The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-03-24
THE AKAGGOT TRAP
 A POSSIBLE SOLUTION
 0F THE FLY PROBLEM.
U. S. Department of Agricul- ture Makes Successful
 Experiments.

Washington. March 2s.-A trap to destroy the maggots of the typhoid or houzedy before they develop into winged insects Is a possible solution of the fly problem and one that should interest health officers, sanita- rians and. others who might make use of 1t on manure heaps where this common pest breeds. The Depart 1nenf of ~Agrfculture's scientists in their preliminary experiments with such trap have succeeded in de- stroyinE from TO to Ss per cent. of the 1naggots in a pile of manure This method Of attack differs from those which have been generally used. Fly pclgcns have bean made to tempt the appetite Of the adult n.y. or 0T-t1Ghf receptacles have been used to keep the adult female from laying her aggs based on the Knowledge Of certain habits of the undeveloped fly mag got
 The raaggots of the typhoid fly, 1t has been discovered, have a. habit of migrating from their breeding places into drier portions of the manure heap This seems distinct move on their part to permit the adult fly to issue from the refuse in the easiest and quickest manner. The efficiency Of the new trap is based on the reg uIarify of this deep-seated habit.
 
 larEe>ealvanized iron pan. meas ar1ng by 8 feet. with sides in- ches high. was made In this stood a confainer on legs g inches high. This contazner measured by by ? feet The sides and bottom were of heavy wire, 1-4 inch mesh, support ed by light wooden framework. Twelve cubic feet of manure well in tested with eggs and larvae were . placed ia this container and sprink- led with water. Water was also poured into the pan below to the depth of about 1 inch. Surrounding and towering both pan and retainer was a AY-tight inc1osure made of a large cage. 6 by s by feet This prevented further infestafion of the manure, and an arrangement of traps at the top of the cage made it pos sib1e to capture and keep 6 record, of any flies that might emerge. At the time for the emergence Of flies the sides of the cage were darkened with black cloth ln order to drive the flies into the traps at the top. Each day the maEgots were collected from the pan and counted and each day the manure in the container was sprinkled thoroughly with water and the pan was washed out and again partly nr1ed with water to drown the larvae which fell into it.
 The experimenfs of the Depart mentss entomcIogists showed that from sS to ss per cent Of all the nasgots in the manure pile were de- stroFed, if the manure was kept moist From comparatively dry ma nure about TO per cent. were de- stroyed-
 These experiments, as yet, have been tried only on a comparatively. small scale. The question immediate- lE arises whether the trap which ap- pears so successful on a small scale cam be adapted to the handling of manurestR a practical way on a large scale Every consideration points to. the probability that it can and that it will afford ian additional weapon of great .value.'' However, the final verdict as to the value of the maggot T trap must wait upon the solution of certain practical problems. To point out some Of these here is to suggest lines for further investigation.
 1.zIn the first place, there must be determined what form, size and construction Of trap will give the best results The answer to this will de- pend largely Ion the particular eondi- lions obtaining at any given stable, such as the amount of manure pro due dailys the arrangement for drainage, etc. It will also depend on the answer to the following problems: ::
 zAH0W deeply may manure be heaped in a trap without Sinterfering g with the migration ? It will probab- 1y be found that the depth will make little difference. provided that the manure. is kept moist. and provided that avenues of escape are afforded at the sides as well as at the bottom.
 3EHow long must manure be kept in a magEot trap before it is entirely free from larvae? This is a very ina- portant question from a practical stand points and one will find scant suggestions as to the answer in the IftefAture on the life history and habits The ho0sefiy breeds prefer ably in horse manure but,-it has nev- CT been determined just how long a given lot Of manure continues to. be an attractive place for egg laying, nor for how long a period fly larvae will continue to appear in it. It is ob- rious that the maggot trap would not be practical if the infestation of the manure were daily renewed for lonf time Under ordinary conditions the drying of the surface of a heap of manure probably limits the period of egg laying to the first day or two Of exposure But in a maggot trap the manure must be kept wet in order to insure the greatest amount of migra- ton Would not such moist sur face be daily reinfested and maggota continue tfo appear in the manure as long as any fermentation were in progress As matter of fact. the period of infestatfon appears to be rather short, and even under the most favorable conditions naggots will rarely be found in a given lot of ma nure after 10 or IF days exposure. Tn support of this claim some sexperi- mental data may be given here
 4.-The disposal of the maggots is another practical considerations If the larvae were allowed to drop to the ground they would burrow into it to pupate there and nothing would beNka5hed. It would be necessary to nave some sort of vessel, e. g., a con- cr#e basin, beneath the trap. This should have vertical sides and con tafn an Inch or more of a weak dis- fnKectant or of water covered with a