| Summary: | The control of house flies, <i>Musca domestica</i> (L.), currently relies on the use of chemical insecticide spray and bait formulations. Entomopathogenic fungi, such as <i>Metarhizium</i> <i>anisopliae</i>, may provide an alternative to these products. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a mycoinsecticide bait formulation containing a virulent <i>M. anisopliae</i> isolate. Five <i>M. anisopliae</i> isolates were screened against <i>M. domestica</i> and isolate M16 was selected for bait development. Bait formulations containing a variety of additives, including (Z)-9-tricosene, were tested for their ability to increase fly visitation. A bait formulation containing <i>M. anisopliae</i> and skim milk powder was found to have the highest house fly visitation and was subsequently compared to a conventional chemical bait in an efficacy assay. The chemical bait (0.5% imidacloprid) caused faster mortality than the mycoinsecticide bait, however, similar levels of mortality were achieved by 4−5 days’ post exposure. These results suggest that <i>M. anisopliae</i> mycoinsecticide baits may offer an alternative to conventional chemical insecticides for the control of house flies in suitable areas.
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