Flies - Advice on Dealing with a Local Increase in the Fly Population
The Environmental Health teams and contact centre have received an increased number of calls from householders and local businesses recently about flies and have provided advice, some of which is included below. Like many pests the best way to control the number of flies is good hygiene and minimising the food sources available to them. The following simple rules may help:-
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Keep windows and doors closed whenever possible. Open doors and windows are an invitation to flies and other pests.
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Consider fitting fly screens to kitchen windows/doors.
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Keep foods in the fridge / freezer or cupboard as appropriate and keep food covered. Flies spread bacteria onto food whenever they land on it. Remember, flies are looking for food and anything you leave out will attract them.
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Pet food dishes can also attract flies so regular cleaning and not leaving food out for pets except when needed will help cut down on attracting flies.
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Spillages attract flies, so clean as you go and clear away food spillages immediately.
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Ensure kitchens are kept clean and remove all food debris, crumbs etc from around and under equipment and appliances.
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Make sure your refuse bins are covered and have good fitting lids. Refuse is another food source for flies and the smell attracts them.
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In the garden, try to enclose or cover the compost heap. Warm compost is ideal for flies and will attract them in numbers.
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If you have a water butt for storing water keep it covered as far as possible.
Houseflies and bluebottles are more evident during the summer months and there are many products available for controlling flying pests from supermarkets, garden centres, hardware shops and specialist suppliers. It is important to take care and ensure that the manufacturer's safety precautions are followed when using such products.
Pest Control On Line
e-Pest Control Launched by West Dunbartonshire Council.
At West Dunbartonshire Council we recognise the importance of our customers and that is why we are working hard in the implementation of the Customer First initiative.
Customer First is a Scottish Government sponsored programme developed in partnership with all 32 Scottish local authorities. It is managed, with the support of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE), under the direction of the Improvement Service (IS). It aims to deliver 'first time' public services by re-designing them around customers' needs.
The programme supports the principles of: easier to access, better integrated, local services; effective collaboration across the public sector; better use of public resources; high standards of public service; and willingness to innovate and learn from others.
The programme also underpins the Scottish Government's commitment to work in partnership with Scotland's local authorities to:
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deliver more convenient and responsive public services;
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encourage the take up of online access to services;
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ensure that at least 75% of core service requests can be dealt with at the first point of contact.
The Environmental Health Section has launched Pest Control On-Line, the first integrated on-line council service, enabling both the service request and the payment to be made during the same transaction. Residents of the area can request and pay for services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
“This is a first class example of West Dunbartonshire Councils commitment to our customers, providing a 24 hour a day, 365 days a year access to booking services – we are using technology to provide better services to the people of West Dunbartonshire”. commented Councillor Craig Mclaughlin.
“West Dunbartonshire Council are committed to providing first class services to our customers and will continue to strive to enable easy access to these services” commented Patricia Marshall, Manager of ICT.
The Council’s website has had online forms and facility to pay bills online for several years but this recent improvement allows us to link the Council’s payment system to existing forms. There will now be a programme of work to extend this integration to other online service requests and systems in the coming months.
You can access the pest control on line form at http://www.wdcweb.info/site/request-an-online-service/
E. coli O157 and Leisure Farms
Godstone Farm in Surrey closed voluntarily on 12th September as a result of an outbreak of E. coli O157 linked to the premises. The Health Protection Agency has requested that local councils inspect similar premises in their area, that are open to the public and allow visitors to see and pet farm animals, to ensure that the facilities comply with health & safety and public health requirements.
Current veterinary and medical opinion is that it should be assumed all cattle, sheep, goats and deer carry E. coli O157. It is also found in a range of other animals and birds including geese and seagulls. Effective hand washing after contact with such animals is therefore essential.
Enviromental Health Officers have recently inspected the leisure farm within West Dunbartonshire to ensure that hygiene facilities were satisfactory and to reaffirm the Health Protection Agency guidance.
Guidance for visitors to farms has been produced by Health Protection Scotland and the Scottish Agricultural College.
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