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.
