What is an ox fly-round?

An ox fly round is similar to the traditional human fly round, except that the team comprises 2-3 people with hand nets and an ox. The team walks through the bush, stopping at regular, marked stations where they collect following flies. Most flies will be caught as they land on the ox.

An ox fly round is more effective than a human fly round, especially for the savannah tsetse Glossina moristans and G. swynnertoni found in East and Southern Africa. However, the method is logistically complex since a survey animal must be maintained in a tsetse-infested area, provided with adequate food and water and protected from animal trypanosomiasis and large predators.

References

Hargrove, J.W. (1991). Ovarian ages of tsetse flies (Diptera: Glossinidae) caught from mobile and stationary baits in the presence and absence of humans. Bulletin of Entomological Research 81, 43-50.