Development of Efficient Fly Exterminator
Abstract/Executive Summary
Flies issue has always been related to level of hygiene. In the city, flies become a major problem due to unsystematic waste management, improperly food handlings, poor draining systems, and et cetera. On the other hands, in other areas especially those with running of livestock farming, flies become calamities not only due to sanitary handling, but also by the existing of blood sucking flies known as stable flies. Stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans) also known as dog flies is often a pest of livestock around animal enclosures, stables and feedlots. Stable flies primarily attack animals like horses and cattle for blood meal, but in the absence of an animal host, they will also bite human. When it bites, it caused injury by irritation from its painful bites and blood loss while a few people show allergic reactions. Some reasons to its existence in stable and other animal enclosure is due to suitable breeding area like crops residue, hay and grain, and animal manures. In recent research done by Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, 50 to 100 stable fly per animal can cause significant reduction in weight gains in feedlot situations. A weight gain depression of 250g/day happens in beef cattle and milk production decreases of 30 to 40 per cent. Worse, stable fly have also been implicated in the transmission of several pathogenic organisms, however is not considered as major vector of any cattle disease. Despite of maintaining the cleanliness of the stable and enclosure, preventive measures normally taken by farming operator are by implying the usage of chemical like pesticides as well as trap erection. However, the results of these act has yet make any big improvement. Recently, Kementerian Wilayah Persekutuan dan Kesejahteraan Bandar through Tabung Penyelengaraan 1Malaysia (TP1M) has allocated RM2 million to exterminate flies in Johor state. This indicates the severity of this issue afflicting the nation is something to look up to. Logically, even though completely eliminating flies especially stable flies out of the nation may be something to desire, however controlling its activities and population shall be taken seriously now. Therefore, a thorough study on how to overcome the matter in most efficient way is very important. In this research, focus on trapping the flies will be more on using color as attractant. However, expectation on other criteria of methodology during research will perhaps contribute to the development of the fly trap.
