A world famous, international famous 5 star Caribbean resort was faced with a major problem. Flying Pirates.
Caribbean hospitality is among the best in the world. The sunshine encourages a great outdoor dining experience - enjoyable for the guests and of course a wonderful advertisement for the resort.
The noted resort invested a heavy financial stake in designing and building a very large outdoor dining terrace - perfect for use from early morning until late evening. It was the signature centerpiece of the resort.
In the beginning, all went well. The guests loved it, the resort took pride in it, and the investment was paying off handsomely. In the hospitality industry especially, the best advertising is a satisfied customer. Happy guests bringing more new guests means a rosy financial picture and after all, we are all in business.
Flying Pirates Invasion
But paradise was about to be invaded – by pirates. Not the kind that sail the high seas in wooden ships with white sails. These pirates flew in on their own wings.
Flies?? So why do we call them pirates? Because they robbed the hotel of a hard earned source of income. Pirates, indeed.
Needless to say, the guests were not pleased. Eating with one hand, while fighting off a dozen flies with the other hand is hardly conducive to a superior customer experience. Unhappy guests and reduced resort income go hand in hand.
The food and beverage manager had to solve this problem and he quickly researched his possibilities.
Poisons?
Effective in the short run, but most fly swarms become pesticide resistant sooner than we care to think. Besides, it is not a good idea for the guests to see hotel staff spraying poisons close the eating areas. Poisons and food do not mix.
Fly Swatters?
Maybe he could issue one fly swatter to each guest in the entire patio area and have them swat flies in unison. Could we tell them that this is a form of Caribbean aerobics?
But then a guest, a US military officer, told of a pesticide free fly trap issued by the US Department of Defense for combat use in Iraq and Afghanistan. Fly problems there are among the worse in the world and these traps successfully protected thousands of troops.
Only about the size of a football and catching many thousands of flies for up to four weeks, Flies be Gone uses a protein based fly attractant and covers a large outdoor area. Flies be Gone traps were hung around the outer perimeter of his patio behind trees, diverted the flies and enabled guests to once again enjoy their stay.
For a cost of only pennies a day, Flies be Gone traps enabled the resort to protect a cash income of many thousands of dollars.
And the pirates – what happened to them? Well you might say that the flying pirates of the Caribbean are now in the bag.