[Fly Control] It's All About Education

The benefit of educating customers is a principle part of any integrated pest management (IPM) conversation. IPM programs are used to manage pest damage through the most economical means, with the least possible hazard to people, property and the environment. Since good fly management practices rely on the tactics of exclusion and sanitation, it is difficult for a pest management professional to provide effective, economical fly control without customer assistance. An important part of any professional’s job is to educate the customer about their role in the IPM process. The purpose of this article is to provide basic elements of fly management practices with some customer education tips.

Multiple tactics are utilized together to form an effective strategy for the management of flies. Without good exclusion and sanitation, a pest management service may be that of a fly harvester with stacked insect light traps. Measuring the catch in ounces is not a good sign of managing flies by the most economical means, with the least possible hazard to people, property and the environment.

Recently, fly problems have been increasing, especially small flies. This may be due to less residual insecticide being used, the impact of economic pressures and/or employee turnover creating a less knowledgeable staff. The general tolerance level of flies in our world is amazing. Knowing the nature of how flies feed and dispose of their fecal matter makes them disgusting, filthy creatures. One fly inside is one too many! It can be a risky business in the world of food safety for it is a well known fact that flies can transmit numerous diseases. There are eight basic elements of fly management that customers should know and understand what their role is for a successful fly control program. These fly management practices are as follows.

INSPECTION. Inspection is an activity to detect existing or potential fly problems. To conduct a proper inspection, one must be able to recognize the signs of, and the conditions that are conducive for, the presence of flies. Seeking out the food, water and shelter source(s) of the fly problem and its subsequent elimination is a long-term solution. Key factors that directly influence the aspects of fly control are: fly entry routes, the area for improved sanitation, exact location of necessary maintenance action, and the best location(s) for traps and spaces for physical controls. An opportunity for customers and pest management professionals is the idea that employees are inspectors. Asking an employee the question, "Do you know where the flies are coming from?" can help you be a better inspector.

IDENTIFICATION. Identification is critical to knowing the enemy. Understanding fly habits and characteristics lead to an effective, economical solution. Although there are thousands of fly species, only a few hundred require our attention. Large (filth) flies found inside usually come from the outside. While small (fruit, moth, phorid) flies found inside may be breeding inside. Finding and eliminating the breeding source is crucial for the control of flies. Inspection and identification go hand in hand and are the first steps of a good fly management program. Fly fact sheets left behind for customers to access, concurrent with a problem, is a good educational approach. As the information is more relevant to your customer at a specific time, they may choose to learn the information now. This can help customers more accurately communicate to a pest management professional what their issues are and in a more timely manner.

EXCLUSION. Exclusion is the practice of keeping unwanted critters out of a structure. Keeping pests outside so they do not become a problem inside may be the best return on a pest management investment. External inspections help to identify factors that may attract flies to a structure, such as light, temperature, odors, poor sanitation, open trash containers, standing water and fly entry routes. Unfortunately, this practice is frequently overlooked. As pest management professionals we should educate customers on the benefits of proactively keeping flies out of their structures. Basic exclusion tactics of closed doors (with automatic closures), screens (nylon are excellent) and well-positioned air doors can all be effective along with good maintenance. A walk with a customer, discussing solutions and benefits, should be done periodically (see photo at left).

SANITATION. Sanitation is also known as habitat modification, housekeeping or cleaning. Eliminating food or water stresses flies by taking away one of their key elements to sustain life. Eliminating the larval stage by removing breeding sources through in-depth sanitation can lead to successful fly control. At times, customers take for granted the benefits that come from habitat modification provided by scheduled cleanings of grounds, roofs, air intakes, trash containers and drains. In some areas wet cleaning is an overused technique, whereas dry cleaning can be just as good and more effective for fly control. Keeping food-attracting areas dry can also stress the life of a fly and can also help with odor control. A trash compactor slab is an example of such an area. Sanitation even becomes more critical during warmer temperatures when flies are maturing in about six days. The cleaning schedules of trash handling devices may need to be more frequent. We need to provide our customers "re-enforcement" of the fly control benefits that sanitation provides by removing food and water, which are necessary for their survival and reproduction.

