Rural School Leaflet 



1283 



Story of its lije. — The small, white, slightly curved eggs are laid among 

 decaying vegetable material, especially horse manure. They hatcli in 



Eggs of a house fly. Enlarged 



twenty-four hours into maggots, which reach their full .growth in five or 

 six days and change to dark brown objects known as puparia. The 

 pupas, inside the puparia, rest quietly for about five days, and then trans- 

 form to the adult flies. There may be eight or ten generations each 

 season — each generation, of course, containing more flies than the pre- 

 ceding one. 



Injury and control. — House flies are known to be carriers of typhoid 

 fever, cholera, dysentery, and other intestinal diseases, and are there- 

 fore very dangerous insects to allow in the house. 



All stable manure should be drawn to the fields once a week, or put 

 in a dark, tight room or pit. The closet or outhouse should be tight so 



Larva, or maggot, and pupa of a housefly. Much enlarged 



that no flies can enter it. The windows to kitchens and other rooms shoidd 

 be screened against flies. Flies should be caught in traps or on tanglefoot 



