Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
A horsefly trap (by Horse Pal Fly Trap) keeps horse flies from bugging Sassy.
Bag and jar traps use attractants and can capture thousands of flies. Some use
muscalure,
a sex attractant (pheromone) to draw the flies. Others require the addition of fish or meat.
Rotten-bait traps, commonly used with a 1- or 2½-gallon jar, can be smelly and must be
emptied, then restocked.
Disposable bag traps are more convenient. Just scent them with the accompanying tube
of sex attractant, add water, and watch the trap catch up to 10,000 flies.
Flypaper is available in strips, coils, or on reels. Some papers contain sex attractants;
others are just sticky. Flypaper is an inexpensive, disposable way of mechanically catching
flies.
Horseflies and deerflies can be trapped using a specialized visual attractant.
Kill adults.
Much less will have to be done with insecticides and other chemical control
measures if manure and moisture are handled properly. The indiscriminate use of any form
of
insecticide
(a chemical that kills flies) or
repellent
(a chemical that keeps flies away) can
result in the development of resistant strains of flies and can harm horses, humans, and the
environment.
Fly bait kills flies that eat it. Flies are attracted to the poison bait because of an enticing
sugar base and/or a sex attractant. Fly bait can be used in hanging bait stations or as scatter
bait on lawns and around buildings. But with this method, there is great risk of children or
other animals (birds, puppies) eating the bait.
