12 FARMERS’ BULLETIN 679. 
FLY PAPERS, POISONS, AND TRAPS. 
In the effort to destroy flies that have gained access to houses the 
use of sticky fly papers is very common. Another way is to expose 
in shallow dishes a mixture of formalin and milk or water, sweetened 
with a little sugar (1 teaspoonful of commercial formalin to 1 teacup- 
ful of water or milk). This is most effective when no other liquids 
are accessible to the flies. