The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-07-11
Maerot Traps Effective.

Expertence with maggot traps has
drought out the fact that these are
most effective when the manure is
kept compactly heaped and well moist
ened THIS Is due to the larvaes De
sire to find comparatively dry place
| in which to pupate and, consequently.
they crawl away from wet manure.
Wherever possible, therefore. it is adj,
lvantageous to preserve all the liquid
manure both in order to moisten the
| pile and because of its own fertiitz-
I ing value In the second place, the
platform should stand not less than
one foot above the concrete door in.
order that the floor may be more
easily cv1eaned. A third point is that
old manure does not attract flies for
breeding. A lot Of manure need re-
main on the maggot trap but ten days
lin order to prevent any breeding tax
ing place in it.
| The maggot trap thus presents the
great advantages of being easily con-
structed and cheap. That it is ehec-
tive, the experiments at the Maryland
Agricultural College have conclusive
ly shown. There it was found that
lit destroyed ninety-nipe per cent OF
the larvae breeding in the manure
and that the number of flies around
the college kitchen was reduced by
sDeLWeeuf Sl1Iy-SeNGu duQ SSVSASy =s91A
iper cent. That the reduction in the.
number of flies was not equal to the
percentage OF larvae destroyed was
due to the fact that there were other
piles of untreateds manure, elsewhere
in the vicinity and that flies bred in
these Such traps may be built In
almost any size and they appear to
be especially well adapted for con-
trolling the pest under ordinary coun-
try conditions.
In cities and towns it is probable
that the treatment of manure with
hellebore will usually be found more
advantageous. Ten gallons of the
solution already described, composed
of one-half pound of powdered helle-
bore to ten gallons of water and all
lowed to stand twenty-four hours.
will be sufficient for the treatment
of eight bushels or ten cubic feet of
manure. A weaker solution than
this is not so effective. The hel1ebore
does not alter the composition Of the
manure In any way and does not
cause any injury to crops on which
the latter is placed. In fact, the only
possible way in which it can do any
injury upon the farm is in case the
barrel or tank in which the solution
is stored is left uncovered in place
where some of the farm animals may;
drink from it. The most ordinary
care however, is sufficient to pre-
vent such an accident. The cost OF
, the treatment, with hellebore selling
from liz to Is cents pound and in
large lots for 10 cents or less, is es-
tfmated at a little over 1 cent for
every two bushels.
Has Injurious Effect.
Borax is perhaps even more effec-
tive in the killing of the larvae than
hellebore, but borax has the disad-
ties an Injurious effect upon plants.
1t is possible that manure treated
with sufficient borax to destroy the
larvae and then applied to plants at
la greater rate than fifteen tons per
acre may work harm to certain crops.
Where borax is used for the proven
ton of flies, therefore, no more than
one pound should be employed for
every, sixteen cubic feet of manure
and this manure should not be used
at greater rate than fifteen tons to
the acre.
This objection to borax, of course,
does not apply to its use on the
ground of stables with soil floors. in
privies and refuse piles. and on other
Accommodations of decaying material
in which flies may lay their eggs.
While the use of maggot traps and
the treatment of manure with helle-
! bore or borax are most effective in
reducing the number of flies. it Is not
likely that they will actually exter-
inmate the pests in any neighborhood.
The precaution of screening windows
and doors and in particular the pro-
tectfng of all articles of food with
fly proof screens is. therefore, urg-
emily recommended by the depart
ment of agriculture. Screening, OF
course, has no effect upon the num-
Der OF flies, but it does minimize the
danger of injection. Comparatively
few people realize how admirably
adapted from its structure and habits
the fly is to carry disease. The body
of the house fly, and especially the
legs are thicFly covered with hairs
and bristles. AS the fly crawls about
over the decaying organic matter on