Baker's yeast, an attractant for baiting traps for Chagas' disease vectors

We tested the attraction of volatile compounds, produced by the aerobic growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on saccharose for Triatoma infestans. For these tests, we exploited the behavioural characteristic of these haematophagous insects of dropping when searching for food. In olfactometer assays, yeast cultures activated and attracted bugs as effectively as a mouse. The attraction of the cultures was significantly reduced when the carbon dioxide released was partially eliminated using potassium hydroxide. Yeast cultures were also tested as lures in a novel trap device. A baited device for trapping Chagas' disease vectors using the behavioural peculiarities of T. infestans and this simple attractant is described.