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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Mosquito and Fly Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #129971
Title: DEVELOPMENT OF GRANULAR BORIC ACID SUGAR BAITS FOR HOUSE FLIES (DIPTERA: MUSCIDAE)

Author
item Hogsette, Jerome - Jerry
item Carlson, David
item NEJAME, ALYCE - YES PROGRAM

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/4/2002
Publication Date: 10/1/2002
Citation: HOGSETTE JR, J.A., CARLSON, D.A., NEJAME, A.S. DEVELOPMENT OF GRANULAR BORIC ACID SUGAR BAITS FOR HOUSE FLIES (DIPTERA: MUSCIDAE). JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY. 2002. v.95. p.1110-1112.

Interpretive Summary: The house fly, Musca domestica, is a serious pest in rural and urban areas, and when a critical situation occurs, there are few pesticides available for control of adults. Boric acid was evaluated recently in liquid sugar baits, and this environmentally friendly pesticide was found to be efficacious at low concentrations. However at concentrations greater than 2.25 percent, liquid boric acid baits were repellent to house flies. Liquid baits can also be difficult to use in some field situations. Because of these factors, scientists at the USDA Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, FL, developed granular boric acid sugar baits and evaluated these against house fly adults. These baits not only killed adult house flies, but there was no apparent repellency to the baits when tested at levels as high as 33 percent. Rate of kill was slower than that of liquid baits, with mortality ybeginning to be obvious after 48 hours. Under current conditions, a bait having a lag time of 48 hours is quite acceptable for use in the field.

Technical Abstract: Freeze-dried, granular sugar baits contaning boric acid as the toxic were evaluated against house flies in 2 bioassays. LC50s were 8.97 and 14.33 percent, and LT50s were 59.75 and 53.34 h in bioassays 1 and 2, respectively. Baits were tested at concentrations as high as 33 percent, however there was no indication of repellency as seen previosly with liquid bats. Reasons for lack of repellency and potential for use for baits is discussed.