly.

Door Opening & Closure: Efforts must be made to reduce the door open time to absolute minimum because open doors are no less than invitations for all flying objects. If possible, you may consider installing automated door systems that are capable of opening and closing with very high speed.

Air Curtains: In all food related businesses, there are doors that remain open all the time, but need a protective barrier against flying objects. Air curtains are excellent solutions for these doors because they expel most flying insects by creating an airstream moving in a very high speed. Be careful to ensure that the airflow is directed outwards.

Strip Doors: In case of entry or exit points where air curtains are impractical because of size or cost, strip doors can be a viable solution. This not only deters almost all flying insects, but also offers a visual barrier.

Door & Window Seals: Every faulty seal or gaps in the door, window, or ventilation system create an opportunity for flying insects to enter your facility. Make sure that all these points are securely sealed and are well maintained.

Efficiency, Temperature, and Positive Pressure of Air Conditioning: Try to maintain a consistently cool and low odour environment within the facility because these conditions are not suitable for flying insects.

Further Measures to Eliminate Flying Objects

• All flowering plants must be located at least ten meters away from all entry or exit points.
• All the filters and exhaust outlets must be cleaned regularly to eliminate odor.
• All the trash must be stored in sealed bags and skip bins, and disposed on time before any overflow takes place.
• Regarding external lighting, it is better to avoid bright lights because flying insects are readily attracted to them.
• Eliminate all insect breeding grounds by regular use of sanitation products
• Power the lights down when they are not in use
• Make use of fly baits, sticky tapes, insect light traps (ILTs), and other popular elimination alternatives.

If you still have questions related to protecting your business premise from flying objects, please contact the experts at Vectothor. We take pride in being the creator of the most effective flying insect management system on the market.

With yet another sweltering summer just around the corner, it is high time for all Australian households and businesses to find a way to ensure a pest-free season. This time of the year can be particularly challenging for the eateries, hospitals, and other commercial establishments that require a pest-free environment for optimal operations. Out of all pest control measures available, flying insect light trap is considered to be a safe and effective alternative. Available in many different sizes and forms, these traps are capable of removing a high percentage of flying insects before they can cause any serious hazard.

How do flying insect light traps work:

Most of the conventional insect killers utilise high voltage grids to kill the insects. On the other hand, insect light traps are designed based on the fact that most of the insects can see ultraviolet (UV) radiations. This is why nocturnal insects are readily attracted towards light sources. UV light technology is applied by the light insect traps to entice the insects and trap them in a concealed glue board.

Though there are variations across ranges and manufacturers, the basic attributes of the flying insect lights traps are

• Housing: In general, this is a cage-like structure with a light within.
• Light: As ultraviolet (UV) radiations are emitted, almost all types of flying insects are attracted.
• Attractant: Certain types of pheromones and smells are often used in the glue boards to attract the pests closer.
• Trap: In some cases, the insects are caught in a pan placed at the bottom of the trap. The ones with glue boards make use of adhesives to catch the insects.

Placing the trap:

Strategic placement of light traps around the building is critical to its performance. Mentioned below are some simple guidelines that you may follow while placing your flying insect light trap.

• Installation near the entrance of a room maximises the probability of catching the insects before they can enter the room.
• Target the areas with a high population of insects.
• Target the warmer areas because flying insects generally thrive in these pockets of your home.

Installation Tips:

Please keep the following factors in mind while installing your insect light trap.

• Avoid areas closer to other sources of light as this may make your trap ineffective
• Avoid high-traffic areas because there is a higher chance of the trap getting damaged.
• Do not install traps in areas closer to your kitchen or dining space.

At Vectothor, we have a comprehensive range of light traps that are discreet in terms of both design and appearance. We have been the most preferred choice in Australia for hospitals, hospitality industry, food management programs, or anyone with a high-performance flying insect management program.

Some of the key attributes of our flying insect light trap are

• Natural contrast grids.
• The temperature trap is ideal for almost all flying insects.
• HACCP food industry compliant glue boards that are temperature optimised.
• Insect counting software for easy HACCP reporting.
• Advanced UV-A Sunlight technology.

Please contact our experts today to enjoy a pest-free summer with your family and friends.

Perhaps the most common advice you’ll hear about improving indoor air quality is improving the ventilation in the room, home or building. This is to allow more outdoor air to come in and let the indoor air (which may contain VOCs, carbon monoxide and other pollutants) to come out.

But what if the outdoor air also contains significant amounts of pollutants and irritants? This is especially the case in urban and people-dense areas. As a result of our everyday home living and modern commercial activities, urban air quality is not improving. This makes ventilation improvements insufficient or questionable because outdoor air quality is compromised in the first place.

Causes of poor urban air quality

Emissions from vehicles, manufacturers and power generation facilities contribute greatly to declining air quality especially in modern societies. To support our modern lifestyles, more stuff should be produced and more energy should be used. Whether it’s for transport, maintaining a comfortable temperature or just cooking, our present activities (residential or commercial) contribute to declining urban air quality.

But when does outdoor air quality considered low or unacceptable? There are many definitions and the limits are somehow inconsistent among different countries. After all, we also have to consider not just the amounts of pollutants present, but also the climate, geography and demographics. In addition, the number of hours of exposure is also considered. High concentrations of a particular pollutant should only be allowable in short periods.

For instance, the US EPA and National Air Quality Standards (Australia) for carbon monoxide is 9.0 ppm (parts per million) measured over an 8-hour period. But for 35 ppm, the averaging time should only be 1 hour. Moreover, the standard should not be exceeded more than once per year.

Carbon monoxide (CO) – 9.0 ppm (8 hours), 35 ppm (1 hour)

Aside from carbon monoxide, there are also other air pollutants that government and private organisations watch out for. Some of the major pollutants of concern are:

• Nitrogen dioxide
• Ozone
• Sulphur dioxide
• Lead

The standards are continuously changing and evolving. It’s possible that next year, a new air pollutant will be added to the list and the limits are all revised. This can all happen after researchers gather more data and toxicity levels to humans are updated.

These standards and limits are often set for public health protection. This includes protecting the health of people with vulnerabilities such as young children, asthmatics and the elderly. For example, the inhalation of lead by young children results to permanent adverse health effects to the kids’ brains and nervous systems.

Although the standards set are not yet perfect or optimal, it’s a good start to control the release of dangerous pollutants into the air. As more data are gathered, the standards are still set to be revised. Right now what’s important is to take early steps in controlling harmful emissions.

Effects of poor air quality

Air pollution causes about 7 million deaths a year. This number can rise indefinitely if harmful emissions are left unchecked.

Why does air pollution cause too many fatalities? Pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide may cause respiratory and cardiovascular problems. In fact, air pollution might even affect the incidence and progression of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. The effects of air pollutants get even worse because of our body’s ability to actually absorb these contaminants.

For example, carbon monoxide has 250 times greater affinity to haemoglobin than oxygen. It’s like displacing the oxygen needed by our cells and then the carbon monoxide poisons our bodies. The result is weakness, nausea and loss of consciousness.

Another example is in the effect of sulphur dioxide (SO₂). Exposure to high concentrations of sulphur dioxide results to respiratory irritation and dysfunction. Acute airway obstruction may happen because sulphur dioxide may dissolve into sulphite and bisulphite, which can be both easily distributed and absorbed by the body.

Nitrogen dioxide also presents serious toxicological problems. Eyes, nose and throat irritation are the common results of nitrogen dioxide exposure at high enough levels. At extreme levels, chest pain and pulmonary oedema may even result.

It’s just a few examples that show how vulnerable our respiratory system is against major air pollutants. After all, it’s just only recently that lead, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide are present in significant amounts in human communities. Because of our modern and industrialised living, we’ve been slowly making our environments inhospitable to humans. The effects are even compounded because polluted areas often have high population densities.

What about indoor air quality?

Outdoor air is dangerous enough especially in highly urbanised societies. The high concentration of commercial and industrial activities in these areas make the pollutants much more harmful especially to young children, elderly people and others who already have respiratory issues.

It’s also the case about our indoor air quality. After all, one way or another, air from the outside will come inside our dwelling or workplace. Whether it’s through ventilation or infiltration (entry of outdoor air into the building through joints, cracks and other openings), pollutants always find their way into private spaces.

For example, carbon monoxide might be in unusually high concentrations at places near carparks and busy roads. Remember that earlier we discussed how carbon monoxide diminishes the blood’s oxygen carrying capacity (carbon monoxide has 250 times greater affinity). With that reduced capacity, we might experience impaired vision, loss of brain function and loss of consciousness.

Whether we’re in our residential dwelling or in the workplace, often indoor air quality is last on the list when we’re figuring out why we’re unwell. It’s insidious and right now it’s really hard to pinpoint that poor air quality is the main culprit. Often we blame something else (like the food we eat, the heat) for what we’re negatively feeling or experiencing.

Aside from carbon monoxide and other chemical contaminants, microorganisms could be equally harmful as well. For instance, the presence of moulds results to the release of biotoxins and organic metabolites into the air. These cause strong allergic reactions because our bodies can immediately recognise these as threats. Viruses and bacteria also cause serious harm. In fact, bacteria such as Legionella pneumophilia may cause fever, cough, severe pneumonia and even death.

The dangers from microorganisms can be eliminated or reduced with better sanitation and adherence to building standards (e.g. adequate subfloor ventilation, minimising moisture build-up in bathrooms and other areas). However, these are not enough to guarantee an acceptable air quality especially for people susceptible to respiratory infections.

Ventilation improvements still help. Natural ventilation can significantly reduce the concentrations of chemical and biological contaminants inside the dwelling or workplace. We can also tap into “artificial” ventilation because mechanical features can now be added to some modern HVAC systems so these can bring outdoor air into our homes.

Why ventilation improvements are not enough

As discussed earlier, outdoor air also presents some dangers. It’s especially the case if you’re living in a highly urbanised area wherein there’s a high concentration of vehicular and commercial activities.

Also, ventilation may not be enough to bring down the levels of biological and chemical contaminants inside your dwelling or workplace. Up to 90 per cent (or sometimes more) of our time is being spent indoors and most likely, the doors and windows are always closed. This makes many contaminants freely circulate and linger in closed spaces.

As a result, many residents and business owners choose to have ongoing protection against biological agents and chemical contaminants present in the air. For example, the Vectothor Air160 is effective against:

• Microorganisms and other potentially harmful biological agents (including bacteria and viruses such as Q fever, swine flu and whooping cough, pollen, dust mites, mould)
• Carbon monoxide
• Formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (which may come from paint thinners, moth repellents, air fresheners, glues, copiers/printers, aerosol sprays, automotive products, dry cleaning fluids, petroleum-based products)

The Air160’s Hospital Grade 3M High Air Flow Electrostatic (HAFE) Filter with Antimicrobial Coating allows for effective removal of airborne particles and pollutants. It also uses a Philips UV-C lamp to disinfect the air with Ultraviolet Radiation destroying viruses, bacteria, moulds and other micro-organisms. As the final step, the Air160 also uses a high-performance ioniser to purify and refresh the air.

To better support your ventilation and other efforts to improve indoor air quality, contact us today for more information.

Up to 90 per cent of our time is actually spent indoors. At home it’s at least 8 hours (including sleeping). In the office and during transport technically we also spend our time indoors.

Often we feel safe whenever we’re inside a safe and strong structure. The “shelter” provides us protection against heat, wind, cold, rain and air pollution. However, the indoor can be more polluted than the outside environment. That’s because of the presence of the following:

• Carbon monoxide
• Formaldehyde
• Tobacco smoke
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
• Biological organisms (moulds, bacteria and viruses)

Decades ago, any home or building is considered safe as long it meets structural requirements. But recently, there are identified threats that deserve equal attention. In fact, a new phenomenon is emerging called “sick building syndrome” that names such threat.

Yes, it’s possible to get sick by staying indoors. Indoor air pollution has become a serious concern because poor indoor air quality can actually result to:

• Allergic and asthmatic symptoms
• Lung cancer
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Respiratory diseases
• Cardiovascular disease (this can be caused by accumulation of particulate matter in the lungs)
• General irritation (the feeling of getting sick & the unusual odours)

As a result, poor indoor air quality can negatively affect home living and workplace productivity. Although it’s possible that the amounts of pollutants are really small, the effects accumulate and get compounded because we spend up to 90 per cent of our time indoors.

Where do air pollutants come from?

In general, pollutants come from modern living and poor construction. Poor ventilation also contributes because pollutants become more concentrated in the area and microbes have an excellent environment to thrive in.

Anyway, here are the things you should be aware of or concerned about:

• Formaldehyde (this is often released from adhesives, fibre board, panels, curtains, blinds, fabrics and 3,000 other products)
• Carbon monoxide (from outdoor pollution and air particulates)
• Tobacco smoke (this also leads to release of formaldehyde, plus nicotine)
• Biological origins (moulds, bacteria and viruses plus dust mites and pollen)
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs, harmful substances that can be breathed in)

In particular, VOCs get a lot of attention (perhaps acronyms always raise alarms among people). Also, vapours and gasses that can be easily breathed in can cause immediate health effects. Our respiratory systems might not have enough defences against these harmful substances.

