Effects of Bulb Degradation on Fly Attraction to Insect Light Traps
Flies are attracted to ILT’s when the bulbs are activated. When given only one option, daylight bulbs are just as attractive to flies as UV bulbs and new UV bulbs are just as attractive to flies as old UV bulbs. When given an option, old UV bulbs are 63%as attractive to flies as new UV bulbs. The color of the box in which an ILT is placed in a choice test effects the preference. Flies had a preference for the ILT in a black box over that of one in a white box at a rate of ~1.8X. Color of the glue boards does not affect fly catch.13-24% of flies that are attracted to a light in a preference test are not actually caught on the glue boars. In a room test, Old UV bulbs catch 80-90% as many flies as new UV bulbs.
John Cooksey, Roberto M. Pereira, Philip G. Koehler.
