Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-05-20
HOUSEFLY A MENACE
TO PUBLIC HEALTH
Approach of Summer Months
Makes Precautions of Very
Great Importance.
III. annroach of summer weather again

Thu approach of summer weather again
brings to the front the problem OF the
housefly. 1t abounds whichever conditions
which permit its existence prevail, and it Is
rarely II ever free from the germs which
carry the diseases of diarrhOea and IN
testinal disorders Every year these dis
orders take their immense toll OF lives,
especially of infants.
In Delaware the housefy usually makes
its appearance In appreciable numbers IN
the early part Of May, although the ex-
traordinarily cool weather this May has
retarded their appearance somewhat
But they will be here, and now Is the time
to take measures TO fight them. The month
of August is the height 81 the fly season
and they disappear about the early part OF
October. The species preserved during
the winter months by pupae, which have
| found their way as larvae, INTO locations
where they were not destroyed by the
| cold and to impregnated females which
/ have taken refuge IN cracks and crevlces
| of stables, garages or other protecteu
/ places and have hibernated
| The female fly, when two weeks old, or
/ less, is ready TO deposit her eggs. Some
/ flies deposit two or three batches at
I intervals of about two weeks
From 100 to 120 are deposited and the
resulting hatch, which Is completed IN
from 10 to Il days, Is composed OF about
an equal number OF males and females.
Horse manure is especially favored by
/ flies as the repository for their eggs.
/ Human excrement fulflls all the re-
ouirements Necessary for the develop
ment and maintenance of larvae and the
exDosed priv-y vault Is seldom without Its
/ ouota az flies in all stages Of development.
! In the absence of excrement, flies deposit
their eggs in almost any form OF decayng
or purifying organic matter.
Heat. moisture and food supply are the
/ three essentials TO fly breeding.
From few hours to several days, de
pendent upon weather conditions, are re
/ ouired to complete the first stage OF fly
/ development, the Matching OF the egg.
When this process has been completed
/ the egg sac splits and the maggot OF
/ larva emerges.
In stable wards where horses are kept,
/ larvae may be found almost any time
during the fly season, by turning over
/ horse dung which is as much as q hours
i old.
/ Keep stables clean. This can only be
1 effected bv daily attention. Stable floors
! which are made of plank, unless they be
water tight, permit a leakage which
satlIrates the underlying ground he
] moist ground beneath stable floors offers a
+ splendid breeding place for flies. Stables
1 should have water tight foQrs, preferably
/ Of concrete. Plank stables may be made
water tight by melting tar asphaltun and
/! filling the cracks between the planks with
/ IT.
/ Borax alone should not be relied upon
/ To DESTROY eggs and larvae IN manure
/ heaps. It's use is recommended IN addl-
/ ton to the destruction OF breeding places,
/ but not as a substitute.
+ Chloride of lime will also destroy the
+ eggs and larvae of the fly but IL renders the
/ manure useless for fertilizlng purposes.
/ Kerosene and crude oil are also effect
/ i've In the destruction of eggs and larvae.
/ The entrance doors and ventllatlng
ports of privies should be screened with
/ wire. -,
/ A box of lime and shovel should be
/ kept in the privy and at least once DAY
several shovelfuls of lime should b. thrown
1 into the vault.
up and burned. Back yards and alleys
should be kept clean. Flies do not breed
in clean back yards.
Garbage should be burned whenever
/ possible; otherwise IL shouIu pe kept ~
! galvanized iron garbage cans; Garoagt
cans should not leak and should be covered
with closely fitting fy-proof hds. They
should be kept clean on the OUTSIDE alio
frequently secured, both outside and IN
side with a solution of lye Garbage canI
should not stand upon the ground bu
| should be elevated upon racks or plat
forms. The cans should be emptied daily
7 ,.~ee5Dfa