DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] An electronic fly trap apparatus of the type seen in the '759 patent is designated generally by the reference numeral 10 and comprises a housing 12 , including a base 14 and a cover 16 which may be secured to each other by any known means, such as glue, light, heat or vibration bonding, fasteners, snap-together fastening, etc. An access aperture 18 is provided between the base 14 and the cover 16 and a disposable, adhesively-covered sheet 22 , preferably with a plurality of apertures 24 , is slidably received through the access opening 18 and removably retained between the base 14 and the cover 16 .

[0012] A light source, such as one or more fluorescent lights (not shown,) is positioned within the base 14 and empowered by the electric wire 24 and plug 26 through a control switch 28 in an obvious manner. Further details of an electronic fly trap apparatus of this type will be seen in the aforementioned Brown et al. patents, and are not critical to the instant inventive concepts which are believed to be useful in association with the Brown et al. structure, as well as other electric or electronic flying insect trap devices.

[0013] The operation of an apparatus of this type is relatively simple, although design sophistication enhancements disclosed, for example, in the Brown et al. patents, improve the effectiveness of the trap. Basically, however, the light and heat emanating from the light source passes through the sheet 22 and the adhesive coating and illuminates the access aperture 18 to attract flies or other flying insects to the trap 10 . When they enter the space below the cover 16 to seek the source of the light, they are trapped by the adhesive material on the sheet 18 .

[0014] As mentioned above, while devices of this type are attractive and effective, they have been found to have limited ability to attract and capture flies, particularly in a fully lighted room. The housing 12 in prior art traps of this nature known to applicant has been either white or a very light color, and it is believed that the effectiveness of the light in attracting flies and the like to the trap 10 in a fully lighted room is greatly diminished by the limited distinctiveness between the trap light and the ambient light which merge through the white housing, particularly when viewed by flying insects at a distance from the trap 10 itself

[0015] It has now been discovered that the effectiveness of an electronic fly trap apparatus of this type can be unexpectedly and surprisingly enhanced by simply changing the color of the housing. Specifically, a black housing dramatically increases the catch, particularly in a fully lighted room. Although not willing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the black housing will act as an initial target for the flies which are attracted to this color and, then, when they get close enough to the trap, the light and heat emanating from within the trap acts as a bulls eye to draw them into the access aperture for capture by the adhesive on the glue board or fly paper element.

[0016] Although, for all practical purposes, the entire exterior of the housing will normally be substantially black, it is to be understood that the instant inventive concepts will likely be effective in attracting flies and the like even if only portions of the trap housing, such as the area surrounding the access opening, are black.

[0017] In any event, the unexpectedly improved capture rate resulting from the use of a black housing according to this invention has been confirmed by tests comparing identical trap apparatuses having a white housing, as in the prior art, and having a black housing according to this invention. The trap with the black housing consistently captured many multiples of flies compared with the trap with the white housing in a fully lighted room, while, in a darkened room, the catch is fairly consistent regardless of the housing color.

[0018] Tables 1, 2 and 3 show separate tests conducted on different days in a fully lighted room, and Table 4 shows an average of the results of those test: 1

[0019] 2

[0020] 3

[0021] 4

[0022] Tables 5, 6 and 7 show comparable results in a darkened room, and Table 8 shows the average of those test results. 5

[0023] 6

[0024] 7

[0025] 8

[0026] From the above, it is clearly seen that, in a darkened room there is no significant difference in the average catch, whereas in a fully lighted room, the trap with the black housing captures, on average, seven times as many flies, as the trap with the white housing.

[0027] The foregoing descriptions and drawing should be considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. As noted, the invention may be configured in a variety of shapes and sizes and is not limited by the dimensions of the preferred embodiment. Numerous applications of the present invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is not desired to limit the invention to the preferred embodiments or the exact construction and operation shown and described. Rather, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.