HOUSE FLY (Musca domestica) TRAPPER
ABSTRACT
Musca Domestica is a common house fly and a well-known cosmopolitan that is found on both homes and farms. This paper reviews substantial and extensive literature available on the Musca Domestica and other pathogen house flies. Its origin can be traced back to the steppes of central Asia. This fly can be found in urban and rural areas and can be associated with animal feces and decaying organic materials. Pest control is needed to ensure that these flies do not pose a health risk to human beings. To control the infestation of these flies in the house it is advisable to use traps to include, “House Fly Trap”. It is not advisable to use pesticides to control these flies since they move fast and do not stay at one spot for a long time. The purpose of this study is to shed light on eco-friendly ways that can be used to kill flies as well as determining the scent that flies are most are attracted to via creating a house fly trapper whose efficiency will be measured using the number of Musca Domestica flies it will trap.
INTRODUCTION
The house fly, Musca Domestica, is a well-known cosmopolitan pest of both farm and home. This species is always found in association with humans or the activities of humans. It is the most common species found on farms, market places and restaurants and not to mention our home. Not only are house flies a nuisance, but they can also transport disease-causing organisms. Excessive fly populations are not only an irritant to farm workers but, when there are nearby human habitations, a public health problem could occur. People have the privilege to have a home since it is a basic need for humans like us. A home is where we feel safe and feel comfortable. However, house flies disrupt the peace at the same time in places where we eat and produce food like farms, carinderias, and restaurants.
This common fly originated on the steppes of central Asia but now occurs on all inhabited continents, in all climates from tropical to temperate, and in a variety of environments ranging from rural to urban. It is commonly associated with animal feces but has adapted well to feeding on garbage, so it is abundant almost anywhere people live. Although they seem like a minor irritation, infestations can increase in a short time. They enter the home when they locate an indoor source of decaying, organic material, or trash for them to lay their eggs. In 24 hours, eggs hatch into maggots which are characterized by small and white larva. Maggots feed on the same decaying and organic matter they were born in. The larval housefly’s purpose is to store nutrients for the preparation of the pupal stage of its life. After approximately four days, the larva will start to form hard, brown pupal cases that could usually be found in dry, dark locations. Adult flies are fast-moving and pupae are almost hard to locate. (Orkin, 2019).
The need for pest control is more critical since house flies are dangerous. Pest control helps keep them in check and will benefit your health. The researchers are conducting this research to help fight pest infestations. The researchers are working on a fly trap that can be very helpful to the problem and at the same time be eco-friendly means that do not require an external source of energy. (Karen and Orkin, 2019).
The researchers believe that the “House Fly Trap” is essential and helpful in eradicating these pests. Bug zappers are common nowadays, but they use electricity thus needing an external source of energy. The same results can be taken but without the use of an external source of energy using the House Fly Trap. House flies are a serious problem when not controlled and eradicated. Pesticides are not that effective as it is to other insects because flies move fast when disturbed, thus making it difficult to use insecticides. Good sanitation is the basic step in any fly management program. Food and materials on which the flies can lay eggs must be removed, destroyed as a breeding medium, or isolated from the egg-laying adult. Since the house fly can complete its life cycle in as little as seven days, the researchers want to create an effective house fly trapper. With the increasing incidence of insecticide-resistant house fly populations, rising costs of insecticides, and a growing public concern about actual or potential problems associated with insecticides, interest in alternative house fly control strategies has increased. So as researchers, we want to create a House Flytrap that will eliminate these pests without constantly buying an insecticide that is harmful to the environment and costly too.
There are said to be at least 100 different pathogens house flies carry like viruses, bacteria, and parasite eggs. The bigger concern comes from fly vomit when these flies land on your meal, they puke digestive fluid onto the food to break it down so they can drink it because their mouthparts are different from other flies (Daniels, 2019). A house fly’s life cycle only lasts approximately 30 days, however, in their short lifetime, house flies can lay up to 500 eggs in their lifetime which are usually in batches of around 75 to 150. These eggs are deposited on decayed and fermenting rotting organic materials that are either from animals or from vegetables. Heaps of animal dung provide the most suitable breeding sites for house flies (Hussein, et al., 2017). Also, fish meal provides a suitable breeding site.
Flies are attracted to heat and unpleasant odors (Callahan, 2018). On the other hand, houseflies are an important component of nutrient recycling in the environment. Housefly larvae can be used to bio grade manure which is an opportunity to reduce waste disposal. The biodegraded waste can be used to manufacture protein rich animal feeds (Hussein, et al., 2017). Housefly larvae is a source of nutritional value for daily cattle.
