The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-08-14

annoyance to live stock in many sec.
lions of the United States, but are
frequently agents in transmitting the
disease known as anthrax, or char
bon, which is extremely fatal not
only to various kinds of animals but
to man as well. It has been proved
in experiments that horsefiies, as
we'll as the stable fly, carry this dis
ease. In particular, observations in
the plateau region of west Texas
furnish important evidence that the
horsefly is responsible in some de-
gree for the spread Of this disease
to healthy animals. This fact It
should be said, does not in any way
lessen the necessity for the other
measures of controlling anthrax, such
as the burning of carcases and pre-
ventive incubation. In fact, large
numbers of horseflies have been OBJ
served feeding on animals which had
either just died or we're about to
die from anthrax. At this time the
blood is known to be filed with the
germs of the disease. This emphasiz.
es the Importance of isolating sick
animals and destroying the carcasses
Immediately after death.
Even, however, when the horsefly
plays no part in the spread of an.
thrax, 1t may cause severe loss of
stock. The worry caused by the
flies bites frequently causes animals
to cease feeding and to group them.
selves together for mutual protection.
When the pest is more than usually
abundant nervous animals are some
times driven frantic and injure them.
selves in various ways. Furthermore
the loss of blood due to the attacks
Of the fly may be very serious. Sci
entists in the department have studi-
ed cases in which it was estimated
that In the course of a single day
several hundreds of flies gorged
themselves with blood from one ami
NAL. In addition to the blood drunk
by the flies, much was lost by trick
ling out of the wounds made by the
insects.
The adult horsefy is equipped with
such formidable biting apparatus
that 1t Is difficult to protect stock
from its attacks. Any substance
which will repel them effectually is
likely to injure the animal to which
it is applied. A preparation which
will, however, give some temporary
degree of protection consists of gal
Ion of fish oil, 1 ounce oil of tar, and
l ounce oil of pennyroyal. This may
be sprayed on work animals with ad-
vantage, but the use OF sprays is
practically impossible in the case of
OF range stock. Bulletin No. 131
the Department Of Agriculture, which
may be obtained from the Superinten.
dent of Documents. Washington, d.
c., for cents, deals with this ques-
ton Of repellents.
Another method which has the ad.
vantage of simplicity Is to provide
sheds which furnish rather dense
shade and into which live stock may
go when the pests are most trouble
some. Horsefiies do not enter these
sheds readily and the stock will OBJ
tain some relief. For very valuable
stock or for young calves fyproof
cages are sometimes constructed and
the animals placed In these during
the middle of the day when the flies
are the worst. Such screened cage
Is very desirable as a means of iso.
lating animals suspected of anthrax.
After a diseased animal has been in
1t the cage should always be disin.
fected.
Most OF the species of horsefies
breed in swampy places. For this
reason the numbers of the flies de.
crease with the clearing up and cul.
tivation of marshy areas. This of
course Is very slow measure of re.
lief, and investigators have found the
process may be fastened by placing
tlm OF kerosene on the surface of
pools of water. All adult flies that
strike the kerosene are destroyed
This system of control is valuable
chiefly in regions where there are
comparatively few pools of water or
in wooded areas where certain pools
are observed to be especially attrac.
tive to the flies.
The adult fly frequently deposits its
eggs on the leaves Of water plants
growing In pools or along streams,
but in west Texas it has been found
that the eggs are usually deposited
on rocks sticking out of running wa.
ter When first deposited the eggs
are almost white, but they soon turn
oil