Entomologists Discover Blue is the Favorite Color of House Flies
Posted on February 17, 2012
Researchers at the University of Florida discovered that the color blue works best for fly control. They created a blue device with black stripes called the Florida Fly-Baiter, which is now being sold at pest control distributors. Many fly control devices on the market are yellow, which the researchers say actually repels flies. The entomologists say yellow is the only repellent color, so it is a bad color choice for a fly trap. The researchers say flies are three times more attracted to the color blue than to yellow.
Phil Koehler, a professor of urban entomology with University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, and Roberto Pereira, an IFAS associate research scientist, worked with two UF entomology graduates who are also in the Navy, Joseph Diclaro and Jeff Hertz, to develop the device. The device works by enticing flies using color, smell and other attractants. Once at the device, the flies eat poisonous bait that quickly kills them.
Researchers found the flies' color preference by using behavioral tests that determined which color a fly was most likely to travel toward. Electroretinograms that measured the flies' eye reaction found the insects responded more to blue as well. The research results are published in the current issue of the Journal of Medical Entomology.
Take a look:
The research was funded by the Department of Defense Deployed War-Fighter Protection program.
- Fossil of Giant Freshwater Turtle Discovered
- Hubble Observes Stormy Weather on Jupiter
- Australian Spider Named After Marvel's Venom
- NASA's JWST Captures New Views of NGC 604
- Ancient Giant Sea Lizard Had Dagger-Like Teeth