The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-05-31
Get Rid OF Flies and Mosquitoes.

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Get Rid OF Flies and Mosquitoes.
A Philadelphia correspondent re-
Gently wrote to Prof. H. A. Surface,
State zoologist, as follows:
will you kindly send me inform
alton regarding the prevention of
flies and mosquitoes. | have a
stable in the rear of my property,
back of which there is a manure pile.
| think the flies breed here, and have
been told that if l mix lime with it
the flies will be killed. The
mosquitoes breed, l think, in sever
al ponds that are near the house.
Any information furnished by you
will be greatly appreciated"
The Professors reply was as fol-
lows:
The habits of flies and mosqui-
toes are quite different, and | must
discuss each separately.
"Of course, you know there are
many different species of flies, and
the breeding habits of each differ
considerably. However, / presume
you refer to the one commonly
known as the House fly or Typhoid
fly. This pest passes the winter gen
orally as mature or adult insect in
some place of concealment or pro-
lection, or even as a pupa or chry
sails in or near the place where it
fed as a larva.
In the early part of the summer
it commences to lay it's eggs, chiefly
in manure, either in stables them
selves, or around the manure piles.
Any kind of filth or decaying organic
matter may serve as a place for the
laying of the eggs, and also for the
development of the young. Within
few days after laying, they hatch,
and the young larvae or maggots
come forth to live upon the organic
matter they can find. They develop
into white worms, which in short
time transform into brown pupae
or chysalids, and in few days these
split open and the winged fly comes
forth.
The best means of suppressing
the fly nuisance is to be clean up the
breeding places absolutely. This de-
mands unusual care. AS an aid to
this, nothing is better than the lime
sulfur solution, made by boiling lime
and sulfur together, and diluting it
Just the same as is directed in our
bulletins and circulars from time to
time for spraying for the San Jose
scale. In other words, boil one
pound of lime with two pounds of
sulfur in one gallon of water for one
hour This is strong solution that
can be kept. 1t can also be pur-
chased as a commercial lime-sulfur
solution, sold by most seedsmen and
many hardware dealers. Dilute one
gallon of this with seven or eight
gallons of water, and sprinkle it or
spray it abundantly around the prem
ises 1t is not only a contact in
secticide, but it is also a good germ
icide. 1t is the best treatment that
can be given for the interior of
poultry houses, COW stables, horse
stables, pig pens, cts. However,
muddy or soft ground should not be
soaked with it, and then oblige the
animals to wade through it to any
great extent, as it will gradually in
jure their feet, if they must stand
or walk in it for any great length of
time.
If the stable is cleaned out thor
oughly and swept once each week, it
will be sufficient to provide against
| the breeding of the house fly or ty-
phoid fly at that particular place.
Mosquitoes breed in water, as
you suggest. 1t is remarkable what
a small quantity of water may be suf-
ticient to cause enough of these
pests to be very annoying to several
families, Sometimes an old tin can
or water bucket or a post hole left
stand with water in it, will be suffi-
clent to give the breeding place to
hundreds or thousands of these pests.
A thin film of oil on top of the water
Will Immediately destroy them.
"One should look around the
premises and see If there are any
old vessels containing water, and ii
so, either empty them, or put a few
spoonfuls of oil on them. Drains,
sinks and cisterns should be kept
covered with netting, and thus be
mosquito-proof. Oil on water would
not injure it, although stock would
not come to it to drink the water
while the oil was on it. If one
should, for example, have a watering
tub in which mosquitoes are breed.
ing, it is best to pour in a few
spoonfuls of oil, and let this spread
and kill the pests, which it will dc
within much less than one hour. Then
with some vessel like a bucket he
can skim off the oil and throw il
away.
We can scarcely hope to extermin.
ate the House fly, but if we reduce
its numbers and suppress it, we will
be doing a good thing for ourselves
and neighbors."