A Comparative Study on Different Baits Used to Attract House Fly in Malaysia

Abstract

House flies are commonly found at homes and businesses in Malaysia. Many kinds of baits are used to attract and trap these flies either by mechanical or chemical means. But all these baits are not capable of attracting flies equally. The main goal of this study is to find out the best bait that can attract house fly effectively. Two baits made in abroad and four baits made in Malaysia were selected for conducting this study because these baits are commonly used in Malaysia. Experiments were carried out by using six selected baits in food industry, fish market and poultry farm in the east coast of Malaysia. Data were collected from the field experiments continuously for six days and analysed to determine the best bait that trap the house flies very effectively. Data analysis results show that the Chinese Electronic Fly Catcher bait is the best one for trapping house flies effectively compared to other baits. Further investigation is still underway to find the volatile compound used for this Chinese Electronic Fly Catcher bait, which will help to generate new bait with the same effect.