Evaluation of "Tred-Notä Deerfly Patches" against host-seeking deer flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) in North Florida

“TRED-NOT DEERFLY PATCHES” (6.4 x 14.2 cm adhesive strips) affixed to the back and front of nylon mesh solid black and solid white “baseball” caps were evaluated for their ability to trap host-seeking Chrysops celatus Pechuman, C. vittatus Wiedemann, and Diachlorus ferrugatus (F.). Trials were conducted in a commercial pine bottomland forest habitat in northwestern Florida during peak seasonal abundance of these species. No D. ferrugatus were captured on patches but approximately 26% of host seeking Chrysops (regardless of patch location, cap color or fly species) were captured compared with a standard aerial sweep net method. Significantly more deer flies were captured on patches affixed to the back of the cap compared with patches placed on the front. No statistical difference (>0.05) existed in number of flies trapped on patches when cap colors (white versus black) were compared.