Should I treat the trap with insecticide?

Insecticide is not necessary to trap tsetse flies, but can be used in some instances.

• If you are using traps to assess the distribution and abundance of tsetse then you do not need to treat your trap with insecticide.
• Sometimes you may want to catch live tsetse, if this is the case, do not treat the trap.
• In some countries the interior of the cage is treated with insecticide to rapidly kill all insects that enter. This is done to prevent any invading ants from removing or eating the tsetse catch. If doing this be sire to use a non-repellent, persistent insecticide such as deltamethrin. An alternative measure against ants is to use a grease barrier around the supporting pole of the trap. (See: How do I stop ants eating the catch?)
• In some parts of Africa, people use insecticide-treated traps to control tsetse. The insecticide treatment means that the trap will still kill tsetse even if it is badly ripped. However, if the intention is only to kill tsetse then it is probably cheaper to use a simple insecticide-treated target for control and just use the trap for survey purposes.