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.