It’s especially the case in workplaces wherein copiers and printers emit VOCs on a regular basis. With poor ventilation, the VOCs continue to circulate inside the premises. From time to time people can take in those harmful substances bit by bit.

It’s also the case in many places where there are air fresheners, paint thinners, glues, moth repellents and petroleum-based products. Benzene, carbon tetrachloride and other VOCs gradually affect the health of everyone staying in the home or building.

Formaldehyde (also considered a VOC) is particularly aggressive. As mentioned earlier, formaldehyde can come from adhesives, curtains, blinds, fabrics and thousands of other products and materials. Any structure always has these materials, which makes every structure a source of formaldehyde.

In addition, we also have to consider the presence of biological entities such as moulds, bacteria and viruses. The biotoxins they produce can immediately irritate your respiratory tract and cause that unusual and unexplainable sick feeling. Also, their widespread growth indicates there’s a serious problem in the construction of the building (which can be easily prevented and corrected).

Improving indoor air quality

Thankfully, there are now easy ways to improve indoor air quality and limit your exposure to harmful pollutants. Here are some:

• Avoid smoking indoors
• Improve home ventilation (turn on exhaust fans especially when cooking, showering, doing the laundry and other activities that introduce more moisture)
• Do not use barbeques, camp stoves, wood-fired stoves and wood-burning heaters inside the home
• Ensure plenty of fresh outdoor air is coming into the room/s
• Choose building products that are pre-dried or quick drying (limit your exposure to VOCs)
• Choose water-based coating products with zero or very low levels of VOCs
• During renovations and home improvements (especially when resurfacing walls and floors & adding new furnishings), make sure the whole area is well ventilated
• Select materials that are easy to clean and maintain (this will minimise your use of cleaning agents)
• Use hot water when washing sheets and pillowcases (hot water is effective in killing mites)
• Regularly vacuum your carpets
• Install entry mat systems that can trap soil, moisture and pollutants so these can’t get a chance to enter the building
• Wet-mop smooth floors to keep indoor dust levels low
• Only use pesticides when absolutely necessary
• Consider limiting the burning of incense and candles
• If you’re in a new home, consider installing a wall-mounted vacuum system to expel exhaust air
• Try to achieve an indoor relative humidity of below 50 per cent (persistently higher humidity levels promote condensation and mould growth)

Those are general recommendations. The overall goal here is to minimise your exposure to harmful pollutants and microbes. First, the approach should be minimising the sources of those pollutants (e.g. better choice of coatings and construction materials). Second is to improve air circulation and control the amounts or numbers of the microbes and substances staying in the area.

Finally, install an ongoing protection against indoor air pollutants and microorganisms. After all, pollutants can easily enter a premise. In addition, there are literally dozens of things to watch out for when insuring good indoor air quality. Any of them can suddenly release significant amounts of VOCs or become a thriving site for moulds, bacteria and viruses.

Continuously achieving good indoor air quality

Air quality is said to be good or acceptable if it doesn’t cause upfront and long-term harm to occupants or users of a residential or commercial premise. In other words, there should be minimal amounts of pollutants or zero or minimal exposure to people.

However, this can be very difficult to achieve. Initial prevention and continuous control are effective in improving indoor air quality. But this might not be enough to guarantee people’s comfort and safety.

To achieve even better air quality and gain an added peace of mind, many workplaces and healthcare facilities now have air purifiers. These are especially important in environments where people have compromised respiratory systems. Poor indoor air quality can make their conditions worse or even introduce new problems to the patients’ overall health.

Offices, stores, restaurants, surgeries & clinics, aged care facilities, pre-schools and childcare centres should have excellent indoor air quality so kids, patients and customers stay safe and comfortable. People stay in these premises for extended periods of time, which gives ample opportunity for microbes and pollutants to do their work.

Some air purifiers (not all) can successfully purify the air and make it safer to breathe in. This is only possible if a thorough process is at work. This means the air purifying system should not only rely on filtration, but include radiation and ionisation technologies as well.

Many companies deliver false claims about their “air purifiers.” But the truth is they only “filter” the air. In other words, their faulty system can only remove large particles. This is not enough if you want complete protection against indoor air pollutants.

On the other hand, the Vectothor Air160 uses 3 core technologies to purify the air:

• First is Filtration wherein airborne pollutants and particles are removed. Airborne dust is captured and the filter includes an antimicrobial agent (the filter won’t be a thriving site for microbes)
• Second is UV-C Radiation where it starts to really make a difference. The air is treated with UV-C radiation (a high-performance Philips UV-C lamp does the work) that destroys the cellular structure of moulds, bacteria and viruses.
• Third step is the Ionisation wherein the ioniser launches 8.5 million negative ions per cubic centimetre of treated air. This ionisation stage is crucial in reacting with positive ions (forming heavier and larger compounds) that can be filtered.

As a result, the air becomes safer to breathe in. With hospital-grade indoor air quality, you actually maintain or improve your health. That’s because you’ll experience fewer allergies and more comfort. Anxiety and depression can also be reduced because of the improved well-being you’ll achieve.

Contact us today if you want to improve your indoor air quality. You can ask us about the coverage area of the Vectothor Air160 and its other technical specifications.

Notice that most of the time when you’re trying to catch flies and other flying insects you only end up missing and hitting the air. House files are often really persistent when it comes to pestering you while you’re right in the middle of food handling.

It may seem like you already did everything you could to implement fly control measures and get their numbers to zero in your food preparation areas. But still, you find them around, contaminating every surface they land on. We discuss what it is you should do in these circumstances.

Better sanitation is only the first step in reducing the numbers of houseflies, especially around food processing areas. They will have fewer breeding sites and food sources. Another initial step is by exclusion which is improving or installing additional barriers so flies won’t have an entry point to the home in the first place.

To go a step further, many workplaces and commercial facilities now have installed ongoing solutions against flies. These fly killer light traps attract insects by taking advantage of the fly’s biology. Flies are attracted to UV light (specifically UV-A light with spectrum of 300 to 420 nanometres). The flies come and the glue boards then capture them.

Why most insect light traps fail

The glue trap is crucial to capturing flies and preventing them from roaming around any further. After all, if a glue board trap is ineffective, flies will just escape and continue to fly around. That’s why many pest control insect traps now are temperature-optimised. These ensure total entrapment of the flying insects, even in tropical temperatures.

However, this is not enough to capture more flies more quickly. The number of flies that get captured is heavily dependent on the “attraction effectiveness” of the fly light traps. If more flies are being attracted by the light, what follows is more flies will be captured. However, this is not always the case as you’ll discover if you buy a high voltage handheld fly zapper.

Flies have been evolving for 250 million years ago (earlier than mammals which is only 200 million years ago). Through those millions of years, flies have become excellent at recognising and evading moving threats. What helps their survival further is that they reproduce really fast (a fly can lay up to 500 eggs in its lifetime) which makes it hard to completely destroy their colonies.

Flies are excellent in avoiding threats – you can readily notice that when you try to swat a fly. With the fly’s advanced eye structure and amazing aerial agility (2 wings plus two small paddles for better manoeuvring), physical attacks just won’t work.

Time passes more slowly for flies

What seems fast to a human is in fact in slow motion to the eyes of the flies. Time passes more slowly for these creatures, which is why no matter how you swat them, they can easily evade your attack.

As mentioned earlier, one possible reason is that they have extreme aerial agility. But what’s more impressive is due to their small scale, time passes more slowly to them. What seems really fast to us humans may seem really slow to other creatures, particularly flies.

In addition, we humans see the world as a continuous video. But the truth is we’re only seeing images and then we piece them together subconsciously using our brain. Our brains can receive and process an average of 60 flashes per second. Within that number things look like a continuous video to us.

But that’s entirely different for flies. House flies and fruit flies can receive and process an average of 250 flashes per second (more than 4x our capabilities). This impressive feature coupled with excellent reaction time and aerial agility makes flies awesome in recognising motion and evading threats.

For example, a light source that emits lower than 250 flashes per second will look like mere flickers to flies. In other words, the light source becomes on and off when flies look at it. If this is the case, flies will see it as unnatural and will tend to avoid the light.

Here’s the solution

As we better understand the flying pests’ biology, we can then formulate ways and technologies to better capture them. For instance, scientists discovered that flies are particularly attracted to UV light (which is emitted by the sun). Through millions of years, flies navigate places with the sun as their main light source. After all, the eyes of the flies are particularly sensitive to that wavelength (especially 300 to 420 nm).

But as you’ve realised, that particular method is not always enough. We also have to consider the nature of the light source. Earlier we’ve discussed how a light source becomes a series of flickers in the eyes of flies instead of a constant beam of light. That’s why the solution then is to have a light source that emits UV-A light and at the same time does this in higher frequencies or cycles.

Most other UV light traps only operate at 50 cycles per second. In other words, the light source is flashing on and off 50 times per second. Remember earlier that human brains can receive and process an average of 60 flashes per second (which is quite near to the performance of most other UV light traps). For us humans it’s a constant beam of light but flies see this as flashes and flickers.

The most effective light traps then are the ones that have much higher cycles per second. For instance, the Vectothor Flying Insect Killer Light Traps operate at 10,000 cycles per second (way beyond that of human or insect capabilities). As a result, flies see the light source as a constant beam of light. It looks more natural and hence the fly light trap becomes more effective in attracting flying insects around.

Once we know how our sight works differently than of flies, we can then devise more effective solutions to attracting and capturing those flying insects in our professional fly traps. At Vectothor, we’ve come up with something much more effective than your standard bug zapper.

Why most flying insect killer light traps are not effective

The first rule about traps is they shouldn’t look like traps in the first place. For instance, if the light flickers it’s a clear sign for flies to stay away. But if the light performs at 10,000 cycles per second, it’s guaranteed for the light trap to work optimally.

For the best ongoing protection against flies, many business owners and managers worldwide contact us here at Vectothor. With our high performance (10,000 cycles per second, UV-A fly light traps, temperature-optimised glueboard) and cost-effective solutions (up to 9,000 hours of continuous use), your workplace or business will be better protected from the flying insects.

Check out the Vectothor range of flying insect killer light traps on our Products page for more information about modern fly control solutions. Get in contact with us by calling with any questions about our solutions. We’re available between 9:00-5:30PM Monday to Friday AEST and our friendly team will happily answer your questions when you do.

Flies have existed for millions of years and in Australia alone there could be about 30,000 species of flies. Their extinction is a monumental task that will require drastic changes and measures.

It’s almost an impossible task because some fly larvae can actually survive in harsh and uncommon environments such as inside beehives, hot springs (or other areas with extreme temperatures) and even on petroleum. Right now you can already witness the fly’s supreme ability to survive by trying to catch or swat one. They have impressive aerial agility and their nervous systems have evolved to dodge predators and other threats.

In other words, flies were built to survive and thrive. For millions of years they have existed and survived through generations. But will flies ever go extinct despite their evolutionary advantages? The short answer is no and it’s very likely they’ll outlive humans.

The keys to successful evolution & survival

There are four main groups of flying insects that we’re often concerned about. These are the mosquitoes (the name itself means “little fly” in Spanish), bush flies, blowflies and houseflies. They only have a short time to live but it’s all dedicated to feeding, mating and laying eggs. With only a few weeks to live, they dedicate their lives to surviving and producing the next generation.

If more new flies are produced (and in a rapid rate) than flies that die or are killed, expect their numbers to rise exponentially. For instance, a female housefly can lay up to 150 eggs in one batch (up to 500 eggs total in her lifetime). Even if they don’t all turn up to become maggots and adult flies, the number is still large.

Aside from fast and “productive” reproduction, another key to successful evolution and survival is the ability to thrive in different kinds of environments. As mentioned earlier, maggots can be present in a wide variety of environments with different temperatures and physical and chemical compositions. As a result, they have some kind of insurance that the next generation will live on despite the prevailing conditions.

It’s a similar case with how humans had spread around the world. One popular theory was that the Ice Age allowed humans to migrate to different parts of the globe. But eventually they were cut off from one another as the ice melted. Due to the previous migrations, groups of humans were able to live and adapt to different climates and environments. Somehow finally there was an insurance that human life would still go on in case something went wrong with the other regions (huge disasters might wipe out large groups of people in one area).

This ability to live and adapt to different environments allows different species to survive and become resilient through the centuries and millennia. Death is a natural part of all that. But as long as the next generation is always being prepared, the species will continue to live on.

Food availability (type of food and sources)

Another key to the successful evolution and survival of flies is food availability. Due to their small size, naturally they’ll only need very small amounts of food. In many cases throughout the world’s biological history, huge creatures die first whenever there’s a catastrophe that limits the amount of food available. Huge creatures have a lot bigger requirements while in contrast, small creatures such as flies can survive on crumbs.

In addition, flies are not very selective and the food sources are always available (even in urban settings where you can’t often see dead organic matter). They might be even regularly feasting on human sweat to get the protein needed for producing eggs. This should give us an idea of how much (or how little) they need to feed and survive.

