A study was undertaken to find out the efficacy of the house fly specific pheromone (Z)-9-Tricosene in attracting and killing house flies in field conditions using a sticky trap baited with sugar. Traps containing Glue + Sugar + (Z)-9-Tricosene caught the maximum number of house flies followed by Glue + (Z)-9-Tricosene, Glue + Sugar and Glue traps when observed 12 hours after installation of the traps. The maximum number of flies were caught in the Poultry shed followed by Post mortem hall and Garbage dump yard. More number of flies was caught during the morning hours compared to evening hours. Flies got stuck in the glue immediately and were unable to fly again because the wings and legs were firmly trapped in the glue. The flies ultimately died after a short struggle. Significant difference in the number of flies was observed in Z-9-Tricosene treated traps when compared to control traps without (Z)-9-Tricosene thus indicating the effectiveness of (Z)-9-Tricosene as an efficient lure in attracting house flies so that eco friendly pheromone based traps can be used in house fly control strategies as part of integrated pest management strategies.
