p. 734 | How to Abolish the Fly

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 31, 1913

How to Abolish the Fly

THE fly is a danger which comes home to every family. And each family can do much to minimize the danger. But the great work must be done by the families in a community working together. A bulletin of the American Civic Association gives a series of rules for dealing with the fly. They are so admirable that we print them entire:—

Flies breed in horse manure, decaying vegetables, dead animals, and all kinds of filth.

Not less than ninety-five per cent of the pests are bred in the stable.

All stables should have a manure bin with a door at the side and a wire screen on the top, that the larva deposited in the manure before it was placed in the bin will be screened when hatched; and as flies seek light and come to the top of the bin, they can be easily killed by burning paper or some other device.

The fly has a thirst only equaled by his hunger; place a dish of poisoned water in the stable, and a greater part of the flies hatched there will be killed.

Flies are nature’s scavengers, fulfilling the same function that some bacteria do, but become an intolerable nuisance and danger on entering human dwellings and by contaminating food.

The presence of flies is a direct evidence of careless housekeeping and of the existence of filth in some form about the premises, and are more dangerous than the good housekeeper’s terror found in bedrooms.

Remember that wherever absolute cleanliness prevails there will be no flies. Look after the garbage cans. See that they are cleaned, sprinkled with lime or kerosene oil, and closely covered.

Remove all manure from stables every three or four days, and when removed keep in a tight pit or vault, so flies cannot breed in it.

Lye, chlorid of lime, or blue vitriol water, crude carbolic acid, or any kind of disinfectant may be used.

Keep flies away from the kitchen. Keep flies out of the dining-room and away from the sick, especially from those ill with contagious diseases.

Screen all food. Apply this rule not only to food prepared at home, but to foodstuffs offered for sale, and especially fruits, salads, and all other things that do not require cooking.

Prevent consumptives from expectorating where flies can feed upon it.

To clear rooms of flies carbolic acid may be used as follows: Heat a shovel and drop thereon twenty drops of carbolic acid. The vapor kills the flies.

A cheap and perfectly reliable fly poison, one which is not dangerous to human life, is bichromate of potash in solution. Dissolve one dram of the potash, which can be bought at any drug store, in two ounces of water, and add a little sugar. Put some of this solution in shallow dishes, and distribute them about the house.

Sticky fly-paper, traps, and liquid poisons are among the things to use in killing flies, but the latest, cheapest, and best is a solution of formalin or formaldehyde in water. A spoonful of this liquid put into a quarter of a pint of water and exposed in the room will be enough to kill all the flies.

To quickly clear the room where there are many flies, burn pyrethrum powder in the room. This stupefies the flies, when they may be swept up and burned.

If there are flies in the dining-room of your hotel, restaurant, or boarding-house, complain to the proprietor that the premises are not clean.—The Outlook.