Right now there might be billions of flies in Australia and they’re found in both urban and remote areas. These flies (whether it’s a housefly or a bush fly) feed on rotting fruits, plants and animals. They can easily find those in natural environments. Dead plants and animals are always present even in deserts and semi-arid regions. Where there is life (or death) expect flies to be there right now or sooner or later.

Due to the primitive digestive system of flies (whether it’s a mosquito or housefly), they need food wherein the nutrients are readily available. There should be minimal processing as opposed to humans where there are several steps and enzymes required. As a result, flies often take food in a liquid form (decaying organic matter or blood from vertebrates in the case of mosquitoes). Another way they take in food is by excreting saliva on the food surface itself and then sucking it back together with the food particles and nutrients.

This leads to the contamination of food which can cause diseases such as cholera, typhoid and even tuberculosis. They might have picked up the microbes and parasites from faeces garbage, decaying matter and other unsanitary surfaces. They land on food and transmit those dangerous microbes.

This is a huge concern especially in food processing facilities, home kitchens and restaurants. Even in business offices the risks carried by flies can’t be ignored. These creatures persist in searching for food. They might land on someone’s lunch and cause harm to the person.

Effective urban fly control

Although natural environments provide richer food sources for flies, urban areas also present opportunities for them to thrive because of garbage and unsanitary conditions. As discussed earlier, flies can get by with very little and they are very fast to reproduce. They get down to business quickly once they’re capable of roaming around. Every movement they take might be related to eating, food search or reproduction.

Flies and other flying insects are considered pests in urban locations or any area with humans. It’s like humans and flies are never meant to co-exist because they’re adversarial creatures. One causes harm to the other but still, they co-exist actually even in areas dedicated for human residence.

Flies are pests where humans live. However, those small creatures have a vital role in natural ecosystems. They help break down dead and decaying matter into more manageable chunks for bacteria to consume and break down further. As a result, the organic nutrients will go back to circulation. Both the larvae and adult form of flies can accomplish this. As they break down decaying matter, it gains more surface area thereby accelerating its decay.

In addition, flies are food for those creatures higher in the food chain. Birds, other insects and animals feed on flies (both larvae and adults) which in turn are prey themselves to other larger animals. Take away the flies and you disrupt the whole food chain. It might even result in the extinction of many higher species.

All the different species of flies have some role in natural ecosystems. However, they cause more harm to us humans than good especially when we’re preparing our food or going on with our professional and business activities. It’s our job then to stop them despite their evolutionary advantages.

Will flies ever go extinct?

The answer is no. Don’t count on it to happen because flies are likely to outlive us. They’re fast to reproduce and they surpass us when it comes to evading physical attacks (try swatting them). They can get by with very little and there are lots of food sources lying around (most of those food sources we might not see).

So what can we do then? Many business owners and managers install and implement ongoing solutions to protect their products, customers and premises from the flies. As repeatedly mentioned and implied, flies persist. They will continue to roam around in significant numbers unless we step up and take measures to stop and control their numbers.

One effective way to accomplish this is by installing flying insect control light traps in strategic locations. They attract the flies by emitting continuous UV-A rays and then capturing them through temperature-optimised glueboards. For instance, here at Vectothor we’ve developed such products (HACCP compliant, university-tested and with European design excellence) so the flying insect management programs in commercial facilities will be more effective.

We have various units designed specifically for different environments and applications. Whether it’s a cafe, restaurant kitchen, office, hospital or an industrial facility, contact us today here at Vectothor and we’ll provide you with excellent recommendations.

Can a plastic bag filled with water keep flies away? Is regular cleaning enough to discourage flies from visiting your home or business? Is it true that some plants such as basil and lavender actually repel flies?

Here in this article we’ll discuss a few myths and truths about fly control. We’ll approach this in a practical and scientific way so you’ll know how to separate fact from fiction. Let’s start.

Plastic bags filled with water

You might have already seen a few homes with hanging plastic bags. Well, their supposed purpose is to repel and “confuse” flies. The concept is that  the bag with water reflects light to confuse the flies. These creatures use light as their guidance system. Flies have evolved to find food in tropical forests and they respond or react well with sunlight.

This might give you some peace of mind but it’s far from effective. It’s nice to have done something (a form of busy-ness) but if you look at the results, it will likely be really disappointing. Also, social proof or seeing other people doing it might tempt you to follow what they’re doing.

You might still want to try this by hanging a transparent plastic bag partially filled with water. You will quickly see though that you still have many flies! It’s difficult to pinpoint which sets of actions are contributing directly to results when you’re trying a unproven methods for fly control.

Regular cleaning for better effectiveness

A more effective approach is regularly cleaning your home or business. After all, flies roam around because they know there’s a nearby food source or suitable breeding site. If you eliminate those sources and sites, there will be fewer opportunities for flies to feed, reproduce and thrive.

Floors, tables, kitchen sinks and countertops should be wiped regularly. This is to eliminate food crumbs that flies might land on or pick up. This also applies to business facilities especially in restaurants and commercial kitchens. All the spills should be wiped clean immediately so as not to attract flies in the first place.

It’s also highly recommended to seal or dispose of the garbage promptly so flies won’t have a breeding site. Many fly species lay eggs on rotting organic matter (fruits, vegetables, meat). Also take note that houseflies breed really fast (eggs quickly become larvae within 24 hours). Their numbers can multiply exponentially if the garbage and rotting organic matter are left open even for just a few days.

Regular cleaning can yield results not just in reducing the number of flies roaming around. It’s also effective in preventing contamination and maintaining an orderly workplace. However, can it keep away all flies? What if a nearby business always has their garbage lying around? What if flies only use your premises as their pathway for finding a suitable food source and breeding site?

Yes, flies will still continue to roam around even if you maintain a completely sanitary environment. These creatures have survived and evolved through millions of years because of their evolutionary advantages. Let’s accept the fact that cleaning is not enough in keeping away and controlling the number of flies.

What about the use of plants to repel flies?

Some people think that basil, lavender and other plants with characteristic aromas are effective in repelling flies. After all, plants have also evolved to have natural defence mechanisms against many insects and predators.

For instance, corn, tomato and cabbage release chemicals to attract the predators of the insects that eat their stems and leaves. Many other plants also have similar mechanisms to defend themselves against insects and predators. After all, each species has an “instinct” to survive, reproduce and thrive. That includes plants wherein they might have also developed mechanisms to repel flies and other insects.

Perhaps that particular scientific explanation paved the way for some people to believe that plants can be effective in repelling flies. Perhaps the aroma and chemicals being released by basil or lavender are toxic to flying insects. It’s also possible that the plants themselves attract other creatures that feed on flies and other pests.

There are not enough experiments and studies done yet to prove the claim. The results vary and it’s difficult to find out which plants give the best results (if there’s a positive result at all) and whether there’s an effective placement (e.g. near windows or how many plants to use) so almost all flies will be repelled.

Let’s assume that this approach is somehow effective. If we follow this thinking some questions will naturally pop up. Do we have to place a lavender plant near each window and door? What if the plant can cause harm to your lovely pets? Won’t the plants cause allergies to kids? How can we know for sure if the plants are really effective in keeping away flies and it’s not caused by any other means?

The conclusion here is there’s no way to know. Also, flies adapt all the time and can find several other entry points towards inside your home or business facility. What you need instead is a proven and scientific way to control the number of flies and minimise the contamination events.

Electronic UV-A fly traps for homes & businesses

Here at Vectothor we deliver scientifically designed fly control solutions for homes, apartments, offices, shops, restaurants, commercial kitchens, food production areas and other commercial facilities.

We take a science-based and quantitative approach in fly capture and control. Starting from our Vectothor Falcon (35+ square metres coverage), this unit is highly effective because it emits UV-A light in a continuous beam (10,000 cycles per second). This combination of technologies is proven to attract the most number of flies.

To effectively capture the flies, we have temperature-optimised glueboards that work even in less than ideal settings. This ensures total entrapment of the flying insects. To further improve fly attraction and capture, our devices use a Natural Contrast Grid to stimulate the flies’ landing behaviour.

With our quantitative approach (use of Insect Counting Software), you can really determine the effectiveness of our fly capture devices. You can also perform a later analysis of the data so you can spot trends. If there’s a steady increase of captured flies, it only doesn’t tell you the effectiveness of our products. It also tells you that there’s a possible breeding area near your site or that sanitation practices should be enforced more strictly.

Knowing the myths and truths about fly control (and separating fact from fiction) is not enough in minimising fly contamination events. It’s now time to take action by installing ongoing and long-term fly control solutions in your home or commercial facility. This is the perfect approach to complement your sanitation standards and integrated pest management program.

Contact us here today at Vectothor and let’s discuss your site and requirements. We have a wide range of products with different coverage and particular applications (e.g. we have units for wet industrial environments). With European design excellence and university proven performance, many homeowners and businesses contact us whenever they need an ongoing and long-term protection against flying insects.

First, houseflies might be using the lights as a source of safety. In addition, once a single fly roams around a light source, other houseflies might also follow. In particular, flies are attracted to light sources that emit wavelengths within the UV-A range (315 to 400 nanometres).

Scientists and product engineers have actually utilised that knowledge to develop effective light traps for capturing flies. Many of those light traps have clear specifications that they emit wavelengths within the UV-A range. This wavelength range appeals to flies thereby maximising the number of those flying insects that gets captured.

Why UV-A range?

The solar spectrum (the range of electromagnetic energy from the sun that reaches Earth) includes ultraviolet, visible and the infrared. Just like most creatures including us humans, we have adapted and relied on that spectrum to navigate through the environment and aid us in our survival.

It’s the same case with houseflies. In particular, they have evolved and adapted with respect to the UV-A range. Their complex eyes have evolved to see UV-A range as safe and probably even vital to their survival.

That’s why when they approach a light source emitting within the UV-A range, they perceive it as safe and non-threatening (whether the light source is a trap or not). As a result, more flies will be attracted and captured. The results even get better if the light trap stimulates the landing behaviour of flying insects. This is possible through a unique attraction grid that somehow emulates how flies navigate through tropical forests.

Different environments require different solutions

The attraction and capture mechanism almost stays the same in different light traps. UV-A range is utilised and usually a glueboard is used to capture the flies.

However, some environments have harsh settings (e.g. high humidity levels and temperatures). It’s especially the case in industrial environments where there are risks of explosions. These require different solutions as opposed to ordinary commercial settings such as shops and offices.

Vectothor solutions for every environment

That’s why here at Vectothor, we have developed specific solutions for different environments. We have specialised light traps designed for offices, restaurant kitchens and industrial settings. You can contact us today and we’ll provide you with excellent recommendations appropriate for your location.

How Do Flies Affect Humans? Why Do Flies Exist?

Flies affect humans by carrying and transferring pathogens. After all, flies land on faeces and garbage regularly. Pathogens from those surfaces can then be carried on to your food sources and the things you use to eat and drink. Some of those pathogens may cause the following diseases:

• Typhoid fever
• Dysentery
• Cholera
• Poliomyelitis
• Tuberculosis

Aside from harming human health, the presence of flies can also result to significant financial losses and complete shutdown of businesses. For example, fly infestation in restaurants and cafes will turn away customers. Another example is in the food production and processing facilities. The presence of too many flies will compromise the quality of the goods.

Why do flies exist? What’s their purpose?

Given the harm brought by flies, it’s reasonable to ask why do they exist? Even with rigorous pest management programs, why do flies still persist? Let’s answer these questions that puzzle human minds for decades.

First, flies actually have a role in the natural ecosystem. These flying creatures aid in decomposition of rotting organic matter. Somehow, they make decomposition more manageable for microbes. In addition, most other animals won’t rely on decaying matter as their food source.

Moreover, the flies are still a vital part of the food chain. Adult flies are food sources for frogs and many reptiles. Flies lay their eggs and the hatchling maggots might be the food sources of other insects.

Without many types of fly, there will be fewer food sources for many creatures. As a result, the population of these creatures (and the animals higher in the food chain) will decrease or even face extinction. It’s helpful to think twice before you attempt to swat a fly.

In other words, flies are vital in the natural ecosystem but these creatures are pests in human societies whether urban or rural. Flies still feed on decaying organic matter but they also transmit the pathogens that come from those sources.

How to control number of flies

Flies have undergone complex biological evolution. They have continued to exist and persist because of their evolved mechanism for survival.

Good news is scientists have already developed light traps that tap into flies’ biological tendencies. For instance, here at Vectothor we’ve developed light traps that emit continuous UV-A light. This was found to yield more results because the light traps closely mimic nature (which disarms flies’ biological defences).

Contact us today here at Vectothor if you want a more effective fly management program for your business (e.g. office, shop, restaurant, kitchen, food production area, industrial environment). We’ll provide excellent recommendations specific for your application.

Cooking may amplify the odours and attract more flies as a result. The smell of the barbecue getting grilled and the steam coming from cooked fish and meat will likely drive flies to your place even from kilometres away.

It’s especially the case in restaurant kitchens where regular cooking and food preparation happens. These environments are likely to attract flies 24/7. However, these flies should be kept out as much as possible. This is to minimise the health risks brought by flies.

