Plastic Wicks as Dispensers of the Screwworm Attractant, Swormlure-212

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Abstract
Polyester fiber wicks in a propylene skin were superior to cotton dental wicks as a slow release mechanism for the screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), chemical attractant, swormlure-2. The cotton wicks released the attractant rapidly due to evaporation over the entire surface area. The plastic wicks released the swormlure-2 at a much slower rate because evaporation occurred only at the exposed ends. The use of plastic wicks in the Screwworm Adult Suppression System (SWASS) units extended the effective life of these units by 4-fold over those using cotton wicks. The use of plastic wicks in reservoir bottles used in screwworm survey traps reduced the quantity of swormlure-2 released by 10-fold without reducing the number of screwworm flies captured. Traps with plastic wicks were easier and safer to service.

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