Tourist Dining Experience Sourced: Daughter's Tears Spoil Bakery Meal
In a shocking incident, a 49-year-old woman and her 9-year-old daughter witnessed wild bees dying in a UV trap at a bakery in Emden, Lower Saxony. The incident has caused quite a stir and led to public outcry, prompting the bakery, Musswessels, to take action.
Musswessels, known for its popular pastries, has contacted its pest control service provider after learning about the complaint. The bakery aims to use more animal-friendly alternatives to control insects in its bakeries.
Traditional UV insect traps, which attract insects using ultraviolet light and kill them electrically, have raised concerns about non-selective impacts on beneficial insects and wildlife. As a response, Musswessels is exploring alternatives to these traps.
Adhesive glue pad flycatchers are recommended for safe insect control in storage areas of bakeries. They capture insects on sticky surfaces without using UV light or electric shock, thus reducing harm to non-target insects and wildlife.
Mechanical insect killers like the Pest O Flash use UV light but are designed for commercial settings such as bakeries and can be relocated easily. However, for increased environmental safety, glue traps may be preferable in certain areas.
Modern products like the Zevo Flying Insect Fly Trap use blue and UV light to attract insects but capture them on adhesive backing without chemical insecticides or electric zapping. They are designed for indoor use near entry points but avoid chemical and noisy insect killing methods.
In addition to traps, bakeries can implement integrated pest management strategies emphasizing sanitation, air quality control (e.g., HEPA filters), temperature and humidity control, and water treatment to reduce insect infestations naturally and protect product safety.
Catching, injuring, or killing wild bees is prohibited in Lower Saxony and can result in fines of up to €50,000 or imprisonment of up to five years. To prevent protected species like wild bees from getting caught, Musswessels aims to use specifically tailored attractants and only deploy the devices indoors.
Recently, counters with air current technology have become available, but Musswessels has not yet implemented these. So-called 'knock-down' plates are also used by Musswessels, although these make it more difficult for staff to access the pastries.
According to Musswessels' sales manager Sascha Beyer, wasps in the counter area are a recurring issue in the summer months. No one has advocated for the animals before at the bakery, according to Sascha Beyer. However, most customers prefer more stringent measures than strict animal protection at the bakery, according to Sascha Beyer.
The police have launched an investigation into the incident at the bakery, but no legal consequences have been mentioned for the bakery regarding the incident with wild bees. Bees and wasps are commonly found in bakeries during summer, and Musswessels tries to use more animal-friendly methods to control insects, such as keeping doors closed and cooling glazed pastries.
In conclusion, alternatives to conventional UV electrocuting insect traps in bakeries include adhesive glue pad traps and non-chemical mechanical traps such as the Zevo system, which effectively control flying insects while being less harmful to beneficial insects and wildlife. Integrating these traps with environmental controls improves overall pest management and sustainability.
The science of environmental-science and health-and-wellness are intertwined in Musswessels' renewed focus on animal-friendly insect control methods, embracing alternatives to traditional UV traps that protect non-target species like wild bees. Musswessels is also mindful of mental-health aspects, as shown by its response to customer complaints and its efforts to implement safer and more humane pest control practices.