How to do effective fly control

It starts with excellent sanitation. This approach often includes the following:

• Keeping floors and walls clean and spotless
• Cleaning up the spills immediately
• Promptly throwing the trash and leftovers
• Inspecting corners and other hard-to-reach areas (cleaning them is the next step)
• Regularly washing the utensils, cookware, counters and other surfaces

The goal here is to eliminate the potential food sources of flies. However, the smell of cooking may keep attracting numerous flies every now and then. That’s why managers often implement further practices such as:

• Sealing cracks and gaps in ceilings, floors and walls
• Installing screens on windows and doors
• Minimising the time when doors and windows are open
• Installing fly light traps

Aside from keeping away flies, sealing the entry points will also prevent entry of rats, insects and other pests. The window and door screens also serve the same purpose which is to keep away small creatures from entering your premises.

But even with all these rigorous practices, flies will still be able to come in and land on the kitchen counters, cookware, ingredients and prepared food. To stop and limit the flies’ actions, they should be captured as quickly as possible.

Using fly traps for continuous protection

Even a single fly can contaminate the ingredients and prepared food. The problem gets worse when there are numerous flies that roam around and interrupt both the restaurant staff and customers.

That’s why it’s recommended to have an ongoing protection against flies. This can be accomplished through the use of light traps that emit continuous UV-A radiation and temperature-optimised glueboard like those provide here at Vectothor.

If you require a professional and effective solution in fly control, you can contact us here at Vectothor. We have specific solutions designed for restaurants, kitchens and other food facilities.

Regular sighting of flies, presence of numerous maggots and small dark spots on ceiling and walls might be signs of fly infestation in your home or business. It’s crucial to notice those signs early on to prevent the harm brought by flies and stop their proliferation.

It’s recommended to perform daily or weekly inspections (and site visits) to your business. If you’re the business owner or manager, pay special attention where customers stay and the locations of the most critical parts of the supply chain. For instance, do certain sections of your shop get visited by an unusual number of flies? Do flies continuously roam around your food packaging facility?

Why fly infestation is often overlooked?

The regular sighting of flies is the clearest sign. However, this sign is often missed because of the human’s tendency to ignore regular occurrences of things. In other words, a stimulus (seeing flies) loses its effect if we encounter it regularly.

But the fact that we don’t notice the flies doesn’t mean they’re not there. They will still continuously carry and transmit pathogens they’ve picked up from trash and rotting matter. Whether we’re aware or not, flies will still compromise our goods and even harm our customers and employees.

How to stop fly infestation

Fly infestation is often a sign of a bigger and more serious problem (poor sanitation). The flies are present in the first place because there are food sources nearby. In addition, they have gained entry into your home or business because there are access points where rats, insects and other small creatures can enter.

That’s why the first step is to improve sanitation and seal possible entry points of flies. Improving sanitation removes the flies’ food sources. On the other hand, sealing the entry points prevent flies from coming into your home, kitchen or commercial facility. This complements good sanitation because flies may still come in no matter how clean your premises are.

These are already effective in significantly limiting the number of flies. This results to fewer risks because there will be fewer carriers of diseases. In addition, the area becomes more inviting to customers (especially in shops and restaurants).

Proactive & continuous protection from flies

Good sanitation and entry point sealing may not be enough. These two approaches focus on prevention. What works best is integrating these approaches with a 24/7 solution (or during business hours). In other words, the flies must be captured before they continue to roam around your premises.

This can be accomplished by installing fly traps in strategic places. For instance, many offices, shops, restaurant kitchens and other commercial facilities have Vectothor fly traps. These effectively attract and capture flies before these creatures cause harm to your customers and business.

Contact us today here at Vectothor if you require effective fly control lamps for your commercial facility. We have specialised devices designed for different environments.

Indoor flying insect traps are now installed in many business establishments. Business owners and managers have already realised the importance of an ongoing protection against pests such as flies.

Flies and other flying insects may affect the following commercial facilities:

• Dining areas in restaurants
• Restaurant kitchens
• Cafes
• Retail shops
• Food production and processing facilities
• Supermarkets and grocery stores
• Offices of construction, utilities, start-ups and other businesses
• Massage centres
• Recreational facilities
• Learning and educational centres
• Manufacturing sites (including high humidity and highly volatile environments)

That’s why businesses in different industries create dedicated programs for minimising or eliminating the risks of flies. It’s especially the case with kitchens, restaurants and food production facilities. The flies will contaminate the food and endanger consumers’ lives.

Choosing the right fly traps for your facility

Offices, supermarkets and retail shops often have normal and comfortable working temperatures. But it’s a totally different case with industrial environments (areas with high humidity levels and risks of dust explosion).

For instance, the Vectothor Falcon is ideal for most commercial facilities such as offices and retail shops. However, it’s not the most recommended unit for wet industrial environments. The Vectothor Sea Eagle might be more appropriate because it’s specifically designed for harsh and extreme work areas.

In addition, it’s recommended to ensure that the fly traps have lamps that perfectly match the house fly’s vision spectrum. That’s why many fly control units have an ASTRON Lamp installed. Aside from meeting the house fly vision spectrum of 300 to 420 nm, the lamp is also approved for use in HACCP Approved food facilities. It can also provide up to 9,000 hours of UV-A light (approximately one year of use).

Effective capture of flies

Aside from effective attraction of flies by appealing to their vision spectrum, another crucial aspect is the capture mechanism. Once the fly lands onto the glueboard, it should not be able to get away.

This is accomplished by having a temperature-optimised glueboard that can work effectively even in tropical temperatures. This ensures total entrapment of flies and other flying insects. This way, fewer and fewer flies will roam around the commercial facility.

Effective flying insect traps

Here at Vectothor, our scientifically designed fly control lamps are optimised according to the flies’ biological tendencies (natural sunlight, continuous emission of UV-A light, natural contrast grid). Our units’ features work together to maximise attraction and capture of flies.

Contact us today and we’ll provide you with excellent recommendations specific to your facility.

Looking for effective fly traps for kitchens? Restaurant and other commercial kitchens need ongoing protection against flies. Although regular and complete sanitation has a huge positive effect, fly light traps are still crucial to preventing more flies from roaming around.

For example, the Vectothor Kite (35+ square metre coverage) is designed for kitchens, restaurants and food production areas. It complements the measures taken by the managers and staff in controlling the number of flies in their facilities.

Important features of fly light traps

Fly traps should successfully attract flies and prevent them from escaping. This is possible through the following technologies:

• Emission of UV-A light (approximately 315 to 400 nm) which mimics natural sunlight
• Continuous emission of light rays (not intermittent which flies may perceive as unnatural)
• Natural contrast grid (stimulates landing behaviour of flies for better capture, have 30% improved performance)
• Temperature optimised glueboard (keep flies from escaping once captured)

Those features work together to limit the number of flies during business hours. This way, you minimise the risks and dangers brought by flies. After all, they can easily transmit diseases and microbes whenever they land.

Strategic placement of fly traps

There are fly control lamps now that can be installed on walls or ceilings. For instance, the Vectothor Merlin 45E (45+ square metre coverage) offers flexibility in placement and installation. It can be placed on the ceiling or wall (and with the ability to link 4 units together). Its versatility makes it a popular choice among restaurant owners and staff.

The key is to ensure that the fly traps have enough coverage area so they can attract and capture more flies. Many quality fly control units now have at least 35 square metres of effective coverage. These can be already effective in small commercial kitchens.

Fly traps for kitchens

Effective flying insect management in kitchens requires an integrated approach. It often combines the following measures:

• Daily cleaning of counters, tables and other work surfaces
• Immediate cleaning of food spills and excess ingredients and meat
• Sealing and limiting the possible entry points of flies
• Use of clean work aprons and clothes in the kitchen
• Regular disposal of trash so flies won’t have any food sources

In addition, ongoing measures such as fly traps can complement the above steps in limiting the risks and dangers brought by flies.

That’s why here at Vectothor, our scientifically designed flying insect light traps are optimised for use in kitchens, restaurants, cafes, offices, retail shops and other commercial facilities. Contact us today and we’ll provide you with specific recommendations for your business.

Effective fly control in restaurants starts with routine sanitation and immediate cleaning of any spills and leftovers. It’s especially the case with restaurants that serve seafood and grilled meat where flies can smell the food sources even from a mile away.

Aside from regular and immediate cleaning, business owners and managers also install fly control lamps within the premises. This is to further reduce the number of flies roaming around which results to the following:

• Lower chance for flies to spread diseases
• Capture the flies and prevent them from landing on the tables and plates
• Prevent flies from reproducing because they’re captured in the first place

Which flying insect light traps to use?

There are many effective fly control lights installed right now in restaurants and kitchens. The common features they have are:

• Emission of UV-A rays, approximately in the wavelength range of 315 to 400 nanometres (mimicking natural sunlight)
• Continuous emission through high frequency light pulse
• Natural light contrast grid (stimulates the flies’ landing behaviour)
• Temperature-optimised glueboard (effective capture of flies even in high temperature and humid environments)

In other words, the key features revolve around effective attraction and capture of flies. This can be accomplished by designing the devices according to flies’ biological tendencies and the temperature and humidity levels in the area.

For instance, the Vectothor Merlin 100E (100+ square metre coverage) is scientifically designed for restaurants, shops and other dry environments. In contrast, the Vectothor Sea Eagle (coverage area of 150+ square metres) is specifically designed for high humidity and highly volatile environments.

For restaurants, basic units will suffice (given it has enough coverage area) to effectively control the number of flies. Other types of units might be required for restaurant and industrial kitchens because they might have high temperature and humidity levels (contact us today which unit is appropriate for your application).

Effective fly control in restaurants

Effective flying insect management requires an integrated approach (a combination of routine and ongoing protection against flies). Sanitation and limiting entry points are the first steps. For ongoing defence against flies, a fly killer lamp is found to be suitable for restaurants and other commercial facilities.

Call us today at 13 35 36 (for Australian clients) and our expert staff will provide you with excellent recommendations that suit your restaurant (including units with the right coverage and specifications).

An indoor fly lamp killer can help make your shop or office cleaner, safer and more professional. After all, flies roaming around can affect your company’s image and reputation.

For instance, potential customers are walking on the aisles and checking the goods displayed on the shelves. When they see flies following them around, they tell a lot about the business. It gives the impression that the area is unsanitary. It’s especially the case in restaurants and cafes where people eat and drink.

How to catch flies & prevent them from annoying your customers

Flies have successfully evolved which is why they still exist. Though there are already effective fly management programs in place, these are not enough to give round the clock protection to your business against flies.

Business owners and managers have already implemented the following measures:

• Sealing and closing the cracks and gaps in ceilings, walls and floors
• Ensuring windows and doors are tightly closed
• Immediately cleaning spills and food debris
• Keeping the trash away from the most active business areas
• Routine cleaning especially in kitchens and eating areas

Limiting entry points and maintaining the area sanitation will keep away flies (in addition to maintaining a clean and fresh smell). These are fundamental procedures that any business should regularly practice.

To go a step further, many business owners and managers install an indoor fly control device. This is to actively capture the flies and prevent them from spreading diseases and reproducing.

How fly control lamps work?

First, the most effective fly control lamps emit continuous UV-A rays (also with the aid of a natural contrast grid). This is to mimic natural sunlight as much as possible. This way, flies won’t perceive the lamp as threatening. As a result, there’s a better tendency for them to come to the light and get captured by the temperature-optimised glueboard.

For instance, the Vectothor Falcon Plus (with 60+ square metre coverage) emits a high frequency light pulse in the UV-A range. Aside from its effectiveness in attracting and capturing flies, it also has a discreet uplit design which is ideal in many commercial facilities such as offices and retail shops.

Indoor fly lamp killer Sydney

If you require a round the clock defence against houseflies for your office or store during business hours, here at Vectothor we can provide you with the most effective solutions.

If you contact us today, our staff will provide you with excellent recommendations specific for your application. We have fly control lamps designed for offices, retail shops, restaurants, cafes, kitchens and other commercial facilities.

What are flies attracted to most? They’re attracted to easy rich food sources such as faeces, rotting meat, decomposing animals and fruits. After all, flies still have a primitive digestive system. They only seek nutrients they can easily process.

Aside from easy rich food sources, flies are also attracted to things that resemble nature. Through millions of years, they have evolved through their interaction with the natural environment (when office buildings and artificial light don’t yet exist).

Mimicking natural sunlight

That’s why fly light traps should resemble natural sunlight. Flies would then perceive those devices as non-threatening. Many companies even integrate a natural contrast grid to further emulate nature.

As a result, more flies will be attracted and captured. The key here is to understand the flies’ biological tendencies when designing means to capture them. This is what we do here at Vectothor wherein we design fly control lamps that emit rays which closely mimic natural sunlight (UV-A range emitted continuously).

Eliminating food sources

Flies continue to roam around in an area because there are food sources nearby. A few researches state that flies can detect food even a few kilometres away (may depend on the food source and wind conditions).

Notice how flies are fast to fly around your leftovers? It’s a result of their advanced antennae which have numerous and capable olfactory cells. These are responsible for their high level sense of smell.

