THE DOMESTIC FLY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19271, 8 September 1924, Page 8

THE DOMESTIC FLY.

THE NEED FOR ITS DESTRUCTION. The District Medical Officer for Health has forwarded to us the following odinmunicaiion:.— : • It is recognised that the damestio fly is ono of the greatest menaces to man from a health point of view. It carries mechanically on its feet the germs of serious diseases such as typhoid fever, dysentery (including ■ epidemic diarrhoea), gastric, ailments, etc. This being the case, it is surely essential that we reduce the number of flies to a minimum. Further, it i 3 necessary that everyone should deal with the menace. If half a dozen people are dealing with the condition and one parson is not then the whole scheme falls to the ground, so that the whole district; has to .suffer owing to the delinquencies of one man. The menace can be effectually dealt with as follows: (a) Have all tins covered and remove all refuse fi om back yards, and, particularly, don't leave any vegetable refuse to lie about. (b)' About stables, place the manure m hermetioally-s9oled bins, or pack the manure tightly and square off the edges. By so doing, the manure ferments and causes, such a beat that the ova of flies are killed, (c) All privies and receptacles should bo fly-proof. I know this is difficult, but at any rate the receptacle could have a lid with a spring, which automatically closes when not in use. ' All ether means for the killing of adult flies should bo carried outr-e.g., trapping, disinfectants, tangle feet, etc., but I would stress the point that to deal with the By menace properly the ova must be killed. Flies breed in refuse (chiefly vegetable decaying matter) and manure.. Therefore, kill the ova and the fly is got rid of. A female fly is estimated to be the progenitor of 1,000,000 flies in one season.