June 30th, 2020 by Sarah Miles

Flies are not just extremely irritating in the home, office or commercial kitchen, they are unhygienic and have the potential to spread disease. As the weather becomes warmer, the number of flies coming in will increase.

While there are a number of ways of dealing with these pesky germ carriers, including installing a fly screen, there are few solutions as effective as an electric fly killer.

Xterminate Quickzap Electric Fly Killer 16w

Price: £38.99

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How do electric fly killers work?

Electric fly killers use UV light to attract flying insects and then kill them. UV light can’t be seen by the human eye but is very attractive to flies. The light draws them in and they are then zapped by an electric killing grid. It kills them quickly and humanely. Once killed, they drop into the bottom of the unit where they can be emptied hygienically.

How to maximise the effectiveness of an electric fly killer

Electric fly killers are a great option for controlling flies, especially in a kitchen area where they can be a real nuisance. They will be pretty effective however you use them but there are a few ways that you can really get the most from your fly killer and maximise its effectiveness.

Here are our top 5 tips:

1. Position them high up

The average flying height of insects is 1.5-2.5 metres so this is the best height at which to capture the greatest number of flies. Placing it high up also allows the UV light to spread across the room.

2. Position out of sight from doorways and windows

The purpose of an electric fly killer is to lure the flies that are already in the room into the unit, not to entice additional insects to come in that may not have otherwise found their way inside. Place the unit where it can only be seen from within the room.

3. Position away from other light sources

While flies are very attracted to UV light, they like any form of bright light. To prevent your fly killer having to compete with sunlight and artificial light, place them away from other sources of light in a darker spot.

4. Keep away from food preparation areas

While this may seem like a good place to have them, as flies will gravitate towards food and waste, electric fly killers can potentially cause some insects to ‘explode’ on impact (known as ‘blow out’). This means that insect debris could potentially fall into food. You ideally want to kill them before they get to this area.

5. Position above doors

As long it’s not too bright (see point 3), above the door can be a good position for an electric fly killer. This is because it’s close to a common point of entry so you have a good chance of killing them before they make their way any further into the area. It also allows you to satisfy the height and ‘out of sight’ tips outlined in items 1 and 2.