Horse Barns, House Fly Control, 1978

Abstract Five horse barns located in Hancock County, Indiana, were selected to evaluate residual wall treatments of AtrobanR (permethrin) for controlling house flies. All of the barns had a history of fly populations warranting control during the summer months. Test treatments were applied to 4 barns on Jul’78 while one barn served as a check. Treatments were applied by hand spraying all exposed interior fly resting surfaces at a rate of 750 sq ft/gal of spray mixture using B&G sprayers equipped with TeejetR #50015 fan-pattern nozzles. Indices of fly populations were obtained weekly by counting fly fecal and regurgitation specks deposited on 5 x 8 inch white paper cards placed in the barns for 24 hr periods. Ten cards were used in each barn (5 inside stalls and 5 in isle ways) suspended from ceilings and wall beams. In addition, 2 sticky fly tapes were placed in each barn to aid in identification of fly species present. Treatment efficacy was evaluated by comparing post-treatment changes in the mean number of fly specks from pre-treatment means and adjusted for natural population changes as reflected from changes in the check barn. Because of excessive variation in fly populations in the test barns a comparison of respective populations by statistical methods was not conducted.