The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1916-08-19
THE HORRIBLY A DANGER
GUS PEST.
Irritating to Cattle, and Found to Be
Charlton Carrier-Destroy the
Egg or LarvaI Stage.

The horn-fiy was imported from Tu
rope, and since its arrival in 1887 II
has spread all over the country
study of insect life, while
they may recommend some meas
ures to destroy the mature in
! sects, usually try to find out how and
where they breed and direct their eff
| forts at killing them in the immature
stages and so prevent their develop
ment. In fact, 1t Is questionable
whether 1t is possible, by simply de
stroyins adults, to keep pace with
their multiplication. On the other
hand, II these insects should be de
stroyed in the egg and larval. or grub
stages, material reduction In their
numbers might be brought about, even
if the adult flies themselves should be
left alone. The important question
therefore lis. where do these horn-fies
breed? According to the best au-
thorities, this fly lays It's eggs sngly,
and usually upon their sides, on the
surface of wet COW manure. SO far
as is known. they are laid upon no
other substance. and never upon old
droppings The moment the manure
is dropped, a swarm of flies dart from
the animal to the manure and remain
there few seconds. or q minute at
the most, during which time many
eggs are deposited Egg laying 10
chiefly during daylight and most
abundant during the warmer morning
hours. After the larvae, or grubs,
hatch, they descend into the manure, |
although remaining near the surface. |
The pups. or dormant stage of the
insect, is found in the ground I'M
derneath the droppings. The time !
which elapses from the egg to the
adult stage, or hy, is from about ten
to seventeen days
The fresh cow droppings, then, are
their eggs. and where the different
stages of the insect develop until the
insect energies The most
practical method of control, therefore,
would be the direct treatment of the
manure to destroy the grubs and pu-
pae, and so limit the number of flies
coming to maturity; and one of the
best agents to apply to the fresh drop
pings is lime. This may be quite
practical around buildings and yards
occupied by cattle, but somewhat i'm
practical out In the open fields and
'anges, although it might be possible
o carry out this method even under
Iuch conditions, il the manure around
he places where cattle are In the
,abit of congregating, under shade
rees, and the like. At best, it
9 a trouble, but it Is not possible
o secure results without some trou-
lie, and If we ever expect to reduce
he numbers of these pestiferous in
ects, We will have to get after their
needing places and destroy them
here.
The arsenical solution used in the
tipping watts destroys large numbers
( these flies, and there are num-
or of sprays used to repel them
rom the animal, such as fish and
oal oil emulsions, the various repel-
lnts on the market, etc. However,
one OF these will effectually eradi- 7
ate the horn-fly, while a combination
both measures would no doubt give
le most satisfactory results. In ad-
ltion to its irritating effect on cat
.. the horn-fly has been found to b
carrier Of Charlton infection. Fl
w. H. Dalrymple, 4
Louisiana State University.