CUSTOMER COOPERATION. Customer actions, or inactions, can also lead to fly problems. Sharing our knowledge to enhance customer understanding is a key to preventing actions/inactions, such as keeping doors shut, keeping the facility clean, inspecting inbound goods or reporting any fly activity to a pest management professional. Ongoing assistance from the people we work for can keep conducive conditions to a minimum. Teams generally perform better than individuals. A team approach to fly management practices certainly holds true. Providing active training sessions (less than 30 minutes) will elevate customer knowledge.

PHYSICAL CONTROL. Physical controls are those direct and/or indirect measures, such as airflow, lighting, heat and cold that are utilized to destroy pest populations outright or to make their environment unsuitable for entry, dispersal, reproduction and/or survival. This approach is becoming increasingly popular for managing fly populations. Positive airflow toward open doors can deter fly entry. Since airflows around insect light traps can reduce a trap’s effectiveness, internal airflow studies, especially larger commercial buildings, are helpful for fly management. "Creative" airflow around a food buffet can repel flies (see photo below left). Perhaps the best light on a building is no light at all. Lights should be positioned away from structures aimed toward the building. As the optimum temperature for flies is in the 75° to 90°F range, areas kept below or above this range can slow down or eliminate fly development. Physical controls in general can create a comfortable environment for humans and still be uncomfortable for flies.

TREATMENT. Treatment strategies should be selected and applied with the proper equipment, at the right time and in the correct manner. IPM options should be considered in multiples rather than singular. Customers should recognize that the IPM options selection process is best coming from an experienced and knowledgeable professional. A true pest management professional knows what to use, when to use it, how to use it and how to combine it with other options for the long-term best interest of the customer. Providing a customer appreciation gift with education material such as the NPCA Field Guide to Structural Pests goes a long way toward educating customers while building a good relationship.

MONITORING. Monitoring is important for an effective IPM program. Traps work continuously providing valuable information about fly activity. Traps are like a "video" of what is happening, as contrasted to a "snapshot" of seeing what is present during an inspection. The fly management program must be evaluated, population levels determined, solutions prescribed and actions performed by the pest management professional and customer working together in a "Plan, Do, Check, Act" repeating process.

The author is Copesan director of technical training and e-learning. He can be reached at odosland@pctonline.com.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR CUSTOMERS TO KNOW ABOUT FLY CONTROL?

During a presentation at the 2003 PCT Fly Management Summit, the following question was asked of attendees; “What is it you would like our customers to know about fly management practices?” An audience of more than 100 industry representatives was organized into small groups for breakout discussion and response of their top three ideas. This interaction created some lively discussion and this group of PCOs collectively formed a top five list.

5. Education of employees. Both front-line employees and decision makers should understand basic fly management and how their role fits into the fly management program.

4. Good exclusion practices. Customers need to understand the importance of keeping openings shut, i.e., unscreened doors/windows and good building maintenance in general.

3. Effective cleaning/sanitation. Customers should understand the benefits of fly source reduction, housekeeping schedules (both cosmetic and deep cleaning) and the impact on fly control.

2. Recognizing consequences of fly problems. Customers need to understand the risk of not cooperating with a recommended solution and the potential impact of direct costs and hidden costs associated with loss of customers/loyalty and loss of employees/loyalty.

1. Cooperation between the pest management professional and client. For a fly management program to work it is crucial that the PCO and customer understand each other’s role (who is to do what when). A continuous partnership and team approach are needed.

This list is an excellent summary of how to educate customers on fly management practices. It is the observation of this author the amount of flies in a commercial facility seems to be directly proportional to the amount of sanitation and structural deficiencies. Educating customers with fly management basics in a persistent, patient manner leads to an effective, economical fly management program.