Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1906-05-31
HABITS or THE HOUSE fly

The common houses fys (Mllsca Do
mestfea) is 4 creature Of such secretiye
habits. that although from the very
] earliest times he has been with us, aad
the most ancient writer's have men
toned and described him. still very
little was known Of his origin and
| histsry.
1t remained for the eminent Boston
| biologist, DR.. A. S. Packard, in 1873,
to make known his origin, habits and
transformations from the egg through
the Iarva state with its two changes
to the pupa state. then to the perfect
fly. sse sN
Near the first Of August the female
lays abGdt 100 eggs Of q dull gray
color. selecting fresh horse manure in
which to deposit her Eggs, and 50 Sc
cretes them that they are rarely seen;
it takes only twenty-f0ur hours for
them to hatch into the first form OF
larya. a white worm one-quarter OF
an inch in length and one-tenth in d.
ameter. They feed on the decaying
matter Of their environment, and two
changes or casting Of skins occur be-
fore they turn into the pupa state; this
change comes very suddenly. The en-
tire period from the egg to the pupa
state is from three to four days. If
moist food is wanting when in this
condition they will eat each other and
thus decrease their number. Heat and
humidity greatly assist their develop
ment, as upon careful computation
each pound of manure around stables
and outhouses develops under favora-
Bile conditions over one thousand flies.
It is no wonder that where these con-
ditions exist, we have such q veritable
harvest Of the fly pest.
In the pupa state when the hy IS
about to emerge, the end of the pupa
case splits off, making a hole through
which the fly pushes a portion Of its
head; but here it seems to encounter a
difficulty; the pupa case is too stiff and
hard to pass through, but nature comes
to its assistance, and a sort Of bladder
like substance forms behind the head,
which swells out apparently filed with
air; it acts as a means Of pushing away
the pupa case and releases the fly.
When the fly first emerges it runs
around with its wings soft, small and
baggy; it is pale and the colors are
not set; Its lead rapidly expands and
the bladder formation passes away
within a few hours the wings grow and
harden, it is now a perfect fly.
The whole time from the depositing
of the egg to the perfect fly is not over
ten days in duration. Many persons
who observe small flies in midsummer
suppose they are the young. but such
is not the caEe, they are flies that are
imperfectly nourished in the larvae
and pupae states, and do not attain
full size, in fact, they are the dwarfs
OF their race. The male fly differs
from the female in the front of the
head between the eyes, being at least
one-third narrower, though in size the
female is rather smaller.
In the pupa state they are often fed
beetles, notably that Of the carpet
beetle. whose pupa, the dreaded buf-
falo s'moth," will attack the young
fly in the pupa case and eating it pos
sess the case for itself.
Adult flies, like most other creatures.
have parasites of minute size that prey
upon them; these can often be seen as
presenting small red specks over the
body of the fly.
Another enemy in the form Of a fun
gus often attacks the fly in the early
autumn. This makes its appearance
as a white swelling and the white
spores Of the disease can be seen pene-
trating the body Of the fly, which it
finally distends and ruptures.
The fly hibernates in winter, but with
his usual secretive habit, It is very diff
fcult to find him in his winter quar-
tiers. With the first chill Of autumn
the flies feeling the cold, seek tenn
porary warmth In houses, and cluster
ing together form punches in the corr
ners Of walls and other places. They
are then sluggish and not SO active as
in the warm weather. However, they
do not make q permanent stay indoors.
but on the first mild, sunny day, seek
the windows to get out and find their
permanent winter hiding place; many
prefer to make theff homes in the roots
OF grass on lawns where they hide
themselves sc effectually that the fee
and snow Of winter does not destroy
them in their alternating state. If in
the first warm days of spring when the
snow is gone and the grass on the
lawns becomes dry and warm, long be-
fore the yellow dandelion shows its
head, a close observer may see num-
bers of flies era wiling up on the grass
to get the welcome SUNSHINE, their
wings standing out stif and useless:
but they soon acquire the power OF
flight in the warm rays Of the sun. A
great many days, however, elapse be-
fore they appear in the homes OF men,
where they are such unwelcome Wis
itors.
In recent years, the medical profess
SION have demonstrated that while the
fly itself does not propagate disease, it
is n Of the most industrious carriers
of disease germs which by contact adj