Mr. Meek

Security & Safety

Control Flies with Integrated Pest Management

By Frank Meek, International Technical & Training Director, Orkin, LLC

Whether it's lounging by the pool, enjoying dinner at a nice restaurant or just relaxing with a good book, your guests' favorite vacation activities can quickly be disrupted with the sound of an annoying "buzz..."

Besides serving as a nuisance, flies also pose serious health risks to your guests and staff. Since flies feed on feces and other decaying matter, they can carry up to a half billion bacteria on the outside of their bodies, including E. coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus. In fact, flies are the No. 1 transmitters of disease in the world.

As a hotelier, you have to protect your guests and staff from these flying furies without disrupting the ambience of your establishment. Since many patrons are looking for rest and relaxation during their stay, pest control programs have to be discreet. In addition, the incorrect use of pesticides can raise concerns for guests and staff. Hotels also present a particularly challenging environment for pest control due to the constant entering and exiting of guests and the delivery of shipments throughout the day, both which can leave doors open and offer flies the opportunity to fly inside.

An Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach to fly control can help ensure a positive experience for your guests. IPM targets the reasons that pests infest your facility to help prevent pest infestations before they become visible to guests. In addition, IPM programs utilize non-chemical control options, such as sanitation and exclusion, before relying on chemical treatments. In the event that all other treatment options fail, IPM allows for chemical methods to be used but only in the least volatile formulations and in targeted areas to combat specific pests. This approach helps keep your guests safe and protect the environment.

Identify the Problem

Since IPM focuses on prevention, the initial step in your fly control program should be to determine what attracts flies to your hotel in the first place. Flies flock to areas that offer the elements necessary for their survival, namely food, water, shelter and optimal temperatures. Hotels supply these resources in abundance, especially in various pest "hot spots" such as lobbies, kitchens, receiving docks, and storage and waste areas.

To determine areas conducive to fly activity, perform detailed interior and exterior inspections of your facility. During inspections, monitor for potential sources of strong odors. Odors are one of the primary attractants for many flies. Look for potential water sources including wet mops, leaking ice machines or dripping air conditioning units. Inspect food preparation and waste areas to make sure food sources aren't readily available. Update your pest management professional on any changes to your hotel that could affect pest activity, such as changes to the sanitation schedule.

An effective fly control program also requires proper identification of the flies that frequent your hotel. While a guest who spots a flying pest might assume that it's a common house fly, there are actually more than 18,000 species of flies in the United States. All of these species won't threaten your hotel, but a few that you could see around your property include fruit, phorid, drain and house flies.

Be Proactive

Since many flies reproduce very quickly - a female house fly lays between 75 and 150 eggs at a time that then hatch within 20 hours - prevention is essential to deter the flying nuisances from your property.

As the cornerstone of every IPM program, a daily sanitation schedule helps eliminate the elements that initially attract pests to your property. Implement these sanitation tips to reduce a fly's chance of survival.

Facility maintenance upgrades also can help prevent fly infestations. Work with your pest management professional to implement exclusion measures, which physically prevent flies from entering your hotel, and other structural modifications.

• Seal exterior doors and windows. Install a #16 mesh screen in windows to keep even the smallest flies from squeezing through open windows. Make sure all exterior doors close tightly and use door sweeps when necessary. Seal any unnecessary holes and cracks with weather-resistant sealant.
• Utilize exterior lighting. Fluorescent lights attract flies, so place this type of lighting in areas at least 100 feet from the building. To illuminate entrances and exits for guests, use sodium vapor lights which are less appealing to flies.
• Create a positive airflow. With the arrival of guests, doors are constantly opening and closing, but positive airflow can help deter flies from entering even when doors remain open. To check the direction of airflow in a building, stand at an open door with a lighter in hand. If the flame blows outward (away from the building), the airflow is positive and will literally push flies outside.
• Form a barrier. To prevent flies from entering through open receiving areas, install air curtains or hang plastic strip doors that make it physically impossible for pests to get inside.

Treat the Problem

If flies make it past your preventive barriers and decide to "check in" to your hotel, work with your pest management professional to determine the best treatment option. As a precautionary treatment method, many hotels install fly lights near entrances to capture the pests. Fly lights use ultraviolet light to attract the insects and trap them on sticky boards inside the units. Available in a number of unobtrusive designs, these devices will be particularly effective inside main entrances and areas leading to food preparation and waste disposal areas and receiving docks.

Keep up the Good Work

To maintain the success of your fly control program, regular monitoring and documentation is crucial. For every fly you see, there can be as many as 19 unseen, so make sure your staff has the tools to report all sightings to your pest management professional. Properly document the specifics of the sighting, including the time and location of the fly spotted. This information will help your pest management professional quickly address the problem and make necessary adjustments to the treatment program. By stopping fly problems before they start, you can check off the flying pests from your guest list this summer.

An industry veteran, Frank Meek has been with Orkin since 1986. In 2003, he was named among the future leaders of the pest management industry in Pest Control Technology magazine’s “40 Under 40” ranking. Currently, as the International Technical and Training Director, Mr. Meek provides technical support and training in both sales and service to Orkin's international franchises, helping them grow and develop in their specific markets. As a board-certified entomologist, Mr. Meek teaches Integrated Pest Management principles and can explain how to use all available methodologies to prevent pest infestations in various commercial settings. Mr. Meek can be contacted at 404-888-2898 or fmeek@rollinscorp.com Extended Bio...

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