February, '13] BISHOPP: stable FLY 115 



Work teams were found to have fallen off from 10 to 25 per cent in 

 weight and fat cattle were in many cases made extremely poor. 



The stamping of horses often caused lameness. Swollen and stiff 

 joints were commonly produced by animals standing too long in water 

 to escape the flies. 



Another source of loss to farmers was their inability to proceed 

 with their usual farm plowing and other operations at the proper time 

 owing to the impossibility in many cases of working teams in fields. 

 In a number of cases animals were driven frantic and ran away with 

 buggies or wagons or if free in fields often became injured by running 

 into wire fences. 



It is difficult to estimate the entire loss due to this outbreak. It 

 is conservatively estimated, however, that in north Texas over 300 

 head of cattle, mules and horses were killed directly or indirectly by 

 the flies. This loss might be reasonably placed at $15,000, while the 

 loss from other sources far surpassed this death loss. 



Importance as a Pest in the United States 



Inquiry has elicited the fact that outbreaks of a nature similar but 

 not so severe as the one which occurred in 1912 have been experienced 

 in north Texas a number of times previously. Flies were said to have 

 been extremely abundant in north-central Texas during the latter part 

 of the summer of 1867. Another unusual occurrence of the fly was in 

 1894 or 1895, and in 1905 the fly was very injurious in certain localities. 

 An investigation of conditions in Kansas and Nebraska indicates that 

 the fly is a pest of more of less importance every year in the grain belt 

 of those states. In some localities in these states it was much worse 

 than usual in 1912. Statements made by farmers in South Dakota 

 and Georgia agree with the information secured in Kansas and Ne- 

 braska, and in southern Louisiana the pest was unusually abundant 

 during the late fall of 1912. In Mississippi and South Carolina it 

 occurs commonly and sometimes becomes a considerable pest of live 

 stock. From statements published by Lugger and Washburn this 

 insect must be a pest of importance in Minnesota. Investigations 

 made in central Florida indicate that it is seldom of importance as a 

 pest in that section. Prof. C. P. Gillette says in a recent letter "pos- 

 sibly the common stable fly is really the worst pest (of live stock in 

 Colorado) on account of its being so abundant and ever present." 

 Prof. J. M. Aldrich has given the information that the stable fly is 

 a troublesome pest of cattle in Idaho, and Prof. R. W. Doane has 

 made a similar statement regarding conditions in California. 



