A METHOD OF DESTROYING TSETSE-FLIES. 



The following account of a very successful device for trapping Glossina 

 palpalis was published in a recent number of the ' Sleeping Sickness Bulletin/ 

 (vol. ii. no. 13, Jan. 1910, p. 2'6\ and is well deserving of an extensive trial 

 in all Glossina areas : — 



'* Mr. Maldonado, manager of one of the estates on the Island of Principe, 

 has devised a method of destroying Glossina p)<^lp(^lis. Noticing that the 

 flies attacked the backs of the labourers when they were occupied in mowing- 

 grass, and were consequently in a stooping posture, he ordered that such 

 labourers should wear a black cloth covering their backs, coated with a 

 glutinous substance [apparently bird-lime] on its outer surface. Betioeen 

 Ajyril 1906 and the end of 1907, 133,778 tsetse icere thus trapped on this 

 pla7itatlon alone. While the Portuguese Commission was in the island there 

 Avere not more than four persons who v/ent about with these cloths. The 

 (^'ommission often asked Mr. Maldonado to send men with black cloihs to 

 places where they had seen a large number of flies. ' As a rule two men were 

 enough in the short space of a week to make these places passable (practicahles^ J 

 On the first days the numbers taken would be 1500-2000 ; at the end of the 

 week 15 or 20. The method has been tried on two other estates with the 

 same favourable results. '■* 



It may be pointed out that the predilection for settling on dark surfaces is by 

 no means peculiar to G. palpalis, but is evinced by all blood-sucking Diptera. 

 Seeing that there has recently been an outbreak of nagana in several parts of 

 Southern Rhodesia, it is to be hoped that an organised attempt will be made 

 there to test the efficacy of this method for destroying Glossina morsitans. 

 It is possible that suitably devised cloths of this kind would afford an efficient 

 protection to cattle when being driven through a fly-belt ; and in most parts 

 of Hartley and Lomagundi Districts there should be no difficulty in obtaining 

 adequate supplies of bird-lime. 



