TROUBLESOME FLIES

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 8 December 1924, Page 2

TROUBLESOME FLIES

A AfENACE TO HEALTJJ

; As the green fields and song of the birds ar© symbolic bf the approach. of spring, so the hum- of the house-fly betokens the coming of summer. So soon as the warm/ weather comes, thefiy comniences in its thousands to ini terrere with the domestic peace of the housewife. One harassed woman has written to the- Auckland Star’‘iinplormg someone to find her a remedy for an army of winged pests which has made her housekts headquarters. We are used to the query.. It> comes every summer, but unfortunately the fly invasion has preceded it, and once the ny is in possession it is a very cibstinate customer to deal with. Prevention is better than cure is an’ .axiom, most applicable to a war.'against flies. The fact that the insect may be laying eggs within three weeks of the depositing of th© egg from which it was born, gi\ es an idea of the rapidity with which it breeds. In addition its propagation is most applicable to a war against flies. In addition is propagation is most prolific, and it so happens that’a home‘which lias been absolutely clean of the pest is inundated with it in a few days. There ar© all manner of expedients for minimising the insects’ aggression, but it is a very difficult thing to stem completely. The most effective weapon; against the fly is to starve it, and it is on this hypothesis that entomologists have laid down certain rules which" assist in reducing the number of flies to at least a sufferable number. It snould be scarcely necessary to emphasise this from the point of view of national health, for- everyone knows, whether they will take it seriously or not, that the fly of all varieties is a most dangerous disease carrier. Keep everything clean, particularly/the backyard and refuse tins, and cover all food religiously , so. that the fly will seek, to satisfy its avidity elsewhere, seems about the best advice that can be given. Though flypapers, traps and poisons all help to reduce their numbers, so long as the food is available, so long will the fly remain. The burning of chemicals, the odour of'■which, is repugnant to the pest, is purely an ephemeral remedy, for so soon as the fumes have been wafted away, so soon will the. fly reappear. Organised cleanliness is the best method of Keeping the fly- ajvay, and if the next door resident insists on throwing his scraps about when you-have carefully destroyed yours—well, swat him.