With this understanding, we’re now better aware how to turn their strengths into our advantage. We can then implement specific ways to capture or control their numbers and presence by:

• Promptly throwing the leftovers
• Quickly cleaning up the spills
• Throwing the rotting meat and overripe fruits

However, flies can still roam around even if your area is clean and disinfected. Perhaps they’re searching for food and your site is a gateway. Every once in a while, flies can still find their way.

What are flies attracted to most and how to capture them?

First step is to keep the area clean and eliminate the flies’ potential food sources. Second step is to capture them before they cause too much contamination (and causing distraction to you or your staff).

As mentioned above, modern fly control traps are specifically designed to take advantage of one of their biological tendencies (usage of UV-A light to mimic natural sunlight). These fly control lamps can be your last line of defence (and best form of offence) because they prevent flies from roaming around too much.

Contact us today here at Vectothor if you need scientifically designed fly control traps. We can provide you with excellent recommendations depending on the applications we’ll discuss.

How to get rid of flying insects indoors? It’s often a combination of one-time, regular and ongoing solutions to get rid of flies and other insects.

One-time solutions might be sealing cracks and other possible points of entry. Regular solutions require daily cleaning and making sure the garbage is thrown properly (or sealed). Ongoing solutions include having fly traps to ensure zero or minimal number of flies roaming around.

Sealing cracks and points of entry

Flies seek every possible points of entry no matter how small those holes are. That’s why in many homes and businesses (especially kitchens and food production areas), one of the first steps is to seal the holes and prevent flies from coming in the first place.

Aside from sealing the cracks, window and door screens are also being installed. Or, doors and windows are kept closed. However, this is not a perfect solution. It’s still good but when doors and windows are opened (even just a moment), flies will quickly take advantage of this.

Regular cleaning and proper garbage disposal

This is fundamental in proper flying insect management. After all, the presence of flies may indicate a bigger problem which is poor sanitation in the area.

As a result, many companies take these measures for proper sanitation:

• Immediately clean up spills
• Wipe the floors at set hours
• Clean workspaces especially where food products are being handled
• Proper disposal of garbage
• Cleaning using appropriate disinfectants
• Placing garbage and waste as far as possible from the work area

These can be done daily, weekly or monthly depending on the level of risks and frequency of usage of the area. Ideally, the cleaning is done before and after the work hours to ensure no food sources will stick around for flies to land on.

Fly control lamps as an ongoing solution

The most successful approach often integrates the most effective methods. This is also true for proper sanitation and flying insect management.

That’s why many business owners and managers seal entry points and at the same time apply sanitation practices regularly. In addition, they implement ongoing solutions to further lower the risks.

For instance, fly control lamps are now common in these following areas:

• Business offices
• Retail shops
• Restaurants and cafes
• Food production, processing and distribution facilities

These devices are optimised for attracting and capturing houseflies. Take note that one or few flies are enough to compromise the quality of food products.

Get rid of flying insects indoors

Here at Vectothor, we specialise in providing fly light traps optimised for capturing houseflies. These fly control lamps emit continuous UV-A light that mimic natural sunlight. These were designed according to the biological tendencies of flies.

Contact us today and we’ll provide specific recommendations (we have devices designed for restaurants, offices, retail shops).

How flies contaminate food? Flies might have landed on garbage, faeces and rotting matter. They can then contaminate the food by transferring the microbes from those surfaces (by contact or defecating).

The 6 jointed legs of a housefly can transfer germs from one surface to another. In addition, the fly itself can be a threat to food safety. Someone might accidentally eat the fly together with the food.

A sign of a bigger problem

In many cases, the presence of flies is actually a sign of a much more serious problem. It’s about ineffective sanitation and lack of flying insect management programs. Within the site or nearby areas might be rich food sources for the flies. If these are not addressed, flies will continue to enter and roam around.

That’s why many businesses (especially in the restaurant, hospitality and food processing industries) take measures in sanitation of the environment (including what the staffs wear). This way, there will be fewer opportunities for flies to thrive.

For instance, food processing facilities have detailed documentations on maintaining sanitation. The floors, walls and ceilings are properly sealed to prevent entry of flies. In addition, they do routine cleaning and immediately clean up the spills.

The need for ongoing solution

Regular practice of proper sanitation yields amazing results. However, flies can still enter and contaminate food. After all, weekly or monthly sanitation is just the first step to ensure food safety.

For added safety, there should be an ongoing solution to further minimise the risks from flies. One proven way to accomplish this is by installing fly control lamps. These optimally designed devices capture flies with the use of continuous UV-A light and temperature-optimised glueboards.

For example, the Vectothor Peregrine 3 is ideal for fly control in commercial kitchens and food production areas. It has an effective range of at least 120 square metres which is perfect for many commercial applications.

How flies contaminate food

Flies contaminate food because they transfer germs from one surface to another. Also, they might be accidentally consumed if there are no fly control solutions in place.

That’s why here at Vectothor, we specialise in providing ongoing solutions for flying insect management. Our ceiling- and wall-mounted fly traps effectively attract and capture flies for better health and safety.

Contact us today if you need specific solutions for your business in minimising the risks coming from flies. We will provide you with excellent recommendations and detailed specifications.

In warm weather there are lots of flies in the house: where are they coming from? One common reason is there’s a fly infestation nearby or inside your home. If you’re asking ‘Why do I have so many flies in my house’ or ‘why are there so many flies in my house?’ it may be best practice to find a solution to your fly problem rather than the cause of flies in your home.

The life cycle of the colony began. Dozens or hundreds of eggs hatched, found sources of food and developed into flies. Whether the source is inside your home or nearby, it’s good to have a proactive pest management solution in place.

For instance, many homeowners (and even business managers) install flying insect killer light traps. This way, their property or business has an active protection against houseflies. Flies might be coming from a natural source, but to ensure safety it’s good to have a fly control lamp.

These fly light traps are founded on a rapidly flickering UV light. This appears natural to the highly sensitive eyes of the fly. The winged insects roam towards the light and become trapped by a glueboard where they starve.

Innovative design has seen development of this technology evolve rapidly. UV-A lights that mimic the light of the sun are used in the design of the Vectothor fly traps.

The First Step in Getting Rid of  Flies

Proper sanitation is still the first step (and probably the best way) to effectively control the number of flies. If there’s always a food source and breeding grounds for flies, expect the flies to be always present. No matter how many fly control lamps you place or the type of fly they will survive.

Flying insect light traps perfectly complement the application of proper sanitation practices. You eliminate the source while further protecting your home or business from flying insects.

Sanitation starts with removing the food sources and  blow fly breeding sites. Meat, garbage and rotting vegetables are where adult flies thrive and lay eggs. These are rich food sources for both the flies and resulting larvae.

Sanitation is also about blocking point of entry. This is why window and door screens became popular when they were first conceived of. In addition, cracks and crevices in the walls, floors and ceilings should also be properly sealed. This prevents entry of house flies and fruit flies into your residence.

It’s a quite different case with businesses where customers and employees come in and out of an area. This is a good sign because it means sales and operations are ongoing. But it’s bad news because flies are attracted to food produce and find a way inside the property.

Optimised Pest Control

Flies can come in suddenly, no matter how careful we are at preventing entry. That’s why your last line of defence should actually be a kind of offence, capturing flies while on your premises.

Throw your fly swatter away because there are now innovative lamps that are much more effective at fly control. For instance, the Vectothor Falcon emits continuous UV-A light optimised for attracting flies. Its temperature optimised glueboard retains the flies it captures.

Flies in the house all of a sudden

This might be within or out of your control. You should clean up your house and make sure flies don’t have any breeding grounds available to lay eggs on. Yet still, flies can enter your home and suddenly contaminate your food and water.

That’s why it’s recommended to capture them and not allow them to roam around. Here at Vectothor, we’ve designed products for that specific purpose. Our team designed fly control lamps according to the biology of flies.

• Compared to incandescent or fluorescent and light, LED lights are up to 80% more energy efficient.
• LED lights do not contain any toxic elements
• LED Lights have approximately six times longer lifespan compared other types of lights. This translates to a significantly lower carbon emission. Moreover, a longer life means fewer replacements, and reduced resource use for the manufacturing process.

At Vectothor, we have recently made use of this advanced technology to deliver a new standard for pest control and management. We combine LED technology with our unique Dynamic Oscillation Pulse Technology™. These LED lamps consume 50% lower energy compared to traditional lights. They do not contain lead, mercury, or any other environmental pollutant.

Contact us today if you need an effective flying insect trap for your home or business.

What’s the science behind fly control? First, it’s important to understand the biology and evolution of flies. Then, let’s discuss how that knowledge helps in effective fly control in homes and commercial facilities. Let’s start.

Why flies are persistent and hard to catch?

Flies are hard to catch and swat because of their complex eyes. Their eyes allow them to see even the slightest movements in a wide field of view. As a result, they can detect the threatening movements and respond accordingly.

The eyes of the flies can also see various colour spectrums invisible to humans. They can also see flickering lights that other animals won’t notice. These flickering or “unnatural-looking” sources of light might pose a threat to the houseflies.

Why some UV fly lamps are ineffective?

The explanation above gives a hint about why some UV fly lamps are ineffective. That’s because houseflies are excellent in detecting and reacting to visual threats. If the fly control devices look threatening (e.g. unnatural, flickering lights and far from optimised), houseflies will stay away. This makes the lamps ineffective and the flies will continue to roam around.

That’s why fly control lamps should mimic nature as much as possible. This is to make the devices less threatening and more effective in terms of capturing flies. It’s only possible if the devices were scientifically designed according to the biological tendencies of houseflies.

How to choose fly control lamps?

Mimicking nature is the key. The sunlight’s UV-A wavelength range is 300 to 400 nm. If the lamp emits light below or beyond that range, this might be perceived as a threat by houseflies.

Humans can’t actually see that particular UV-A range. Although the lamp emits a purple or bluish colour, it’s not the UV-A range. What we see is the visible spectrum (390 to 700 nm). This is beyond the ultraviolet wavelength which houseflies and other insects can see.

That’s why it’s important to choose fly control lamps that emit within the UV-A range (300 to 400 nm). In addition, the emission should be continuous (almost no detectable flickers). Remember that the flies’ eyes are far more advanced. They can better detect those threats and respond quickly and accordingly.

The science behind fly control

Here at Vectothor, our scientifically designed fly lamps emit continuous UV-A rays. Moreover, we incorporated a natural contrast grid to further improve our devices’ effectiveness.

For instance, the Vectothor Peregrine 3 mimics nature as much as possible while being ideal for kitchens, food production areas and other commercial facilities. We also have other products better suited for specific areas and applications.

Contact us today and let’s discuss how our scientifically designed UV fly lamps can help with your improved area sanitation.

How to effectively control flies in shops? This is important for maintaining an atmosphere of cleanliness and professionalism in retail stores and shopping centres. After all, modern customers evaluate businesses on every level and detail.

That’s why business managers and owners implement practical and science-based methods to effectively control the number of flies. These methods include:

• Complete sanitation of floors, walls, ceilings and shelves
• Limiting the flies’ possible entry points (doors, windows, vents, cracks, holes)
• Use of ultraviolet lamps

Complete sanitation

This is the first step towards effective commercial fly control. The floors, walls, ceilings and shelves should be regularly cleaned. This way, flies won’t have reasons to stick to those surfaces.

Flies will be naturally attracted to places with possible food sources. Take note that flies only need small food particles for complete nourishment. Even if it’s just bread crumb or floor dirt from outdoors, flies will be able to smell them.

Although this initial method is highly effective, this is far from sufficient. Flies will still continue to roam around in search for food. That’s why business owners and managers implement other methods.

Limiting entry points

Aside from regular sanitation, limiting entry points is also an effective method. This is accomplished by sealing cracks and holes in floors, walls and ceilings. Another way is by placing screens on doors, vents and windows.

As a result, fewer flies will be able to enter into your premises. However, this is still far from sufficient. This is especially the case with shops that have doors open all day (and stores with constant influx of customers). Flies will still be able to enter and roam around. This could go on for several hours each day and annoy your customers.

Use of UV lamps

The two methods above are still essential for effective fly control. But to get better results, it’s time to implement science-based methods.

One such method is the use of UV lamps to attract and capture the flies. The most effective fly control lamps are scientifically designed according to the biology of flies. For example, the Vectothor Falcon emits continuous UV-A rays (mimics natural sunlight) that are most effective in attracting and capturing flying insects. In addition, it has a discreet uplit design which is ideal for shops.

How to control flies in shops

The best method is often a combination of different approaches. Managers and business owners often implement an integrated approach to minimise the number of flies and their effects.

That’s why here at Vectothor, we’re also committed to providing scientific approaches to controlling the number of insects in shops and other commercial facilities. Contact us today and let’s discuss your requirements.

How to control flying insects in food packaging areas? How to minimise their numbers through the least intrusive and most eco-friendly way possible? Here we’ll discuss a few methods in effective fly control in food processing and packaging facilities. Let’s start.

Excellent building design & construction

Packaging is also a crucial phase of the whole supply chain. That’s because it’s another possible failure point when it come to adhering to standards and ensuring consumer safety. As a result, engineers and managers also pay attention to the area where food products are being packed.

