Flying Insect Control Products

Electric insect killers use UV light to attract flying insects towards a grid, which kills them on contact. They run continuously and work best in low ambient light, so they are more effective at dusk and indoors than in bright daylight.

It varies by product type. Traps, fly papers and window screens involve no active substance. If you are using any spray, follow the label directions: keep children and pets out during application and until treated surfaces are dry and the room ventilated, and don't treat food-preparation surfaces unless the label allows it. Place electric killers out of reach and away from food areas.

Match it to the job. Sprays act on insects present at the time. Electric killers and fly traps work continuously and are better where flies keep arriving. Fly screens stop them getting in at all, which is the only option that addresses the cause rather than the symptom.

Many are suitable for both. Electric insect killers and fly traps work well on patios and in outbuildings, while sprays and screens are for indoor use. Check the product description for the intended setting - outdoor use in an exposed position shortens the life of most units.

Fit fly screens to windows and doors, keep doors closed at dusk, and remove what draws them: uncovered food, open bins, standing water, and pet waste in the garden. Flies are almost always coming to a source - finding and removing it does more than any product.

Clean electric killers regularly by removing dead insects and wiping the unit down, as a build-up reduces performance. Replace fly papers and sticky traps once they are full or the surface has dried out. Check the manufacturer's guidance on replacing UV tubes, since output falls over time even when the tube still lights.

Fly screens, traps, sticky papers and electric killers all work without an insecticidal active substance. Screens are the most useful of these, because they stop insects entering rather than dealing with them once inside.

Large numbers indoors usually mean a breeding source nearby rather than insects wandering in - a bin, a drain, a dead bird or rodent in a void, or standing water. Find and remove the source first; treating the adults without it means they keep coming. If you can't locate it, or the problem recurs after a full treatment, it is worth calling a professional.