There’s no argument that flies are disgusting. They can pick up particles that are contaminated with food-borne pathogens like listeria and salmonella. They will transfer those around anywhere they land. Flies also regurgitate on nearly any surface they land on, and of course, they leave droppings behind. Fly control helps food safety. When flies get in, they need to be captured quickly, the source addressed, and exclusion put in place.
The FBS (Fly Bait Station) is a great tool for fly control. Not only does it contain the bait and protect it from the harsh elements, but it is also a helpful monitoring device because you can see how much bait has been consumed over time. Here are a few thoughts on using the FBS.
• Bait stations protect the bait from weather issues, but they also protect the bait from being picked up and moved. When doing a typical granular application to green areas, the granular can stick to people’s shoes and track it indoors—the more bait that stays outdoors, the more bait that is available for the flies.
•It allows the bait to be placed exactly where you want it. The FBS can be staked into the ground, mounted on walls or other vertical surfaces, or placed on the ground or other surfaces. This allows for more specific placements and placements above the ground level. That’s often where flies are resting, about eye level on vertical surfaces.
•We don’t often monitor for flies. It tends to be more of a “capture and move on” policy. For more sensitive accounts, it can be very helpful. Having a known amount of bait in the FBS station can show an increase in fly activity early, so more preventative measures can be initiated. It can also show when fly populations are going down. Showing the customer that their sanitation effort has helped gives them a great feeling.
•It keeps the bait secure. The FBS can be mounted with the sticky backing to nearly any surface to keep it from being moved. It also needs a key to open it, adding another layer of security.
•While we don’t often use granular fly baits indoors, a few labels do permit that application IF the bait is in a station. Large flies are typically coming from an outdoor source, but there are cases where flies may be breeding inside. The FBS keeps the bait secured inside and can get that treatment near the source.
Finding their food and breeding source and cleaning that up is the best option to eliminate flies, but that isn’t always an option. It’s not completely hopeless, though. For more on fly control and the full line of science-driven control devices from VM Products, click here.
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