The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-04-20
SOMETHING ABOUT FLIES.

Once while calling at the house of a
friend, one Of the noisy, big "bow
flies" was heard humping rccklcssly
about at the window pane. Ike lady
rose and with a cloth soon put quie-
tus upon the pseudo. busy hum of the
advcnturer. The housewife went at
the matter as though it was important
and piled the cloth about with consid-
cradle vigor and. of course, grace of
movement. l didn't ask for an eXpla-
nation Of the performance, but under
stood the whole thing and was con-
vinced that she understood just what
she was about, or had inherited a very
thrifty trait of character from some
knowing ancestor. Whatever the in
ccntivc, this prompt waref.,rc on the
first flies Of the season | thought a very
sensible thing.
or the immense swarms of flies only
a few plss the winter. Those which
live over the winter to perpetuate the
swarms the following year hibernate
in our houses or out-nuildings, in the
cellar or in the attic and about the
chimncys, hiding in any sheltered
place or crack. They then come forth
in the early spring. These arc mostly
females, ready to reproduce. A single
female produces about $50 eggs. The
eggs hatch in a day or so and in from
seven to ten days the larvH or "mag-
gots" attain their growth, and in few
more days become full grown flies, and
We have a new brood. These soon be-
gin egg laying AMI the process is re-
pcatcd many times during the season.
If all eggs hatch and half of the first
brood arc females the progeny of
single early fly at the second genera
ton would be II ,250 and at the third
S43,750. Considering this rapid rate
of increase it is not Il bad idea TO take
some pains to destroy the first fly Of
the season.
Flies lay their eggs in decay:ng ami
NAL and vegetable matter. a pile of
horse manure is Il favoritc breeding
place. They multiply in other un-
| clcanly places about the premises
They are apt TO be extraordinarily
abundant in the ncighborhood of a
slaughtcring or butchcriny establish
nent unless the most yigid cleanliness
be observed and all waste promptly
buried.
! While attending to ln- fret :n..oa ii ls
also important TO observe cleanliness
about the premises subsequently if we
would reduce the annoyance from these
insects.
Flies may carry the germs of disease
or contagion from place to place on
their bodies. If consumptivc is care
less or filthy and eXpcctoratcs upon the
floor fly alights, and feeding on tho
sputum, may allght next on the nose
of a healthy person anil place there
: the germs of the disease. Aside from
this and the fact of their beng 50 filth,
and annoying, flies are not to be classcG
as injurious insects. They do mucl
useful scavcnger work, and one writer
says on the whole they are perhaps as
useful as annoying. If we would OBJ
serve cleanliness about the premises
however, this scavengcr work would
not be necessary, and agreeing on this
we may safely, l believe, follow the
example Of the housewife and kill the
first fly of the season if we can. Don't
think, however, that "bottlc tly' is
the parent of the common housetly OF
that the houscfly can ever grow into {
"blue bottle" A little fly never be-
comes big fly. An insect with wings
is always full grown, whatever its size
or whatever kind Of insect 1t is.
Clemson College, S. G.