Catching tsetse

Where is the best site for a trap?

Traps should be placed using the following criteria:-

• Select an area of tsetse habitat, such as woodland or thicket, and avoid open areas such as fields and open grasslands (vleis, dambos).
• Within the habitat, select an open site, ideally with paths or linear openings leading to the site that will make the trap clearly visible from a distance.

The specific point where the trap is erected should have:-

• No leafy canopy overhead, especially if this might shade the trap when tsetse are active in the early morning or late afternoon;
• No leafy bushes or obstructions, such as termite hills or dense bushes, within 3 m of the trap and;
• No fallen tree boles within 15 m of the trap.

Reference
Vale, G.A. (1999). Responses of tsetse flies (Diptera: Glossinidae) to vegetation inZimbabwe: implications for population distribution and bait siting. Bulletin of Entomological Research 88, Supplement 1, S7-S59.