Dispersal of house flies (Musca domestica) from livestock facilities and the significane of habitat corridors

House flies, Musca domestica, are well known pests inexorably linked to commercial livestock operations, and they also serve as mechanical vectors of various human pathogens including E. coli 0157:H7. Changes in the landscape from anthropogenic activity have resulted in increased exposure to house fly pests, and monitoring their movements is paramount in assessing the risks associated with flies emigrating from livestock facilities.  This study focused on edge following behavior and the use of habitat corridors by house flies.  Artificial structures designed to represent tree and shrub lines were constructed in a field south of a beef feedlot facility.  Marked house flies were released at individual sites containing 3 m walls, 1.5 m walls and a control site with no wall.   Movement of the house flies was monitored using sticky traps placed within each wall, at the opposite end of each wall, and at the top of each wall.  Weather data including rainfall, wind direction were also incorporated into the analysis.  In conjunction with the previous studies several protein markers for use in mark-release-recapture studies with house flies were evaluated. The information provided in these studies may contribute to the development of pest management programs that can help decrease the nuisance created by large numbers of house flies moving into residential areas.