Solar-powered electrocuting trap for controlling house flies and stable flies (Diptera: Muscidae).

Abstract

A portable trap was constructed that was visually attractive to house flies, Musca domestica L., and stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), outdoors. The trap was made of a white and yellow pyramid placed on top of a white vertical base that had large cutouts in each side. Attracted flies were killed by means of solar-powered electrocuting grids. Three traps killed an average of 1,360 house flies and 1,190 stable flies per day at a manure dump and were effective in attracting flies under both cool (< 23 degrees C) and warm (> 30 degrees C) temperatures. Both species of flies were most attracted to the eastern side of the trap, but house flies preferred yellow in cool mornings and white in warm afternoons. When air temperatures were > 30 degrees C, both house flies and stable flies went into the shaded base of the trap or into tunnels. Most house flies were killed on the pyramidal top of the trap, whereas most stable flies were killed on the vertical base. Opaque fiberglass tunnels with central electrocuting grids were simpler and cheaper, although less effective, for stable flies.