For instance, food packaging facilities often have tight and close-fitting doors and windows. This is to limit the possible entry points of flies. The materials for floors and walls were also carefully selected. These materials and surfaces should be easily cleaned so as not to attract flies and other pests.

Ongoing sanitation

Aside from the excellent design and construction of a food packing facility, ongoing sanitation is also important for effective fly control. Sanitation is not a sporadic or monthly event. It’s a daily commitment to ensuring a clean workplace.

This is often accomplished by regularly cleaning the spills and debris (or preventing those in the first place). However, it’s important to consider the cleaning agents your company will be using. For example, chlorine sanitisers might corrode the metal surfaces of conveyor belts. It’s also important to choose environment-friendly cleaning agents as much as possible.

Personal cleanliness & personnel practices

It’s the commitment of the people that enables the success of any company. It’s especially true when it comes to sanitation. When the personnel follow the best sanitation practices, it’s highly likely that the work environment will be excellent.

For instance, all workers handling the food products should wear sanitary gloves and clothing. In addition, they clean up the spills immediately or notify those in charge. Food handling is also being performed with care to prevent damages or exposure of the food products.

Optimally designed fly control devices

All the methods mentioned above are necessary in ensuring a sanitary and pest-free work area. However, flies are persistent and they still continue to roam around. After all, food processing and packaging facilities are rich in food sources for the flies and other flying insects.

Your facility’s final layer of protection is with the use of fly control devices (optimised UV fly lamps). These devices will work around the clock to capture the flies. This further minimises the possibility of fly contamination to your food products.

Control flying insects in food packaging areas

Here at Vectothor, we specialise in providing scientifically designed fly control devices for food packaging, processing and distribution facilities.

We have a wide range of products specifically made for different areas and applications. Contact us today and let us know about your facility, floor area and industry.

How to capture flies in restaurant kitchens and make the area more sanitary? Here in this short article we’ll discuss the most effective ways on how to accomplish that. We’ll also discuss how to have an effective fly control system in your work area. Let’s start.

1. Clean spills and drains

Prevention is still the best way especially for almost all sanitation issues. This way, flies won’t be attracted to your kitchens in the first place. In addition, you’re promoting a better working environment through improved sanitation practices.

That’s why many kitchen staffs now immediately clean spills from food and ingredients. Regularly they also clean the drains to remove the possible food sources of flies. They take the proactive approach by applying excellent sanitation.

2. Limit entry points and close doors more often

Restaurant kitchens should have screens on the doors and windows. Moreover, these doors and windows should also be tight and close-fitting. This is to block the flies and other pests from entering your kitchens.

Closing the doors regularly is also a good way to limit the number of flies entering. However, this might be challenging to implement especially in busy kitchens. Restaurant operations during the peak hours will guarantee the flow of people in and out of the kitchen.

3. Use UV fly lamps for restaurant kitchens

The two approaches above are still important. These are proactive methods in preventing flies from entering the premises. In addition, these are excellent sanitation practices in restaurant kitchens and other commercial facilities.

But to further limit the number of flies, one ideal way is to capture them while they’re in the area. This way, they won’t be left roaming around. You also capture the flies that might reproduce to hundreds or thousands.

For instance, the Vectothor Sea Harrier is specifically designed for wet areas such as restaurant kitchens. They can still effectively capture flies even in kitchens with less than ideal temperatures and humidity.

Both prevention and capture work hand in hand to keep your restaurant kitchen sanitary. The difference is that UV fly control devices can work silently in the background all day long.

Integrated approach to capture flies in restaurant kitchens

It’s an integrated approach to minimise the number of flies and risk of fly contamination. It’s a combination of the right management approach and technology to control the number of flies in restaurant kitchens.

Here at Vectothor, we focus on the science and technology part. Our scientifically designed UV lamps for fly control are effective in capturing flies. These lamps mimic the nature for optimal results.

You can call us today at 13 35 36 and we’ll provide excellent recommendations suited for your restaurant kitchen.

Fly control in high humidity areas is different to typical commercial environments such as offices and shops. After all, high humidity levels present a different scenario and a different level of risk. As a result, high humidity areas might require a different set of approaches.

High humidity areas or other harsh environments still share the basic practices in fly control as with typical commercial settings:

• Elimination or reduction of possible breeding sites of flies
• Reduction of sources that attract houseflies from other locations
• Prevention of contact between disease-causing microbes and flies
• Protection of food (and other goods), people and equipment from fly contact

As you’ve noticed, these basic approaches focus on improving or maintaining environmental sanitation and hygiene. These approaches also apply to harsh environments no matter the facility.

What about high humidity areas?

The approaches could be more extensive and intensive when it comes to harsh environments. That’s because some industrial facilities are at higher risks of explosions. High humidity and highly volatile environments can act as catalysts or initiators for possible explosions.

For instance, metal processing facilities (either for metal products or packaging) may have explosive suspensions in air. Powdered aluminium or titanium are examples. These substances may undergo rapid combustion under the right conditions.

That’s why engineers and operations managers select a fly control unit specifically designed for harsh environments. The risks are too great which is why every device and equipment (no matter how small) is carefully selected.

Vectothor Sea Eagle

This unit is specifically designed to effectively control flies in harsh industrial environments without posing explosion risks. Aside from safety, the unit can still maintain its fly capture effectiveness even in high humidity areas and other extreme environments. It can be mounted either on the wall or ceiling for strategic placement and maximum coverage.

There are other units specifically designed for other environments. It’s recommended to ask assistance regarding the selection of a fly control device. This is to ensure that you’re installing an appropriate unit that presents no risks to your industrial environment.

Fly control in high humidity areas Sydney

Here at Vectothor, we have specific units designed for different applications. We have different units for normal commercial settings (e.g. offices, shops) and different ones for the extreme industrial settings. Contact us today and we’ll give you excellent recommendations.

Flicker free fly lamps provide continuous light rays that flies perceive as natural. They see it as non-threatening which triggers their instincts that the lamps are safe. As a result, a higher number of flies will be captured.

In contrast, flickering lights will repel flies. They will see it as threatening which makes the fly lamps ineffective or far from optimal. The flickering might not be obvious to the human eye. But the flies’ unique eye structure allows these insects to detect rapid and subtle flickers. After all, flies have evolved through millions of years of natural selection. They have already developed strong protection and detection mechanisms against threats.

Other important features

Aside from being non-flickering, the fly control units should also emit a stable UV-A light. This is the type of light where the most number of flies are attracted to. That’s because it’s the similar wavelength range as the natural sunlight.

In addition, the unit should also have a natural contrast grid (that mimics outdoor surroundings). The main objective is to emulate nature as much as possible. This is to trigger the flies’ biological responses. The flies should be able to come to the light source and land on a surface while feeling that they’re still in nature’s hands.

Effective fly control in commercial facilities

Managers implement an integrated approach in fly control. They select optimised fly control units for their shops, cafes, restaurants, kitchens, food production facilities and other areas. These fly control units should have the above features (flicker-free, natural UV-A light, natural contrast grid) for optimal effectiveness.

Performance and reliability are the priorities of any established business. For example, many managers select Vectothor Falcon for effective fly control. Its area coverage is at least 35 square metres and it’s ideal for shops, restaurants and business offices.

Aside from performance and reliability, business owners and managers also prioritise aesthetics. That’s why the Falcon is also designed for that. The lamp is directed upwards and the overall unit is sleek and compact. As a result, it even complements most interior designs of shops and offices.

Flicker free fly lamps

In summary, the goal is to mimic nature as much as possible to capture the most number of flies. Here at Vectothor, we scientifically designed all our units for maximum effectiveness. Our lamps emit continuous UV-A light and our units generate a natural contrast grid.

Contact us today and we’ll provide excellent recommendations depending on your area, application and other specifications.

A wall mounted fly catcher can actually help in improving productivity and sales. Employees will become more productive because there are fewer distractions. They will be able to focus on the task at hand. When it comes to sales, customers will be able to focus more on your products instead of the flying insects roaming around.

The keyword here is focus. Employees can focus on their work. Customers can focus on which of your products to buy. These present both a short- and long-term benefit. Each day and for the years to come, your business will receive a huge return on investment (ROI) from wall mounted fly catchers.

How to select an effective unit

Businesses prioritise performance and reliability. It also applies in the selection of fly control devices. For example, the unit should be able to attract the most number of flies. The key to achieve that is to mimic nature. That’s why many fly control lamps emit UV-A light. To take it even further, these modern units generate a unique attraction grid that results in 30% improved performance. The unique attraction grid stimulates the natural landing behaviour of flies.

For example, the Vectothor Osprey (with area coverage of at least 80 square metres) is ideal for offices, shops and other commercial facilities. It emits continuous UV-A light and has a unique attraction grid for optimal effectiveness. This wall mounted device also has a temperature-optimised glueboard. As a result, its performance and reliability makes it a clear choice for many business owners.

There are other fly control units with varying area coverage, material, mounting and design. It depends on your specific application. For example, if it’s a wet industrial environment, the specifications might be different. In these settings, the humidity and temperature levels are different from normal commercial settings such as in offices.

Wall mounted fly catcher Sydney

Zero or fewer flies can lead to more sales and better productivity. Whether it’s a workplace, a shop or a cafe, effective control of flies can lead to high ROIs upfront and for the long term. That’s why it’s important to select the appropriate type of unit for your commercial facility.

Contact us today here at Vectothor and let’s discuss your specifications and application. We can explore some options for optimal fly control in your business premise (whether it’s an office, shop, cafe, restaurant or an industrial facility).

Control of small flies in the food industry is a crucial task for maintaining sanitation and adhering to high standards. This is especially the case in kitchens, food production and processing facilities and even in food storage and distribution facilities.

Small flies and other flying insects are huge threats to the entire supply chain. From the production up to the storage and distribution, the presence of flies can result to significant financial losses. In addition, the company’s reputation will suffer (and possible legal actions will be rendered).

Effective fly control in food industry

Managers have already implemented several measures to prevent the above scenarios. First, they identify the critical points for food safety. They could then apply control procedures (e.g. sealing key entry areas, consistent cleaning of spills, sealing of floor cracks). Finally, they would monitor the effectiveness of those control procedures. They might count the number of flies captured and the incidences of fly contamination in every step of the supply chain.

However, there are things beyond the manager’s control that still allow flies to roam around. Perhaps a nearby location is unsanitary. In addition, food processing facilities naturally attract flies. These areas provide a warm shelter and constant food source for the flies.

That’s why the proactive approach is to capture the flies where they are. Other procedures are also important. But to limit the number of flies roaming around, there should be fly control devices installed in the very premises.

Effectiveness of fly control lamps

Modern fly control lamps are now optimised to attract and capture the most number of flies. For example, the Vectothor Harrier emits continuous UV-A rays that emulate natural sunlight. This technology is effective in attracting flies. These insects perceive the light as “natural” and they will feel safe coming towards it.

This ceiling and flag mounted fly control device has an area coverage of at least 160 square metres. This is ideal for large food production areas. It can be placed in a strategic location for maximum coverage and effectiveness. It’s also cost-effective because the lamp itself can last up to one year.

Control of small flies in food industry

The best approach is often the combination of different methods. The implementation should also be throughout including during the packaging and storage phase. This is to effectively limit the failure points and risks in every step of the supply chain.

Here at Vectothor, we specialise in effective fly control with our scientifically designed products. We have developed various units for specific applications. Contact us today or browse through our wide range of products.

Searching for UV fly traps for retail stores? Effective fly control is still critical even in retail stores because of the risks and reputation damage flies present. That’s because a few flies are already enough to turn off customers and prospective buyers.

That’s why in this short article, we’ll present you with a few effective options. All these UV fly traps are scientifically designed to attract the most number of flies. Let’s get started.

VECTOTHOR Falcon

This is one of the most discreet designs when it comes to UV fly control devices. It covers a small area (at least 35 square metres). It is wall mounted and only has a power consumption of 25 watts.

Just like with other VECTOTHOR products, the Falcon emits UV-A sunlight that is proven to attract the most number of flies. The lamp lasts up to 12 months, even with daily use. It provides good value because of effectiveness and relatively long useful lifespan. Moreover, it has an uplit design which makes it aesthetically recommended for many retail shops.

VECTOTHOR Osprey

The Osprey has a 30% improved performance compared to most conventional fly control units. It’s possible because of its unique design, which helps stimulate the landing behaviour of flies (thereby increasing capture effectiveness).

It can also cover at least 80 or more square metres. It also has a low power consumption (32 watts) and a one year lamp lifespan. This wall mounted device is also ideal for many retail stores because of its attractive design.

VECTOTHOR Merlin100e

If you need a more unique design for your UV fly trap, the Merlin 100E is the right one for your retail shop. This wall- or ceiling-mounted device covers at least 100 square metres. This coverage area is large enough for most locations and purposes.

It operates on shatter-proof UV-A lamps with a power consumption of 32 watts. Its wide coverage and option to mount on ceiling or wall are some of the reasons business owners have these in their shops.

