Lions, tigers, bears and…large flies? With summer here, those pesky bugs have many restaurant owners and managers screaming “Oh my!” And while large flies may just seem like an annoyance to the restaurant goer, the presence of large flies in restaurants can present significant health risks by spreading bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli.
 
To help eliminate the presence of large flies in restaurants, Ecolab has introduced its new Stealth Fusion Fly Light geared strictly toward usage in the restaurant and food industries. Sticking to its environmentally conscious objective, the Stealth Fusion Fly Light uses a non-chemical approach to sanitation improvement that only introduces chemical control as a last resort. Such a methodology improves food safety with minimal pesticide chemistry while it also reduces chemical waste, according to the company. 
 
In recent field tests the Stealth Fusion Fly Light has been shown to capture 170% more flies than a standard fly light when placed in common fly areas. The new technology contains a dark, reflective device that uses stimulating characteristics to attract the flies.  
 
“The studying of fly behavior over the years has established that black is the color they are most attracted to, and some basic studies done in field laboratories show that they are especially drawn to a black shiny black surface more than a flat black surface,” said Dr. John Barcay, a senior scientist and urban entomologist at Ecolab. Since restaurants often use shiny black surfaces for cooking and serving food, large flies are especially attracted to these establishments.
 
Building off of the original Stealth Maxima Fly Light, which relied on light reflection to attract flies, the Stealth Fusion Fly Light improves the attraction and catch of flies to an even greater extent that Barcay calls “shoulders above” the former Stealth Maxima Fly Light. “Incorporated into the attractive media of the Stealth Fusion is a technology that reflects light off the wall and provides a larger footprint to attract flies. In fact, it actually catches flies twice as fast,” said Barcay.
 
Due to the monthly cleaning and maintenance the Stealth Fusion Fly Light requires, it is currently only being leased to primarily food operations. However, depending on the demand for the product, there is a possibility in the future that Ecolab will expand the market of the Stealth Fusion Fly Light beyond the food and restaurant business.