Are targets better than traps at controlling tsetse?

Generally targets are better for controlling tsetse than traps because they are cheaper and easier to make, they require less maintenance and they are more durable.

Historically, traps have however been widely used to control riverine species of tsetse, especially in West Africa but this has changed with the development of tiny targets. Large scale control operations using tiny targets are currently being implemented in Uganda, DRC, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea. It has been suggested that traps are better for community-based operations because local people can see flies being caught and killed, and they can also see the catch decline as the operation progresses.

Seeing these things can help people's understanding of the technology, and so they might be more willing to participate. However, explaining how targets kill tsetse, through local meetings and suitable extension messages,achieves the same effect. And encouraging people to use survey traps to monitor the operation should provide opportunities for people to see that the control operation is working.