CHAPTER XXXIII 



Insects in Relation to Packing Houses ^ 

 E. W. Laalce 



Before the meat packing establishments of the United States were 

 placed under government inspection, there was very little attention paid 

 to insects and their control in such establishments, unless there was 

 a direct loss to the packer, and even then only such methods as were 

 necessary to meet the immediate situation, rather than the requirements 

 of permanent sanitation, were employed. During the first years follow- 

 ing the institution of inspection by the Bureau of Animal Industry under 

 the law of 1906, packing plants were remodeled or rebuilt according to 

 government specifications, and conditions were vastly improved from a 

 sanitary standpoint, although the insect question was not handled vigor- 

 ously until during the past few years. The importance of safeguarding 

 from contamination and infection the millions of tons of meat and meat 

 products prepared by the numerous packing houses in the United States 

 is indeed a task worthy of attention, especially during the present time 

 when our products are so direly needed at home and abroad. That insects 

 play as great a role by contamination or actual destruction of meats 

 and meat products as they do in other branches of agricultural industries, 

 is easily demonstrated when one becomes familiar with the ravages of 

 these pests in the numerous establishments in our country. 



Flies are the principal cause of annoyance and loss around packing 

 houses. The house fly is probably of first importance. It is especially 

 troublesome around the loading docks, in sausage kitchens and in markets. 

 The blow flies are often very abundant, especially in departments handling 

 inedible materials. In this country the black blow fly, Phormia regina 

 Meigen, is probably the most important. The green bottle flies, Lucilia 

 sericata Meigen and L. caesar (Linnaeus), rank second, and in the south- 

 ern half of the United States the screw worm fly, Chrysomya macellaria 

 (Fabricius), is the predominant species in the summer months. Others 

 concerned are the bluebottle flies, Calliphora spp. and CynoTnyia cada- 

 verina Robineau-Desvoidy ; flesh flies, Sarcophaga spp. ; Muscina stahulans 

 Macquart, M. assimilis Fallen, Opliyra spp., Chrysomyza spp., and the 



*This lecture was read July 29, and issued August 8, 1918, and is now reproduced 

 practically in its original form. 



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