Cost-benefit evaluation of house fly (Diptera:Muscidae) control in caged layer poultry houses.

House fly (Musca domestica L.) control was determined in small-unit, commercial, caged layer poultry houses. Cyromazine was the most cost effective treatment (4 per bird per season) and provided the highest level of control. Larviciding and adulticiding with dimethoate, fenthion and dimethoate, permethrin and dimethoate, and stirofos provided good fly control, and these treatments were moderately cost effective. The use of dichlorvos-stirofos provided only marginal fly control and was not cost effective. Early-season manure removal, combined with more selective insecticide use would provide the caged layer producer with a more effective management strategy for controlling house flies in small-unit operations.