ARS | Publication request: Effectiveness of fly traps and baits at three primary fly sites on Florida dairy farms

Submitted to: Journal of Dairy Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: July 10, 2011
Publication Date: July 29, 2011
Citation: Sowerby, M.E., Hogsette, Jr, J.A. 2011. Effectiveness of fly traps and baits at three primary fly sites on Florida dairy farms. Journal of Dairy Science. 94(E-Supplement 1). 733.

Technical Abstract: The house fly, Musca domestica L., is a ubiquitous pest on dairies. They can cause production losses from fly worry, disperse from farms to nearby towns, transmit diseases like pinkeye, and carry pathogens like E. coli O157:H7. The calf raising, commodity barn/feed storage, and feeding barn areas tend to attract and support large house fly aggregations on dairies. If flies could be successfully managed in these areas, farm-wide populations might be significantly reduced. Traps or toxic baits would be the best management tools because house flies are resistant to most pesticides applied as space and residual sprays. Our objective was to evaluate the relative effectiveness of a trap, a toxic scatter bait and a toxic bait strip for house fly management in high-density fly congregation areas. Three dairies having the aforementioned fly aggregation areas were selected. Treatments were the Farnam Captivator trap, the QuickStrike Bait Strip and QuikStrike Scatter Bait. Treatments were placed, one at each area, on all three dairies according to a pre-arranged random rotational schedule. After 24 hours, flies were counted and devices were rotated to the next area. A complete rotation constituted one replication in a 3 x 3 Latin square design and a test was composed of 6 replications. Data were normalized with log10 + 1, subjected to ANOVA, and means separated with the Ryan-Einot-Gabriel-Welsch Multiple Range Test (P<0.05). The mean numbers of flies captured by treatment were: Captivator trap (1624)>QuikStrike Scatter Bait (138)>QuikStrike Strip (95). The mean numbers of flies captured at each area, treatment overlooked, were: feedbarn/feed storage area (1050)>the calf pens (558)>the feeding barn (249). The Captivator trap captured significantly more flies than the bait strip and the scatter bait at all areas. Thus the Captivatior trap is recommended for management of flies at the three fly aggregation areas, and the most attractive area, based on our research, is the feed barn/feed storage area.