204 
REPORT ON ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 
*Filth-feeding 
flies 
Ticks 
Seed and 
nursery stock 
Fumigation 
chambers 
Issue of 
pamphlets 
The common honse-fiy — Musca doinestica —and its relatives are also worthy of some 
attention. The average native, though cleanly in his person, has no modern ideas as 
regards the disposal of excreta and refuse, with the result that the majority of the villages 
that one visits swarm with refuse-feeding flies, which are not only exceedingly annoying, but 
are also a source of danger. It is a well-established fact that many diseases, such as enteric 
and cholera, are carried and spread by these flies, which will cheerfully settle on one’s food 
after having, perhaps, only a few minutes before been engaged in walking about and laying 
their eggs on the most disgusting filth they can find. 
Since the Second Eeport of the Laboratories was issued, the human tick — OniUhodoros 
aavifini/i — has been found to occur in this country. One of its favourite resorts is under 
trees in the vicinity of desert wells, where it patiently waits for an opportunity of biting 
the traveller while he indulges in a midday siesta. In other countries a closely allied tick— 
(). moulmta — is the carrier of the disease known as “Tick fever,” so, although this malady 
has not yet been noticed in the Sudan, it is advisable to take every precaution against 
the human tick when journeying in the desert. 
fireat care should be exercised in obtaining seed and nursery stock, to get it free from 
both insect and fungoid pests. Many insects in their native lands are so kept in check 
by their natural enemies as to he hardly noticeable, but when taken to a new locality, 
either on nursery stock or in some other way, their natural enemies are frequently left 
behind, and, as a result, the insects are enabled to increase in numbers to such an extent as 
to become very serious pests. 
Particularly is this the case with nursery stock imported from abroad. At present, 
citrus and other trees and ornamental shrubs growing in the Sudan are remarkably free 
from what are popularly known as “Scale” insects or Coccidcc. In many countries, 
including Egypt, this is far from being the case, so, in view of the danger of these and 
other insect pests being introduced into this country, an air-tight chamber, suitable for 
the fumigation of imported nursery stock, has lieen erected in the Quarantine grounds at 
Port Sudan, at a cost of £E 98. An application for a similar chamber to be erected at 
Haifa has recently been granted, and, in future, all nursery stock, before being allowed to 
enter the country, will be subjected to an inspection at the port of entry. Stock found 
to be grossly infested with scale or other injurious insects will l)e destroyed outright, 
while stock apparently clean or only slightly infested will be fumigated with hydrocyanic 
acid gas before being permitted to go to its destination. Stock so treated and passed 
will, when possible, be again inspected shortly after it has been planted out, and, if 
scale or other injurious insects are found to be still present on it and likely to be a source 
of infection to other stock, the grower will he called upon to take immediate steps to 
eradicate it. 
.\t first sight this may seem to be placing an unnecessary obstacle in the way of 
those energetic farmers who are endeavouring to plant orchards and vineyards, and to 
introduce new flowei’S and fruits ; but when it is remembered that scale-infested stock 
will not oidy fail to thrive, hut will also be a source of infection to trees and plants 
already growing in the country, it will be seen that these measures will lie of the utmost 
value to agriculturists throughout the Sudan, by enabling them to obtain clean stock, and 
guarding their farms from the introduction of many noxious insects. 
The advisability has been discussed of issuing, from time to time, pamphlets, printed 
in lioth English and .\rabic, dealing with the more common and important of the insect 
pests. It is possible, if funds are forthcoming, that this may be done during the coming 
year. 
