News Release
March 12, 1996
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Bug Zapper is Cow's Best Friend

The trap is constructed with interior flaps to brush off the flies as the cattle walk through the unit, causing no harm to the cows. The flies are then eliminated as they enter electric grids, or "zappers," on the sides of the unit. In three years of testing at the university, the trap provided more than 87 percent reduction of horn flies and 71 percent of face flies without the use of any chemical treatments, according to Thomas Moreland, research manager for the university's Central Maryland Research and Education Center in Clarksville who co-developed the invention with Lawrence Pickens and Richard Miller, USDA researchers.

The license gives Orkin exclusive rights to manufacture and sell the trap to farmers in the United States and Canada, with an option to license for international sales. Orkin has produced a commercial version of the trap, called the Fly Blocker System(TM), which is now available for sale or lease to farmers for this fly season, according to Larry Rufledt, director of Orkin Agribusiness Services.

"Current pest control treatments for cattle are labor intensive, have recurring costs and provide minimal effectiveness. The new trap will have a great impact on farming locally and internationally as more farmers search for alternative methods," Moreland said.

The cattle industry suffers substantial commercial loss each year due to horn flies. The flies feed on the blood of cattle and cause reduced weight gain, decreased milk production and the spread of disease.

The low-maintenance trap is designed to decrease costs and labor and increase effectiveness as compared to the current methods. Research has shown that cattle learn quickly to walk through the trap, especially when it is placed in alleyways and gateways through which the cattle move on a daily basis. Some cattle even seem to learn to walk through the unit whenever flies irritate them.

The Office of Technology Liaison was established in 1986 to handle the technology transfer needs of the University of Maryland, which include identifying, protecting, marketing and licensing technologies developed at the university.