Stylishly zapping flies with the Lumnia Ultimate

Carrying over 200 pathogens, a fly infestation can be dangerous for consumers and devasting to companies. With the Rentokil Lumnia Ultimate, flies will disappear discreetly.

Flies are carriers of various pathogens like salmonella, shigellosis, E. Coli and Myiasis – the infestation of human or animal tissue with fly larvae. A fly infestation could thus harm consumers, but also cause a lot of damage to companies. Nathalie Leblond, marketing communication manager at Rentokil Initial, notes that the impact on a business is two-fold.

“There is the financial implication of having to get rid of contaminated products and potentially pay for legal costs or damages and the reputational damage that is caused by contaminated food. This also comes with the financial cost of lost earnings,” she says. Companies manufacturing and handling food can spend around US$ 9 000 (R138 208) a year to deal with flies and fly infestations.

Rentokil Initial, however, has the optimal solution with its sleek Lumnia Ultimate. The high-tech, modern fly trap uses LED lights to attract flies and discreetly captures them in the unit. It has a flip cover at the front for easy cleaning and maintenance.

Mario Pluke, technical manager for Rentokil Sub-Saharan Africa, explains the benefits of the LED lighting. “The two main benefits of using LED lights are that it allows for an estimated energy consumption reduction of, on average, 60 percent. This means there is significantly lower electricity costs for Rentokil customers. LED lights are also environmentally friendly; contain no toxic chemicals; are 100-percent recyclable; and produce close to no ultraviolet (UV) emissions,” he says.

The Lumnia Ultimate uses encapsulating technology to ensure that no fly fragments contaminate the area. Pluke explains: “Traditional fly units eliminate flies by electrocuting them. When a fly gets zapped, it explodes and small particles can be projected into the air, which are then inhaled by people, or land on clean surfaces or food.”

“The Lumnia range of electric fly killers uses adhesive film encapsulation or glue boards, to avoid the problem of insect-fragment contamination. Extensive testing was carried out to ensure the Lumnia fly control units are highly effective,” he adds.

Rentokil tested the technology by releasing house flies into a room and recording the number of flies captured during regular intervals. This process was repeated several times. The test indicated that an adhesive Lumnia surface unit caught flies twice as fast as the equivalent electrified grid unit.

“This translates to a big reduction in the risk of contamination and potential spread of disease. Encapsulation units, like Lumnia and Lumnia Ultimate, capture flies in an adhesive rolling film; hygienically sealing in fly fragments. Another advantage is that the catch surface is routinely refreshed, reducing problems in dusty conditions,” Pluke explains.

While the unit is aimed particularly at food and beverage manufacturers, where contamination can cause the most damage, it is also beneficial to any big sites struggling with flies; such as supermarkets, pharmaceutical manufacturers, poultry farms and warehouses.

Leblond notes that simply implementing a fly trap, is not enough. She says: “In order for fly control to be truly effective, one must take an integrated approach.” Along with implementing devices such as the Lumnia Ultimate, it is also important for businesses to restrict the fly population by preventing breeding externally.

Leblond states: “Rentokil offers a unique fly bait box that is designed to effectively control flying insects around external refuse areas, targeting the flies’ breeding sites. The unit needs no electricity to work and is highly flexible in its deployment.” The fly bait box will reduce the number of flies entering the premises, which makes the Lumnia Ultimate even more effective.