“Single-killing-point” field assessment of bait and lure control of fruit flies (Diptera:Tephritidae) in Pakistan

Abstract

Variations of bait application technique (BAT) and male annihilation technique (MAT) were evaluated in field studies of the effectiveness of individual “killing points” of food bait spots or parapheromone lure traps or blocks, by recovering flies attracted and killed in collectors below the killing points. BAT spots were more effective applied to natural foliage than to cut wood, cloth or plastic. BAT with a home-made meat broth killed 65.7% of the number of flies killed by commercial protein hydrolysate, and application by brushes was as effective as by a sprayer. There may be a health risk from the mixing of insecticide with a meat bait which is prepared in a way similar to a food product. MAT by wooden blocks soaked in lure and insecticide was compared with the plastic lure-baited traps currently used in Pakistan; blocks killed four times more flies than traps, are cheaper and less vulnerable to theft and weather, and require no recharging and replacement. Plywood blocks killed more flies than those of mulberry and poplar wood, though not than acacia. Square and oblong blocks were more effective than round and hexagonal ones. The study showed that “single-killing-point” analysis of fruit fly controls can produce consistent results while being quicker and cheaper than full-field trials.