Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1914-04-11
Maggot Trap Possible Solution
of the Fly Problem.
United States Department Of Agricui-
ture Makes Successful 6Hperl-
ments That Should Be of In
terest to Health Officers


lem and one that should interest health
officers. saniJarians and others who
might make use OF il Oh manure heaps
where this common pest breeds. The -,
OF agriculture's scientists
in their preliminary experiments With
such a trap nave succeeded in destroy
ing from 20 to ~ per cent OF the mag
COTS in a pile OF manure. This method
OF attack differs from those which
have been generally used Fly polsons
have been made 70 tempt the appetite
OF the adult fly. or fy-tight receptacles
have been used to keep the adult ie-
male from laying her eggs in manure.
The newer method is based on the
knowledge of certain habits OF the I'M
developed fly maggot
The maggots Of the typhoid ny, II
has been discovered, have habit OF
migrating from their breeding places
into drier portions of the manure heap. !
This seems a distinct move on their /
part to permit the adult fly To Issue
from the refuse in the easiest ana |
quickest manner. The efficiency oil
the new trap is based on the regularity
OF this deep-seated habit.
h A large galvanized iron pan, measur-
ing five by three feet, with sides four
inches high, was made. In this stood
a container on legs eight inches hlgh'
This container measured four by TWO
by two feet The sides and bottom
were of heavy wire, one-fourth-lnch
mesh, supported by light wooden
framework Twelve cubic feet oil
manure we'll infested with eggs ana
larvae we're placed in this container
and sprinkled with water. Water was
also poured into the pan below 10 Ihe
depth OF about one inch. Surrounding
and covering both pan and contalher
was a fly-tight Enclosure made OF
large cage, six by six by six feet. lhls
prevented further infestation or the
manure. and an arrangement Oh traps
at the top of the cage made 1t possible
TO capture and keep record OF any
flies that might emerge. At the time
for the emergence of flies the SIDES Oh
the cage were darkened with olac
cloth in order to drive the files into
the traps at the top. Each day the
maggots were collected from the pan
and counted, and each day the manure
in the container was sprinked thor
oughly with water and the pan was
washed out and again partly hlled WIFI
! water to drown the larvae which lei
into it.
i r-N.z hf tho dpDartmPnt
entomologists showed that from 80 u
5 90 per cent. OF all the maggots in th'
u manure pile were destroyed. II th'
manure was kept moist. From com
paratively dry manure about seVent.
per cent we're destroyed.
q These experiments, as yet, hav
been tried only on a comparatlvei
small scale. The question immediatel
1t arises whether the trap which appear
so successful on small scale can
IL adapted to the handling of manure !
&c a practical way on large scale. Ever
consideration points TO the probablllt
n that it. can and that it will afford "a
IL additional weapon of great value
a However. the final verdict as to IN
81 value of the maggot trap must va
upon the solution of certain pracuc;
an problems. To point out some OF theS
m here is to suggest lines for further 1
at veetigation.
ne % In the first place, there must
IL determined what form, size aud co
he struction of trap will give the best T
I'd. suits The answer to this will depeI
in largely on the particular conditions o
tanning at any given stable, such
en- the amount of manure produced dali
ep, the arrangements for drainage, etc.
Ito will also depend on the answer TO t
lot following problems:
TO (2) How deeply may manure
heaped in a trap without interferi
with the migration? 1t will probat
be found that the depth will make
he tie difference, provided that I
Of manure is kept moist. and provid
mi that avenues of escape are afforded
yo the sides as we'll as at the bottom.
ted 90 How long must manure be kt
1t in a maggot trap before it is entir'
all free from larvae? This is very
VI pOrtdDI QueSllOu llOh PAo~NA
standpoint, and one will find scant S
ain gestion as to the answer in the lite
ain ture on the life history and hab
the The housefy breeds preferably
and horse manure. but 1t has never bt
list determined just how long a given
hat of manure continues to be an attr
'me tive place for egg laying, nor for
OF long a period fly larvae will contil
IDLY to appear in it, 1t is obvious that
maggot trap would not be practica
the infestation of the manure W
daily renewed for a long time. I'm
,ooE ordinary conditions the drying OF
.tro- surface of a heap of manure proba
,ush limits the period Of egg laying TO
will first day or two of exposure. But
sure maggot trap the manure must be
end wet in order to insure the grea
gnet amount of migration. Would not
a moist surface be daily reinfested
mall maggots continue to appear in
mum manure as long as any fermenta
y an were in progress? AS a matter of I
&C the period of infestation appears u
Il to rather short, and even under the n
the favorable conditions maggots
man rarely be found in a given lot
manure after ten or II days expos