The Washington herald., 1911-04-30
"SWAT THE HEFLY"---SLOGAN OF SCIENCE

where screens are almost unknown, such
an Incident occurs as regularly as the
sun comes up. Long rows of such houses
can be found in a dozen neighborhoods
In every city. 1t is in just such COM
munities that the death rate from ty-
phoid. intestinal disease. and tuberculosis
mounts highest.
Against such conditions as these the
present fight during the summer Of 1911 is
to be directed. 1t is hoped to stir up popu-
lar interest in the deadliness Of the fly
to a degree never before attained Livery
stables, private barns, and the filthy back
streets and the loathsome garbage cans
are to be given more attention than ever
before. Crude OIL screens. kerosene, and
slackened lime are to be used in the fight.
In many cities special inspectors will be
appointed through the hot and fy-breed-
ing months. in order that no community
may be neglected. The fly is to be hunted
down from the first warm days until
the early frosts come to the aid Of the fly
fighters.
Against these extensive preparations the
fly will bring his tremendous power Of
reproduction and his tenacious hold upon
life. Some man with a positive genius
for figures has sat down and figured out
that the progeny of a pair Of flies will, II
they all live. amount to the staggering
number Of over $3.50 900 in a single
season. II 1t were not for the fact they
breed by the million they would have
been annihilated long ago. The billions
of flies propagated by this one pair would
form a winged procession one and one
third times around the earth II placed tip
to tip.
Enemies OF the Fly.
Birds. reptiles, frogs. and a hundred
creeping things help to keep down the
Tremendous number of flies that are
Matched. The common house centipede.
the little yellow-bodied red-limbed thou
sand-legs" is one. Of the fiy's most unre-
lenting enemies. but, willing as the cent?
pede is. he cannot kill more than a score
Of flies in a day, and while this score Is
being killed the stable around the corner
Is sending out q new and soft-winged
swarm that runs somewhere in the
thousands. Late in the season another
enemy Of the fly tribe appears that car
ries them OF by the hundreds every hour.
This Is a red fungous growth that attacks
the flies and Is disseminated among the
swarms when they gather in the streets
and around the reeking garbage barrels.
It comes so late in the season, however.
that most of the damage IL done before
1t puts in its appearance.
Many times flies are found curled up In
windows, on tables, or ON the floors. A
small reddish mite is seen to have COW
cred their bodies. their legs and even their
wings. Beetles help to destroy thousands
OF flies, but the numbers are so great that
all the natural enemies the flies have are
helpless to hold down the number that
are turned loose on a community. Arti-
ncial methods have to be used in order to
check their increase and control their
powers for evil.
We call all flies tnat have nearly the
same appearance and that live in or
around our homes housenies. Musca
Domestica is the only insect Of them al
that deserves the title. There are .
dozen species that inhabit the neighbor-
hood Of residence districts. but the most
numerous and deadly OF them all u the
one known to scientists ~ the Musca'
Domestica. He does not sting and he
cannot bite. The conformation Of his
mouth makes It impossible for him to
use any sharp tools that might be hid
den In hiS head. The ny that now and
then punctures the epidermis u the
stable ny.'' first cousin Of 4usca Do
mestica and 20 nearly resembling him
that Il takes trained entomologist to
zee the difereneeat glance. The stable
ny n second In numbers and importance
IN ana around Washington. He can
carry fully as many germs - the most
gausy- winged and frill-footed house ~
ana u just as dangerous 70 The CONE
munity n general