| What is a glue board? A glue board (aka | | | | when you should be relaxing is not ideal. |
| sticky board or gluepad) is a piece of stiff | | | | Worse still is the fact that your unwelcome |
| card with very heavy adhesive on one side. It | | | | visitors - the flying ones, not your friends |
| is inserted into a fly killer machine.What is | | | | - will also spread disease. They will |
| a fly killer machine? It is a device that | | | | typically visit animal droppings, or a trash |
| attracts flying insects by shining ultra | | | | can, and then fly around your kitchen, |
| violet light and then traps them.What is | | | | spreading germs that they have picked up on |
| ultra violet (uv) light? It is light just | | | | their feet or regurgitating their own saliva |
| like any other light. It just happens to be | | | | on solids that they need to soften in order |
| invisible to humans but not to flies, who are | | | | to digest. Not nice - and completely |
| extremely partial to it and tend to eagerly | | | | avoidable if a fly killer machine is used.Fly |
| fly towards it. Anyway, a fly killer machine | | | | killers fitted with glueboards will use less |
| attracts flies using its uv light. Some fly | | | | electricity than zapper fly killers. In an |
| killer machines have electric grids that | | | | age when electricity prices are rising this |
| electrocute the fly while others have glue | | | | is an increasingly significant consideration. |
| boards on which the fly is trapped. This | | | | There are also those who like to count their |
| brings us back where we started.Once the fly | | | | dead flies. Why, you may ask? Counting how |
| is trapped, it is no longer a threat. Fly | | | | many flies are killed will give an indication |
| killer machines that use glue boards are | | | | of the fly killer machine's effectiveness and |
| often used in situations where silent | | | | an idea of flying insect activity. This is |
| operation is required. Fly killers that | | | | particularly useful to entomologists and |
| electrocute (or zap) the fly give out an | | | | other scientists and researchers, especially |
| unmistakable noise that lets everyone know | | | | those concerned with the environment. Pest |
| that the machine has made a kill. Some | | | | controllers will also use this method to |
| restaurants would prefer a more subtle | | | | determine the best place to site a fly |
| operation where the fly discreetly flies into | | | | killer. By moving the machine from one |
| the fly killer machine and never comes out - | | | | location to another they can count the amount |
| and no sound is ever heard. Glue board fly | | | | of flies caught and determine the best place |
| killer machines are often made to mimic wall | | | | to site the machine. Manufacturers of fly |
| lights. Diners in a restaurant will not give | | | | killer machines, such as Insect-o-cutor. also |
| these lamps a second glance, but they are not | | | | use this method to test fly killer machine |
| lamps in the normal sense. They are | | | | designs.The method of trapping flying insects |
| difference between having a fly spreading | | | | using glue has been with us for a very long |
| germs and giving the restaurant a bad name | | | | time and way before electricity came along |
| and a restaurant that pays regard to hygiene | | | | and gave us zappers. Hanging sticky papers is |
| and has a good reputation.If you live near a | | | | a practice that still happens today. It is |
| field or know somebody that does, then you | | | | much less common as most people would rather |
| may be aware that they will get more than | | | | not see lots of dead flies hanging in their |
| their fair share of flies (and wasps). | | | | kitchen. Not only did electricity give us |
| Similarly, if you keep livestock, have | | | | zappers but it also gave us ultra violet |
| stables or even a dog, you will have more | | | | lamps. These will attract the flies to the |
| than the average amount of visits from | | | | glue, whereas sticky papers tended to only |
| curious flying insects. The same goes if you | | | | work if there were enough of them or if the |
| live near a food production plant or a refuse | | | | fly's seemingly random flight pattern |
| dump. For those who are in these areas, they | | | | happened to take it to the paper.Glue board |
| too may prefer one of these discreet fly | | | | fly killers are used extensively around the |
| killer "lamps" instead of the | | | | world. If you knew very little about them |
| industrial-looking zappers. Life is more | | | | before and know more now, then at least, when |
| comfortable in a fly-free environment. There | | | | you next are harassed by a fly that refuses |
| is nothing worse than trying to entertain | | | | to be swatted, you know there is another way |
| friends with a rolled up newspaper in one | | | | to do it.Vernon Stent is the content writer |
| hand, at the ready. To be on constant guard | | | | for Arkay Hygiene. |