Flies: The world’s most disruptive pest

On average, businesses across the globe spend about RM 39,150 a year on fly control solutions. This is because fly infestations can lead to various consequences to a business which include revenue losses, brand reputation damage, and even low staff productivity.

Why are flies the world’s most disruptive pests?

In 2014, Rentokil commissioned Opinion Matters and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) to analyse the true impact pest have on businesses of different industries. And the research shows that out of all the common pests found in the commercial sectors, flies are by far the most disruptive, particularly when food is a core part of the business.

Flies are known to spread a wide range of pathogens like Salmonella and E.coli which can affect your business in many ways, for e.g, food contaminations. In addition to that, 45% of businesses that suffered from fly infestation report a high to moderate concern about loss of income. This is not surprising as 94% of Malaysians shared that they would not enter a restaurant that has fly infestation. With the significant growth of social media users today, a single photo or video of flies found in the food may go viral, and consequently lead to social backlash, further damaging the business.

Apart from business impacts, fly infestations can also affect your staff wellbeing. 11% of businesses we surveyed reported that flies are one of the leading causes of their staff illnesses. This results in a big disruption to productivity, affecting routine business activities. It was also found that an average of 9 working days are lost each year following a fly infestation.

How to minimise your risk of fly infestation?

Ensuring the necessary preventive measures are in place can help protect your business and consumers from flies and the pathogens they spread. Basic hygiene practices will deny flies access to food sources and breeding sites. Learn more about flies and how to win the battle against flies from this infographic.

At Rentokil, we offer a range of professional pest control solutions to help reduce the presence of flies in your business premises in a hygienic manner, helping to comply with food safety and other legislations.  

Found signs of fly infestation in your premises? Call us today at 1300 882 911 to find out more about Rentokil Fly Control Solutions.