Common Pests – Houseflies
Houseflies usually enter through a door, window or perhaps a ventilator. They breed anywhere there is decomposing food, faecal matter, or general rubbish.
Just as they breed anywhere, they will also eat anywhere. They may have enjoyed a meal on a dog turd just moments before settling down for a quick snack on a sandwich in your kitchen.
Their method of eating is particularly revolting. First they vomit and defecate on the food and then they trample it in to make it nice and soft. Then after they’ve had their fill they may well fly off unseen, leaving you (or your customer) to enjoy a snack garnished with fly puke and poo. Lovely!
You can help to keep flies out by fitting fly screens on windows and having self-closing doors. You can also use sticky paper to catch them, but this needs careful positioning and disposal (ie not in a clean area).
The ultra-violet zappers are useful too. Again, take care of positioning and be sure to clean them regularly.
Finally, never spray insecticides in a food preparation area unless under expert guidance.
This is Chapter Four, Part Four in a series of articles broadly similar to the course offered by the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health for its Food Hygiene Certificate.
Part Five: Common pests – Cockroaches
Return to the start of Chapter Four