UV fly traps for retail stores

Those are just some of your options. If you need to learn more, you can contact us today or read and download our brochures. Our products are scientifically designed and tested for optimal results.

Searching for an effective flying insect control fly trap for restaurants? Whether you have a new or established restaurant, 24/7 effective fly control is crucial in maintaining cleanliness, brand reputation and excellent customer satisfaction. This is even more crucial during the hours of operation of your business.

That’s why you need a reliable solution that does this for you. You need a fly control solution specifically designed for cafes and restaurants. This is to optimise the results and minimise the “damage” caused by flies and other flying insects.

The VECTOTHOR Kestrel Flying Insect Control Light Trap

This wall-mounted device is optimally designed for restaurants. Here’s how it works:

It emits UV-A light which perfectly mimics the UV-A light in natural sunlight. This is an important feature because house flies are good at avoiding artificial threats (one of the reasons flies are persisting and surviving). If they detect something is threatening and far from natural, they will stay away.

The Kestrel is different because it emits UV-A light which successfully attracts flies. In addition, it has a Natural Contrast Grid which stimulates the natural environment where flies land. The combination of those two features makes Kestrel an effective and optimal solution for fly control.

Compared to conventional units, the Kestrel shows a 30% improved performance. It can also cover at least 30 square metres of space, which is large enough for most purposes. If you have a larger space, you can install multiple units or enquire us for more appropriate solutions.

Moreover, the Kestrel has a temperature-optimised glueboard which can effectively capture and retain the house flies. Many other conventional and ineffective units are not optimised, which is why many flies can still escape and roam around a restaurant. In contrast, Kestrel works effectively especially in the environment of restaurants and cafes.

Flying insect control fly trap for restaurants

Here at VECTOTHOR, our fly traps are scientifically designed for optimum fly control. We have modern units specifically made for restaurants, cafes and other commercial food and beverage establishments.

We prioritise effectiveness, reliability and performance because these are also the same priorities of business owners and clients. You can call us today at 13 35 36 or browse through our products if you need to learn more.

How to effectively control flies in wet industrial environments? The general idea is to select solutions which are specifically and optimally designed for such environments. After all, what works in one setting might not work in another. In addition, industrial environments are totally different from normal commercial establishments such as restaurants and offices.

What makes industrial environments different?

Industrial environments could be hotter and more humid. The industrial machines and equipment are also different and more sensitive. There could also be solvents, chemicals and other substances in the area. Whether it’s food processing or manufacturing, the environment requires a different set of control measures to minimise risks and damages.

Many fly control units are already effective in restaurants because these employ UV-A light and a Natural Contrast Grid technology. However, these same units might not be the ideal ones for manufacturing, food processing and other industrial settings. You need solutions and units that are more robust and more apt for the areas you’re trying to protect.

The VECTOTHOR Kingfisher Flying Insect Control Light Trap

That’s why here at VECTOTHOR, our Kingfisher is scientifically and optimally designed for industrial environments and large commercial facilities. It uses the same technology as with our other products because UV-A light and the natural contrast grid captures the most number of flies and other flying insects.

The difference is that the VECTOTHOR Kingfisher can withstand even a total wet wash. This is far better than most conventional units and other products offered by the competition. Our Kingfisher is robust and it only does one thing — capture the most number of flies whether or not you’re looking.

Control flies in wet industrial environments

Generic solutions won’t cut it. What you need is a solution scientifically and specifically designed for your application.

Here at VECTOTHOR, we have a wide range of products wherein each one is suited for a specific purpose and application. As mentioned above, our Kingfisher is specifically designed for wet industrial environments. It can cover an area of at least 100 square metres. It’s robust (encased in a metal housing) and the lamp can last up to two years.

Contact us today if you want to learn more about our scientifically designed fly control products.

What are your options when it comes to fly control in food production areas? In this short article, we’ll discuss a few of your options. We’ll also discuss what makes a solution more effective than the others. Let’s start.

VECTOTHOR Sea Harrier Flying Insect Control Light Trap

This scientifically designed device is optimised for capturing the most number of flies even in food production areas. It can cover at least 160 square metres which is large enough for most applications.

It’s designed according to the biology of flies. These insects have survived for millions of years because their biological constitution allows them to avoid threats. In addition, there’s an abundance of food sources (especially in food production areas) and they can easily ingest the food by “vomiting” out digestive enzymes and taking it in again by suction (with the food particles and nutrients).

That’s why the best way to capture them is by working according to their biological tendencies. The fly control lamps should mimic natural sunlight as much as possible. If they sense that the light source is far from natural, they will stay away (hence, fewer flies captured). The way light reflects should also mimic how the natural environment looks like.

That’s why our VECTOTHOR Sea Harrier emits UV-A sunlight and natural contrast so more flies will be attracted. This device is optimised according to the biology of flies. As a result, it became one of the most effective fly control devices out there.

Other features

Temperatures and humidity levels might be a lot different in food production areas compared to normal offices. That’s why food production areas often have different demands and requirements.

For example, the catch specifications of the Sea Harrier include a temperature-optimised glueboard. It’s designed according to where it will be used for (food production area). That’s why it can capture the most number of flies without almost any of them escaping.

Moreover, corrosion of metal surfaces might be a problem in food production facilities. Our Sea Harrier is encased in a robust metal housing. In addition, it’s powder coated which keeps the outer layer intact and protected from moisture and other elements. It’s different from liquid paint because the powder is electrically bound to the metal. It is also IP65 Water-resistant, so it is ideal in areas that are hosed down.

Fly control in food production areas

Contact us today if you need robust and reliable fly control solutions for your food production area. Depending on your application, we have units that are scientifically designed and optimised.

Effective fly control in retail stores may improve your business reputation. It doesn’t matter whether you’re selling food or non-consumables such as clothing. What matters is your business shows an image of professionalism and cleanliness.

What would customers think if there were flies buzzing around while they looked at your products? They would think that the place is unsanitary and far from trustworthy. It says a lot about your business and the items you sell.

What happens if your store is free from flies?

It may not guarantee an instant increase in sales, but you prevent a bad reputation arising and possible loss of customers. In addition, you maintain an aura of cleanliness which can win the trust of customers and possibly long-term buyers.

Take note that it’s not all about your products. It’s also about the customer perception and experience. Your products might be top of the line and at the most reasonable pricing. But the environment where they’re put in can have a huge impact on your customer’s decision whether to buy or not.

How to do effective fly control

House flies are especially numerous during summer (or during unusually warm and humid days). However, it can still be unpredictable. Flies come and go. They might even come to your store when you have a lot of potential buyers.

That’s why you need a solution that works reliably in the background. One such solution is the use of lamps specifically designed for fly control. For example, the VECTOTHOR Falcon emits light in UV-A range (300-420nm), which is optimised to attract the most number of flies. It mimics natural sunlight which removes the doubts and threat instincts of house flies.

Aside from effectiveness, Sydney managers also consider the range and coverage. The VECTOTHOR Falcon can cover at least 35 square metres. This is enough for small stores. For larger stores, you might need to install multiple units or buy lamps which have a wider coverage (such as the VECTOTHOR Falcon Plus which covers at least 60 square metres).

These units are highly effective and yet non-disruptive. The light is directed upwards which won’t distract your customers. It’s just there in the background silently (unnoticeable) doing its work.

Sydney effective fly control in retail stores

Here at VECTOTHOR, we only have products optimised for effective fly control. We have a wide range of fly control solutions specifically designed for different settings and commercial facilities. Call us today at +61 2 9364 1800 or download our brochure if you want to learn more.

What’s the best way to get rid of flies in your restaurant or food processing (or distribution) centre? The truth is there’s no permanent solution to it. Flies will come back again and again. What you need is a solution that can effectively control the number of flies 24/7.

That’s why extermination using pesticides is only temporary. Some commercial and industrial facilities might require this method (especially if there’s massive infestation). But for the most part, 24/7 control is much more effective.

Why sanitation is not enough?

Aside from extermination, another common approach is complete sanitation. After all, this is getting to the root of the problem. This eliminates the flies’ potential breeding grounds. It’s a more long-term and proactive approach to controlling the number of flies.

However, the neighbourhood or the areas nearby might be heavily infested with house flies. Also, the nearby locations might have dumpsites or aggregated decaying matter. This is the perfect environment for flies to thrive.

It might not be your fault but the flies can still be present in your restaurant or food processing facility. However, you still need to deal with the problem. You need a more permanent and reliable solution.

Why use optimised fly control lamps?

Optimised fly control lamps are more eco-friendly and they offer a more long-term solution. They also operate all through the business’ active hours. Even if the workplace or eating area is fully active, the lamps will also stay active to capture the flies.

Modern lamps now are optimised according to the house flies’ vision spectrum (in the UV-A range, 300-420nm). The sophisticated VECTOTHOR lamps mimic the frequency emitted by natural sunlight. They also emit a continuous light (it doesn’t flicker). This means the lamps can now attract the maximum number of flies.

Many fly control lights now are designed for commercial and industrial settings. Even in slightly higher or lower temperatures, these lamps can work effectively. For instance, the Astron UV-A Lamps are shatter-proof and actually approved for HACCP.

Best way to get rid of flies Sydney

In summary, an effective approach is to have a 24/7 reliable solution. Your business should still continue with the sanitation practices. But the best approach is the combination of different techniques (prevention, capture and sanitation) to ensure a fly-free environment.

Here at VECTOTHOR, we have excellent products specifically designed for restaurants, food facilities and other commercial environments. You can browse through our wide range of products today.

Effective commercial fly control is important due to compliance, health and safety, brand reputation and sanitation. Many Sydney businesses need to control the presence of flies in their stores, processing facilities and even offices.

But how do you accomplish that? What do competent Sydney managers do to effectively control the number of house flies. Below we’ll briefly discuss the crucial things to consider. Let’s get started.

1. Start with implementing strict sanitation practices

This is a given and the first requirement. In addition, it’s required for compliance with health regulations and local policies. However, this is rarely enough to ensure a fly-free environment.

That’s why many Sydney managers go beyond the requirements. They implement stricter practices involving the personnel and the premises itself. They also participate in local activities that improve sanitation. This is to clean all the potential breeding grounds of house flies. After all, if the neighbourhood is unsanitary, everyone will be affected.

2. Install fly control lamps in strategic points

Flies have baffled managers, homeowners and everyone else. These pests continue to be present even if everything is spotless and all the garbage is properly disposed. What should you do then?

The best course of action is to install fly control lamps in strategic points. This way, the device will capture the most number of flies and prevent them from roaming around further. Good news is, there are many optimised fly control lamps for this purpose.

For example, the VECTOTHOR Harrier emits UV-A and captures flies through a temperature-optimised glueboard with silicone paper cover. It even has a wide coverage (can cover at least 160 square metres). This is more than enough for most offices, restaurants and retail stores.

3. Choose sturdy lamps

Although there are many affordable options and fly control products, it’s still about ROI and getting the most out of every expense. That’s why the lamps should also last long enough if you want to get most value of them.

For many fly control lamps such as the VECTOTHOR Harrier, Merlin 100E, Kingfisher and others, the guarantee is 2 years and the lamp’s lifetime is up to one year. They’re also often encased in a metal housing for protection from impact and other objects. These all make it worth it to have a fly control lamp in your commercial facility.

Sydney commercial fly control

We have a wide range of products specifically designed for different applications. We understand that your business has unique requirements.

Call us today at +61 2 9364 1800 and we’ll discuss the most cost-effective solution for your commercial facility.

Where do flies come from? It’s a wonder because even if you put screens on doors and windows, the flies are still there in your home or business. Even if you maintain 100% cleanliness in your premises, why are flies always present? Let’s explore this mystery below:

Flies can reproduce fast

In Sydney, especially during the summer, flies reproduce fast. In fact, even during the cold days, flies can still survive and multiply. This is true especially indoors whether it’s a home or a commercial facility.

It only takes 8 days (or fewer) for an egg to become a fly. Also, an adult female fly can lay up to 500 eggs. Imagine all of them hatching and you’ll have a massive infestation on your site.

Even if you apply pesticides or put screens on your doors and windows, some of the flies survive and find entry into your home or business. The numbers are enough to infest any area. Even just one fly can be annoying and harmful. Take note that the fly might have come from garbage or sewer.

Flies can find food almost anywhere

Flies can readily find food in garbage, drainage, tables, chairs and floors. It’s especially the case in trash and drains where there is a lot of decaying matter.

Even in common places and surfaces such as a clean table, flies can instantly find food. They don’t need a lot to survive. They just need bits here and there to fully nourish themselves. Or, they can just go back to the trash bin if there’s no food around.

That’s why it’s best to prevent the reproduction of house flies in the first place. Imagine one surviving knowing it can lay up to 500 eggs. You should minimise the number of flies as soon as you can.

House flies can escape and reproduce

The quick solution to control the number of flies is to apply an insecticide. However, this only offers a short term fix, it doesn’t solve the ongoing problem. Another solution (which is more long-term) is to block or screen the possible entry points.

Some of flies survive even when exposed to insecticides. Even when there are screens on doors and windows, flies can find entry through the vents and even small openings in screens.

