Evening star., 1953-03-13
Flies Attracted to Flies:
Science Seeks Reason
One Always Knows Where
Another Hos Been Sitting
BY Thomos R. Henry

BY Thomos R. Henry
There is something in flies that at
tracts other flies.
1t may be delicate odor. indiStin-
guiShable to human noses. It may be
something quite different, but whatever
1t is another fly knows where fly has
been.
Chemists of the Army Chemical
Center are trying to isolate the elusive
material from the bodies of the insects,
according to a report to the American
Association for the Advancement of
Science by Drs. c. S. Barnhart and
L. E. Chadwick of the center's medical
laboratory.
Near barn with an estimated popu-
lation of about $4,000 houseflies, they
placed bait of corn-meal mush which
has no particular attraction for the
insects and other bats containing ma
terialS known to attract them.
Occasionally, however, a fly would
land on the mush. The longer this nom
attractive, but at the same time nom
repelling, bait was exposed the more
flies visited it. When the same prepara-
ton was placed under q screen for q
time very few insects visited 1t for
some time, but after occasional ones
landed on 1t the number Of visitors
steadily increased.
Something Left Behind.
The only attraction, so far as the
chemists could see, was something left
by the insects themselves.
This mysterious factor, they believe,
ha ot in ha
congregating of flies, possibly in the
formation of "dy society"
1t is known that some insects
notably various species of butterflies
attract others of the same species by
their odors. It also is recognized that
odors can be made to play an i'm
portant part in trapping mosquitoes
and some other insects. The fly factor
has not hitherto been suspected.
It's presence. they say, tends to
invalidate results of experiments with
various fly attractants placed in bait.
It will not be possible to say whether
the insects are attracted by the sup
posedly tasty food or by the fact that
other flies have been there and left
some elusive evidence Of their visits.
Waste products of atomic energy
reactors-the so-called mock f1ssion
products"-which now are an expensive
waste and nuisance, may prove Of
great value for sterilization of foods at
low temperatures.
This is being demonstrated by
experiments at Massachusetts Institute
of Technology carried on at the request
of the Atomic Energy Commission.
Sterilization of most food products
now is achieved only with heat. In some
cases this ruins the flavor. 1t long has
been known, however, that effective
killing of all bacteria and other micro
organisms which spoil stored food would
be accomplished by emanations from
radium or X-rays. In the past, Of
course, any such procedure has been far
too costly for any commercial applica-
ton.
During the past year, according to
the Massachusetts, Tech publication,
research had been under way on the
effects of radiation from radioactive
cobalt with different types of food
spelling organisms. The amount Of
cobalt used is equivalent to all the
radium in the world before 1945. Much
the same radiations, however, might
be obtained from the atomic plant
waste products.
Special attention has been given to
the effects of powerful radiation on
flavor, odor and color. There Is little
doubt that some of these are damaging.
At least one novel idea, however.
promises to go far in overcoming this
drawback, according to an institute
report.
A major accomplishment was the
construction of building in which
personnel could work without danger
of radiation injury.
The work to date according to the
report, has been purely experimental,
but progress has reached the point
where a pilot plant on a semi-com-
mercial scale is contemplated. The ex-
penSe factor has been greatly reduced,
since once a radiation sterilizing
chamber is in operation it continues to
work indefinitely on the same initial
investment. The cost of getting rid Of
the products to be used now is con-
siderable.
There Is every reason to believe, says
the report, that something new and
important is being developed for the
food industry.