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