Where do flies come from Sydney

That’s why we’re only left with one solution, which is to proactively capture the flies as they come. This is possible with the use of optimised fly control lamps. They attract the flies by emitting UV-A light and then capturing the pests for good through temperature-optimised glueboards.

Here at VECTOTHOR, we provide a wide range of products for effective fly control. They’re all scientifically designed according to the flies’ traits and the needs of your commercial facility. You can browse now our wide range of fly control products if you need more information.

Restaurant fly control is not a one-time or monthly necessity. It should be a daily requirement if you want to protect your restaurant’s customers and reputation.

Many other businesses request for pest control monthly or quarterly to protect their assets and to comply with local regulations. However, the case is different when it comes to restaurants and other food establishments.

Health and sanitation issues

Flies can instantly ruin a restaurant’s reputation. Aside from health issues, flies can greatly affect the brand image of the restaurant. If customers notice those flies while they’re dining one day, the restaurant’s sanitation will be in question. This could lead to loss of customers and even a negative reputation online and through word of mouth.

That’s why aside from monthly or quarterly pest control, restaurant owners and managers install fly control devices near and within their premises. This way, restaurants will be virtually fly-free during all the businesses’ hours of operation.

What are some of the fly control solutions

To effectively control flies, they must first be driven away or make them go towards an area. That’s why there are specially designed lamps (usually in the UV-A range) that attract flies. Once they come into contact (or become near) with the light source, the electrical zap will effectively extinguish them.

First, the lamps should emulate natural light so the flies will come. In addition, the wavelength emitted by the lights should appeal to flies. This makes attracting the flies much more effective.

Aside from fly killer lamps, some restaurants also use glueboards. They install these for total entrapment of flies and compliance with health and sanitation guidelines. For these glueboards to be effective, they should be optimised to be working perfectly even in tropical temperatures.

How to choose the best fly control option

There are many different kinds of fly control lamps and glueboards out in the market. However, not every product will be effective in restaurant fly control.

The choice might depend on the environment and the standards you’re upholding. It might also depend on the technology used and the effectiveness of a particular option.

Restaurant fly control Australia

Here at VECTOTHOR, we use cutting edge science to provide effective fly control solutions for restaurants and other food establishments.

Contact us today and make your restaurant cleaner and more sanitary.

Many businesses in Australia search for office fly control solutions to keep the workplace sanitary and more inviting. After all, most employees and managers spend most of their waking hours inside an office.

If there are a few flies in the workplace, expect them to greatly affect the image of the office. Worse, they can even affect the staff’s productivity levels. Our working environment actually influences us more than we realise. It can make us feel more motivated if the environment is free from flies and other pests.

So how do we keep flies out of our offices? What are the effective means available? Let’s explore the answers below:

1. Specify a designated dining area

Why do flies linger around? One reason is that there are food sources in the area. On the desks, computer keyboards and other work areas, there might be food particles lying around.

Aside from cleaning those areas, it’s also important that there’s a designated dining area for all the staff members. This way, the work areas will stay clean day after day. In addition, dining and working will be two separate activities because they’re being done in separate environments.

2. Always empty the trash bins

Flies love the trash bins because they’re often hidden from plain view and there are food sources. That’s why it’s good to regularly empty those bins so the flies won’t have a safe and warm place to hide.

The previous tip above (specifying a dining area) complements this. If there’s a designated dining area, the trash bins in the main offices won’t have food particles. Mostly, the content of those trash bins will be paper and other non-edible waste.

3. Put fly control lamps and/or glueboards

Aside from maintaining clean surroundings, it’s also recommended to have fly control solutions in your workplace.

There are fly killer lamps and glueboards that can effectively control the number of flies. In addition, these can help maintain your fly-free work environment each day. There will be no flies lingering around. The office will remain sanitary and inviting for employees, managers, suppliers and guests.

Office fly control Australia

Here at VECTOTHOR, we provide effective fly control lamps and glueboards that utilise cutting edge science. For instance, our fly control lamps are specifically designed to appeal to the flies’ visual spectrum.

Contact us today and make your office clean and free from flies.

How to get rid of house flies? Are there effective ways without relying on pesticides and other harmful means? Is there a permanent solution to keep homes and commercial facilities free from flies?

These are the common questions from families and business owners. After all, flies pose health risks and sanitary issues in any residence or commercial area.

Let’s explore the answers to the questions above. We’ll discuss quick and doable tips for effective fly control. Let’s start.

How to eliminate house flies?

Elimination can be about the extermination of flies through pesticides, fly control lamps and glueboards. It can also be about cleaning or eliminating the flies’ possible breeding grounds.

Often, the first step is applying good sanitation practices in all areas. This way, it’s unlikely that the flies will be able to reproduce and thrive. Then, specific fly control solutions will be applied according to the situation.

Aside from elimination, exclusion is another option. This is about the closing or proofing of entry areas such as windows, vents and doors from flies and other insects. However, one or two flies might still be able to sneak in. Even just one fly is enough to make the place look unsanitary.

That’s why many people choose the extermination method. However, some still rely on means that are harmful to the environment and human health.

Without pesticides

Thankfully, it’s now possible to get rid of house flies and other pests without relying on heavy use of chemicals. There are now fly control lamps that are eco-friendly while still effectively eliminating flies.

For example, the ASTRON UV-A Lamps are energy-efficient and long lasting. In addition, the fluorescent powder used in the manufacturing of these lamps is water-based (no toxic butyl compounds). Furthermore, the glass used is free from lead.

It’s environment-friendly while still keeping your place fly-free. These lamps are recommended for daily and long-term use. Each day flies are being eliminated while doing it for the long run.

Get rid of house flies Australia

Prevention is said to be better and cheaper than cure. What if you can have both?

At VECTOTHOR, we have products that effectively prevent and solve fly infestation. Our fly control lamps effectively attract house flies and prevent them from further reproduction.

Contact us today and let us make your area free from flies.

The effectiveness of a UV fly trap is more quantifiable compared to pesticides. It’s difficult to determine whether a pesticide is truly effective or not. Maybe the house flies left for other reasons. But with fly traps using the UV range, you can quantify their effectiveness.

UV fly lamps “naturally” attract house flies. The lamps are optimised to the house fly’s vision spectrum. They imitate the natural UV rays emitted by sunlight. As a result, flies recognise the fly trap as “natural” and non-threatening.

Mimicking nature is the key

In contrast, pesticides are far from natural. Instead of attracting the flies and trapping them, the pesticides might just be repelling the flies. These pests might just come back after a few days when the the pesticide degrades. In addition, some house flies will build resistance and survive.

On the other hand, UV fly control lamps completely trap the house flies. There is no way for the flies to escape and reproduce. Aside from eradicating the flies, you also have a preventive measure. You won’t have to spray insecticides again and again.

The key to the lamps’ effectiveness is how they mimic nature. The lamps’ UV-A spectrum is also present in sunlight. In addition, there are lamps today that emit a constant beam of light. If the lights are flickering to the fly’s sight, the flies will see it as unnatural. As a result, they are less attracted.

A quick and long-term solution

Once you’ve installed a UV fly control lamp, you might see dozens of flies trapped on the device the next day. You’ll be surprised at how quick it delivers results for your home or business.

This is important in restaurants and food establishments. The presence of flies can signal poor sanitation in the area. Customers will notice this and might not come back again.

This is also important in event venues, offices, retail stores and other commercial facilities. The goal of any business is to project professionalism. If there are flies roaming around, that goal will be impossible to achieve.

UV fly trap Australia

That’s why here at VECTOTHOR, we provide highly effective fly control solutions for commercial facilities. We use cutting edge science to optimise results for our customers.

Contact us today and explore our range of cost-effective products.

Need a safe indoor fly control solution? Pesticides can harm the environment and human health. That’s why more and more Australians (both homeowners and businesses) want a safe fly control solution.

Perhaps you keep your home or workplace clean but still flies are coming in. Maybe it’s a result of poor sanitation in a nearby area. Whichever is the case, you want to get rid of the flies in the safest way possible. But before you choose a solution for that, here are 3 important things to consider:

1. Effectiveness

A more effective approach than using pesticides is taking advantage of fly control lamps. These effectively capture the flies without spraying chemicals through the air.

However, not all fly control lamps are truly effective. First, the lamps should imitate the natural light given off by the sun (that’s why lamps are in the UV-A range). The house fly spectrum range (300 to 420 nm) is optimised in attracting the highest number of flies.

Aside from optimising according to the house fly vision spectrum, the fly control light should be projecting a constant beam. This way, flies will see it as a natural light source. Most UV lamps out in the market now might be generating a flickering light (not obvious to our naked eye). It’s recommended to choose a constant light source that imitates natural sunlight.

2. Long-term cost

In many businesses, cost is also a priority aside from effectiveness. This way, business owners can get the most out of their investment. In addition, the goal is to get rid of unnecessary costs.

Fly control is a necessary cost (or investment). This is true especially in food establishments where health, safety and image are primary concerns. Flies can signal poor sanitation and ruin a company’s reputation.

However, that doesn’t mean you need expensive solutions to fix a problem. Today, there are cost-effective fly control solutions. For example, a PHILIPS UV-A Long-life Lamp can last up to 2 years (while maintaining maximum effectiveness). In contrast, many other UV lamps last only for 6 months.

3. Environment-friendly

Perhaps the main reason you’re avoiding pesticides is environmental awareness. You prefer eco-friendly solutions that are also sustainable in the long run.

Many UV-A lamps are now eco-friendly. Aside from minimising chemical output to the air, these lamps are also made from water-based and non-toxic substances. Even after their useful lifespan, you’ll have no worries about how they end up during disposal.

Indoor fly control Australia

Here at VECTOTHOR, we provide cost-effective and environment-friendly solutions to residential areas and commercial facilities. Contact us today and we’ll recommend the ideal fly control solution for your home or business.

House fly counting is important because it’s a way of measuring the effectiveness of a fly control solution. It’s also a way of determining how quick a certain solution can deliver results within a given time period.

For instance, glueboards have varying effectiveness. Some are optimised even in tropical temperatures. Some might not be optimised for that condition. To prove the claim, a fly counting software would be very helpful (eliminate the need for manual counting, especially for multiple areas).

For trend analysis

Quantification can also result to deeper analysis. For example, a certain area has unusually more flies captured throughout the year. If that’s the case, the management can work to figure out the issue. They may also install more devices or utilise more effective solutions.

This is important in food production facilities, hotels, restaurants and other commercial facilities. They need to mitigate risks and ensure that no house flies are roaming around. With the information provided by a fly counting software, the solutions will be within reach.

Controlling the fly population and density

House flies can carry up to 100 different pathogens. They can then spread throughout the facility and products. That’s why it’s important for food production facilities and processing areas to prevent flies from reaching a population beyond critical point.

To accomplish this, fly counting is usually employed. A high fly population density can mean that the facility is not applying proper sanitation procedures. Although the flies are captured, their high number can mean a sign of a bigger problem.

Manual counting might not be reliable due to human error in the counting itself and in record keeping. In contrast, an automated and computerised way of counting can help you minimise errors. This also allows for storage of historical data and later analysis.

House fly counting Australia

In many commercial facilities, risk mitigation and issue prevention are priorities. This is true especially in the population control of house flies.

That’s why here at VECTOTHOR, we provide effective fly traps (including glueboards) and fly counting software to help with that objective. We also have different fly control solutions ideal for your business.

Fly prevention is important in many businesses because of the risks and disturbance brought by house flies. These pests carry diseases and annoy employees and customers. In addition, the presence of flies signals a bigger problem – poor sanitation.

That’s why many commercial facilities take extra steps in ensuring proper sanitation in each area. For example, they apply disinfectants on critical surfaces. They also properly dispose of waste so the flies won’t have a breeding ground.

Exclusion is another solution

Aside from proper sanitation, exclusion is another effective way to prevent fly invasion. This includes screening of doors and windows. The goal is to prevent flies from entering a certain area in the first place.

However, commercial facilities often have many entry points. This is true in kitchens, restaurants and hotels. Flies annoy customers and staff. In addition, flies can also bring the establishment’s sanitation into question.

What is the most effective way?

Some of the reasons for fly infestation may be outside of your control. For example, a nearby area might have poor sanitation. It’s the perfect breeding ground for house flies. Then, they might find a way to come into your business.

To solve this, many businesses in Australia take a proactive approach. They install fly control lamps and glueboards. They also install fly counting software for monitoring and compliance purposes.

Aside from short and long-term extermination of flies, the solutions mentioned above are also effective preventive measures. They help prevent the further reproduction of flies. They also prevent the flies from building up resistance (in contrast to spraying insecticides).

With fly control lamps and glueboards, you also find a way to quantify the results. Applying insecticides might actually kill some flies. However, you won’t know how many. You will just rely on what you see whether there are flies or none.

Fly prevention Australia

Flies are usually in large numbers during summer. They are also commonly present in warm and humid areas such as the kitchen.

No matter the season or condition in a certain area, VECTOTHOR’s products are effective in fly population control. We have cutting edge fly control lamps and glueboards that deliver results.