Comparison of Adult Tabanidae (Horse fly) Collections at a Wildlife Refuge Near a Horse Boarding Facility in Cedar Key, Florida; 2014.
The USDA conducted testing in the summer of 2014, comparing horse fly collections from two commercial traps, the H-Trap and Horse Pal, and one standard surveillance trap, the NZI, in a wildlife refuge that was near a horse boarding farm in Cedar Key, Florida. Researchers set up these three different style traps, per each manufacturer’s instructions, using no added attractants. On the first day, the H-Trap, Horse Pal, and NZI traps were placed in one of three sites, and then rotated 24 hours later. This allowed all three traps to be tested at each site. Three repetitions were conducted, and the total number of Tabanids collected over time was recorded. The total number of horse flies collected was 3483; of that number, more than half (57.5%) were collected by the H-trap alone!