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Where To Hang Fly Traps

Rowan Burgess |

Fly traps are an excellent option for farms, stable yards, and smallholdings working as standalone management products or as part of a coordinated insect control programme. 

Some fly traps are only suitable for outdoor use, while others work better indoors. Following the manufacturer's instructions is essential to ensure the trap is in an appropriate location, or it won't work.

Traps also help monitor the effectiveness of a fly control programme, so they’re a great adjunct to complementary methods such as insecticides and cold fogging.

Find out which location is best for different fly traps, and say goodbye to those pesky flies for good!

Sticky Flypaper

Knowing the species of flies you're trying to control is essential. Sticky flypaper is mainly effective at trapping fruit flies attracted by the sweet and sticky lure. 

The best location for a sticky ribbon or glue roll is where it can hang freely - so, not against a wall. Hanging freely, you'll capture flies coming from all directions. Door openings are a favourite location. 

Sticky flypaper is also an effective way to monitor an insect control programme. Fly management is essential to control diseases, including Salmonella and Avian Flu.

Attach several rolls in the problem area at about head height.

Take the paper rolls down regularly and count the number of flies. Record the date, time, and location, as well as the species. The rule of thumb is that more than twenty of the same species could indicate a rise in population.

Electric Fly Killers

Light is the most common attraction for most flies to buildings and animal housing from outdoors. 

Consequently, electric killers are an effective choice for farm buildings to protect livestock from the immediate irritation of biting flies and to keep ancillary buildings like a dairy or farm shop insect-free.

These electric killers contain ultra-violet light fluorescent tubes that attract flies to the light. Site these in an area without competition from other light sources, away from windows and doors.

Water-activated Pheromone Fly Traps

Flies are attracted to moisture. Moreover, this is one of the clues to trace the source of a fly outbreak on a poultry or pig farm.

Manure piles or pits are a big lure with a moisture content of 50%-80% and rotting organic matter. Fresh poultry manure has a moisture level of between 75%-80%, so it's a 'des-res' for adult flies looking to breed.

Water-activated fly traps work through a combination of moisture and pheromones contained in the bag. 

These traps also require sunlight, so they work best in sunny or hot conditions, hanging in an area where the light is continuous and ideally 2-2.4 metres above the ground. 

The pheromone in the bait reacts to direct UV light and, with the moisture, attracts flies.

It's also important that the trap hangs away from the area you want to protect. It sounds a bit counter-intuitive, but it's essential to get this right.

Pheromone trap bags work more slowly than other methods and usually only target female flies, so they’re unsuitable for larger-scale or severe infestations. 

This eco-friendly, non-toxic fly control solution is suitable for controlling non-biting flies where livestock are not constantly harassed. 

Looking for a Fly Traps? Shop Dalton Engineering!

Fly traps are an excellent way to deal with summer fly populations and help manage specific infestations or target certain areas for extra control, like animal housing or public-facing sites on the farm.

This type of fly control is an essential element of fly prevention strategies on farms and is also handy for monitoring fly numbers to verify that existing insect control programmes are working. 

Before you think about which fly traps to buy, know the species you're targeting – whether they're biting or non-biting  - and their lifecycle, feeding, and breeding habits. This step makes your fly control more informed and effective.

Shop Dalton Engineering for a comprehensive range of fly traps for internal and external use on farms, stables, and smallholdings.