Understanding the ecology of the Musca Domestica is important in understanding the health effects and effective control measures that can be implemented. Adult flies are more active during the day compared to night time. However, in some cases they adopt to artificial light and can be active during the night. During the day they are actively feeding on surfaces to include floors, walls, fences, garbage and on grasses. They are most inactive during the night and their most favorite resting place is the celling and various structures and when the temperatures are high indoors, they rest on leaves and fences (World Health Organization, n.d). The number of flies in a place is determined by the availability of breeding locations. Breeding locations are determined by the amount of sunshine, temperature and humidity. According to substantial research the densities of a fly are highest at mean temperature of 22-250 C, and decrease at temperatures that are below 220C(World Health Organization, n.d). At extremely low temperature the Musca Domestica can stay alive but in a dormant state provided it is either in the pupal or adult stage.
Since they are most active during the day, they are mainly found gathered around feeding and breeding places, their behavior is extensively influenced by factors to include light, temperature, humidity, surface, color and texture (World Health Organization, n.d). All activities to include mating, flying and feeding stop at 150C. At low humidity they are very active. To effectively control flies, it essential to conduct extensive research into the resting places of flies. Measures that have been used before to control flies include the use of insecticides, the use of traps to include sticky tapes and electric grids. In addition, the implementation of environmental sanitation and hygienic practices has helped to control flies.
Conceptual Framework
|
Input |
Process |
Output |
|
1x1x7 inch Wooden Frame Funnel Hinge Firm wire ¼ Illustration Board Duct Tape
|
|
HOUSE FLY (Musca domestica ) TRAPPER
|
Concepts and terms to be defined study; Trapper, prototype, Lures, Control Group and eco-friendly.
The Significance of the Study
The people suffer from a fly which they would call a tiny annoyance but they are more dangerous as they seem. The need for eliminating these pests is critical and that’s what this study is concentrated on. The study is focused on apprehending them and eventually killing them in an eco-friendly way. The benefits of using an eco-friendly method to control flies will help in reducing the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. The excessive emission of carbon has increased global warming and influenced climatic changes that adversely affect the world (Hussein, et al., 2017). The trapper will be more effective and environmentally friendly. On a local scale the development of an eco-friendly way of controlling flies will help in the reduction of flies at a cheaper cost compared to the cost of using insecticides. Also, the control of Musca Domestica will reduce the occurrence of diseases caused by this pathogen to include, typhoid fever, diarrhea, anthrax and dysentery in Baguio City, Cordillera Administrative region.
Objectives of the Study
This study aims to create a house fly trapper that will test the following:
- Compare the efficiency of House Fly (Musca Domestica) Trapper in terms of how many house flies were trapped.
- To determine which scent flies are attracted to during a specific timeline.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study Design
This study was a qualitative one because we were testing the efficiency of House Fly (Musca Domestica) Trapper in attracting the said insect. The trapper used a wide variety of lures to lure the flies into the trap. The lure used had a strong smell that flies were highly attracted to, and for them to go closer, they eventually need to go inside and were trapped as they didn’t know the way out, since they don’t know the concept of the hole as an exit. The depended variable of the study was the lure, since different lures were used. The independent variable of the study was the trapper.
Materials
The materials are as follows; 1x1x7 inches of wood used as a frame, wire mesh used for the outer covering, stapler used to attach the wire mesh to the wood, nails to put together the frame, door hinge for the opening of the prototype, funnel as the passageway of the flies, old cardboard for the top and bottom covering.
Method
After planning with the schematic diagram, the researchers will assemble the prototype using the said materials. Following that, the researchers will test the prototype. Then, they will record and take note of the errors in the prototype. And this will repeat until the researchers acquired good enough results.
Testing Procedure
- Find a place where flies are commonly spotted.
- The researchers will use 3 different lures which are Fish, Corn, and Banana.
- Test the effectiveness of the lure and the prototype itself.
- Record the pros and cons of the lure and the prototype.
Treatment of Data
The trapper’s performance will be dependent on how strong the smell of the lure and its effectiveness. The efficacy and duration are affected by the type of lure used. One of its limitations is the area it can cover and the weather it can be used in. Besides these limitations, the house fly trapper will still deliver its purpose, which is to attract the House Fly and trap them when they are inside the prototype. The researchers will conduct procedures to the trapper if it can meet the objectives of the study.
Ethical Considerations
The researchers will deal with the lab work of the study with proper safety procedures. The researchers should use safety equipment such as rubber gloves to protect their hands and face masks so that they can only smell a limited amount of scent. The researchers should aim to achieve our objectives in the research to accomplish the necessary things. Their data should not be harmed to keep it legitimate and avoid it being false. The research must also undergo proper disposal. The researchers should include putting the trash in the assigned laboratory waste bins such as hazardous waste.
Results and Discussions
The researchers texted the lures with and without the prototype, here are the results.
