Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-05-08
HOW YOUCAN
DESTROY
FLIES
Government Experts Give Some
Directions for Fighting Pest
and Preventing the Spread OF
Typhoid and Other Diseases.
insects Lay Eggs in Manure, So IL
Should Be Treated to Kill Grubs-
Powdered Hellebore Is Best When
Properly Used in Spraying Liquid.

A safe and effective weapon against
the typhoid or house fly has been
found in powdered hellebore by scien-
lists Of the department of agriculture.
Flies lay their eggs chiefly in stable
manure. Powdered hellebore mixed
with water and sprinkled over the
manure will destroy the larvae which
are Matched from the eggs. Since pow
dered hellebore is readily obtainable
this puts in the hands Of everyone q
remedy for one of the pests that has
been found dangerous as we'll as trou'
blesome. Powdered hellebore, how
ever, will not kill adult flies which
must be swatted or trapped.
1t has long been known that flies
breed in manure but previous methods
Of destroying the larvae there by the
use of strong chemicals have been
open to the objection that the treat
ment under some conditions lessened
the fertilizing value of the manure or
actually injured vegetation. This is
not true of powdered hellebOre. Gov
eminent experiments have shown that
the hellebore is entirely decomposed
In the course of the fermentation OF
the manure and that even in excessive
quantities it does no harm except tC
the larvae it is intended to destroy
Chickens picking in manure treated
with it suffer DO i'll effects.
One-half pound of powdered helle'
bore mixed with ten gallons of water
is sufficient to kill the larvae in eight
bushels, or ten cubic feet of manure
The mixture should be sprinkled care
fully over the pile, especial attention
being paid to the outer edges. In most
places hellebore is Obtainable in lOO
pound lots at cost of IL cents 8
pound. This makes the cost of the
treatment little less than seven
tenths of a cent per bushel of manure
A liberal estimate of the output OF
manure is two bushels a day pei
| hOrsS The money involved is, there
fore, trifling in comparison with the
benefits to the individual and the com
munity from the practical elimination
Of the disease-spreading fly.
Although fresh manure is the ia
vorite breeding spot, flies lay theil
eggs in other places as well, such as
outhouses, refuse piles, etc. In these
places, from which no manure is taker
to spread on the fields, considerable
saving may be effected through the
substitution Of borax for powdered
hellebore. Applied at the rate of 0.6z
pounds per eight bushels of manure
borax is as effective as powdered helle
bore in killing the larvae but costs
less than half a cent for each buShe
of manure treated. In larger guam
titles, however, or when the manure
itself is spread at a greater rate thar
Is tons to the acre, some damage tC
crops may result. Large quantities
of manure are often used by market
gardeners and others, and there is al
ways danger Of carelessness in apply
| ing the borax. The use of the more
expensive but safer hellebore is there
fore recommended for the treatment
of manure. Borax is recommended
for all other refuse in which flies
may lay eggs,
Scientists who have been working
for years to eliminate the fly are con
WINGED that the use of one or the other
of these simple measures Is Ia public
| duty wherever manure and refuse eX
list. Sanitarians, however, strongly ad
wise the removal Of refuse heaps oil
other unnecessary rubbish or breeding
places for flies. In breeding places
which cannot be thus disposed Of
such as manure or stableS-the daily
use of powdered hellebore will keer
the flies from breeding in these ia
vorite breeding grounds. The best re
suits are obtainable in a community
where everyone cleans up his prem
Uses, traps or kills the flies, and sys
tematically treats the manure and 9th
er breeding places with powdered
hellebore.
The fly is not only a nuisance tC
human beings and live stock; il
spreads disease and filth and is q
menace to public health which cannot
be tolerated in the face of q demon
strated remedy. Details of the expert
ments with other information on the
subject are contained in a profession
al paper, Bulletin 245 of the United
States department of agriculture.
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