Use as interior What is a savior in a restaurant? September 4, 14:53

Feathers such as flies and chironomies fly around us in summer. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it is also important for restaurants and food manufacturers to control insects. However, it is difficult to use pesticides where food is available. Therefore, Shiga Prefecture's manufacturer has developed a “trapping device” that can catch insects by combining two things. (Otsu Broadcasting Station reporter Eiji Tsujioka)

Featherworms that plague restaurants

On summer nights, various beetles gather at streetlights and store lights. At the cake and bread shop in Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, which has moved from the vicinity of the station to the suburbs for nearly 10 years, we have been troubled by insects that gather after sunset.

So this insect trap was started in May. While it has a clean appearance, it helps to eliminate insects.

“When I went to the store in the morning, the insects that came into the night fell well on the bread trays etc. I feel uncomfortable because I feel uncomfortable. The number of insects in the store has clearly decreased since I started using the traps. "

The company that developed

The insect trap was developed by SHIMADA, a manufacturer related to pest control in Higashi-Omi City, Shiga Prefecture. We have been working for over 30 years to manufacture and sell commercial adhesive sheets to combat insects and mice.

The developed insect trap uses the adhesive sheet that the manufacturer is good at to catch insects. The design has also been devised so that caught insects cannot be seen from the outside.

“There were insect traps in the backyard and factories, but insects are always generated where people gather. Developed. ''

Do insects gather even with LEDs?

At the beginning of the sale eight years ago, the light built in to attract insects was a fluorescent lamp using mercury. However, since the import and export of products using mercury will be regulated by international treaties from next year, we have independently developed to replace the light with LED.

However, there was a big problem in attracting insects with LEDs. Many insects respond to invisible UV light, not visible light, but general lighting LEDs emit almost no UV light.

Therefore, the experiment was repeated to find out what kind of combination can efficiently collect insects using special LEDs that emit ultraviolet rays.

As a result of nearly two years of experimentation, we finally succeeded in emitting ultraviolet rays of 350 to 450 nanometers, which is considered to be the wavelength at which insects gather. By combining LEDs with different wavelengths, it became possible to attract various types of insects.

Another problem is that LEDs have limited diffusion angles. By arranging the LED and placing the LEDs on two sides of the aluminum triangular prism, UV rays are diffused widely, the heat dissipation effect is improved, and the LEDs themselves last longer.

The spread of the popular “insect trap”

Using the completed LED lights, we have a variety of customer needs ranging from large-sized floors to compact ones that can be carried around. The LED's merit is that its life span is about three times that of conventional fluorescent lamps and power consumption is significantly reduced, and over 1,000 units have already been shipped in over three months.

In addition, from the next fiscal year, fast food in the national chain and several major convenience stores are considering full-scale introduction. The need to replace the old LED trap with a new LED trap has been increasing since the introduction of an old type trap using mercury, such as a major local supermarket.

The increase in “eat-in” corners such as convenience stores is also helping to introduce traps.

“(SHIMADA President Nishibori) Eat-in is increasing in convenience stores with many customers coming and going, and there are more opportunities to place food on the counter, making it easier for insects to occur. And I think you are"

The company is also considering the overseas expansion of insect traps. While overseas, insect countermeasures using insecticides are the mainstream, inquiries are coming from companies that consider environmental considerations.

By changing the adhesive sheet material to conventional paper and using a sheet mainly composed of limestone, we are trying to save water and fuel for manufacturing and make it more environmentally friendly.

It may not be long before you can see the idea of ​​reducing the burden on the environment while making unpleasant insects invisible.

Otsu Broadcasting Station reporter Eiji Tsujioka

Hiroshima Carp fans who were enthusiastic about coverage at the 2006 Chiba Bureau, the News Bureau Network News Department, etc.