Without Prototype:
|
Lure/Bait |
Control Group |
Duration |
Amount Lured |
|
Raw Fish |
House Fly |
60 minutes |
50+ |
|
Cooked Corn |
House Fly |
60 minutes |
45 |
|
Banana |
House Fly |
60 minutes |
22 |
With Prototype:
|
Lure/Bait |
Control Group |
Duration |
Amount Lured |
|
Raw Fish |
House Fly |
60 minutes |
0 |
|
Cooked Corn |
House Fly |
60 minutes |
0 |
|
Banana |
House Fly |
60 minutes |
0 |
The foul smell of raw fish that was left out to rot attracted and lured over fifty houseflies in one hour, the foul smell of cooked rotten corn attracted and lured 45 houseflies in an hour and rotten banana smell attracted 22 houseflies in a span of one hour. Form the above result it can be concluded that the houseflies were more attracted to the foul smell of fish more than other smells. Without the prototype no flies were lured.
Some flies were attracted to the leftover banana, some were attracted to the juice found in the leftover corn and most flies were attracted to the raw fish due to it having a stronger rotting factor, which can be proven by just how strong the smell is. Since the wire mesh made the lure too exposed to the outside, it makes the scent strong enough to satisfy the flies just by staying by the frame which isn’t intended by the researchers for it should bring the flies inside to be trapped. They weren’t going to the funnel entrance and were just surrounding the prototype from the outside.
Conclusion
The results formed a conclusion to the researchers that the prototype didn’t quite achieve the requirements of objective 1. The fish, corn, and banana were very effective in luring the flies to the prototype however, the flies are hindered by the prototype to go in the interior of it due to it having more options for the flies to do with it, in other words, they were just staying outside the prototype than the intention of the researchers to bring them inside for them to be trapped. The prototype should be more straight-forward to limit its options and force the flies into the interior of the prototype. The prototype should be able to apprehend the house flies efficiently, as the researchers have hypothesized, but due to errors, the researchers have decided to redesign the prototype to fix the errors. However, in objective 2, it was a success. Although the prototype wasn’t a complete success, the researchers proved that house flies are highly attractive to fish. It was recorded as a great attraction to house flies without the prototype, but they were also effective with the prototype but didn’t trap any flies due to the structure of the prototype Finding a scent that lures the files to the trap was effective, however, developing a prototype that traps the files was not a success. Also, there was no plan on how the flies would be killed once they are in the trap or long it would take the flies to die.
Recommendation
The prototype is recommended to be revised due to errors in the design. The researchers recommend using a plastic cover for the outer covering, acetate or uPVC can be used instead of the firm wire. For easier disposal, they also recommend making the base of the prototype a sliding type of door so that when there is a need to change the lure or to dispose of the body of
the dead flies, they can easily fall through the sliding door.
The researchers suggest using raw fish for the lure since they are very attractive to the flies and are apparent even in the marketplace. For best results, it should be at its rotten state for at least 3 days. Although using other lures e.g. leftovers can be used if raw fish is not available. For maximum usage, the disposable lures should be placed in the soil for it to act as fertilizer considering it is biodegradable. It is can be recommended that future development of the prototype ensures that there is a way to let in flies in the trap without letting them out. Also, it is recommended that future research seek to ensure that the foul smell doesn’t affect the human sense of smell since it will be used in open spaces.
References
Callahan. (2018, March 30). Large Flies and Odors: Understanding the link. Retrieved from; https://www.rentokil.com/us/blog/large-flies-and-odors/
Hussein, M., Pillai, V. V., Goddard, J. M., Park, H. G., Kothapalli, K. S., Ross, D. A., ... & Johnson, P. A. (2017). Sustainable production of housefly (Musca domestica) larvae as a protein-rich feed ingredient by utilizing cattle manure. PLoS One, 12(2), e0171708.
Karen. (2019, May 9). Are Bug Zappers Effective.
Laliberte, M. (2017, September 16). The Gross Truth About What Happens When Flies Land in Your Food.
Orkin (2019). House Flies. Retrieved from; https://www.orkin.com/flies/house-fly
Rentokil Pest Control Ireland. (2018, April 9). 10 interesting facts about house flies you never knew. Retrieved from; https://www.rentokil.ie/blog/10-interesting-facts-house-flies/.
Types of House Fly Problems & Solutions. (2019). Retrieved from; https://www.orkin.com/flies/house-fly/house-fly-problem.
University of Florida (2017). Featured Creatures. Retrieved from; http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/flies/house_fly.HTM
What Attracts Flies: How to Attract & Get Rid of Flies. (2019). Retrieved from; https://www.orkin.com/flies/what-attracts-flies.
World Health Organization (n.d). Houseflies. Retrieved from; https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/resources/vector302to323.pdf
APPENDIX A
Cost Analysis
|
Materials |
Amount |
Cost |
|
1x1x7 inch Wooden Frame |
1 |
P150 |
|
Funnel |
1 |
P24 |
|
Hinge |
2 |
P15 |
|
Firm Wire |
1 |
P50 |
|
Illustration Board |
1 |
P15 |
|
Duct Tape |
1 |
P100 |
|
|
Total: |
P354 |
APPENDIX B
