MENACE OF FLIES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19127, 23 September 1936, Page 13

MENACE OF FLIES

GISBORNE CONDITIONS BREEDING- AT AWAPUNI METHODS OF PREVENTION EVERYONE MUST ASSIST An active war against the common house ily in which, everyone should assist was recommended In the Gisborne Borough Council Insl night, in the report of the sanitary inspector, Mr. J. W. Parker. Mr. Parker referred to the borough stables and sanitary depot, a! Awapuni as a. suitable breeding place for Hies, and said thai the Ily nuisance, would 1 not be reduced in, Gisborne unless every householder did his duty in eliminating or spraying breeding places. In his report, the inspector stated that he made an inspection recently of the lleni Materoa Children's home, the borough stables and the sanitary depot, and added:—

"Generally speaking the number of flies in- any locality during summer is an indication as to its sanitary condition; or otherwise.

"Killing flies, except in early spring before the breeding season commences is almost useless. The number of flies is not so much regulated by the number of grown specimens that escape the fly swatter, as by (lie number of untreated' spots the female can, find in which to deposit her eggs, each female fly lays 120 to 15C eggs, and under favourable conditions those develop into grown flies iii about 10 days, and they in turn are laving eggs about a- week later.

"Stable manure and collections of uefuse, etc. provide breeding grounds for Hies. A great mass of fly-breeding probably occurs in the vacant tields scattered throughout the borough, on which run a few cows or horses, and it would' be advisable to ask the users of such sections to collect, or spray the manure at intervals to prevent ily breeding. Undoubtedly some breeding also takes place on private householders' properties. "Heni Materoa Children's Home.—lt would be very costly to have all the doors and windows in this building flyproofed, and in any case they would soon lie damaged iby the children, and rendered ineffective. The use of fly swatters, papers, poisons, traps, and pyrethrum powders should be encouraged, but efforts should be concentrated on eliminating breeding places. There were very few flies in evidence on the -day of the inspector's visit, but it is later en in the year that they become a nuisance-." METHOD OF PREVENTION

After referring further to the home and also to the borough stables, and the sanitary depot, the inspector suggested the following methods of preventing flies breeding. "By spraying stable manure, the principal breeding place for flies, with diluted sheep dip containing orsenite of soda, the fly nuisance can be considerably reduced, the solution having the desired effect of killing the larvae and! flies," said Mi'- Parker. The cost of an effective larvicide is not great, and it- can be quickly applied to stable manure and rubbish dumps by means of a. watering can.

"Another effective solvit ion. recommended by the inspector is: 111), sodium arsenate, l2lbs. treacle, sgal. water, and lib. Wyandotte sterilizer. These ingredients to be thoroughly mixed, and 20 gallons of water added. This could be supplied to the rubbish tip ready for use and put on by means of a garden syringe. "In the interests of public health active participation should be taken in the extermination of the. .common house fly. The. fly nuisance in Gisborne will not be reduced until every householder in the borough does his duty in either •eliminating or effectively spraying breeding places." The report, was referred Io the sanitary committee.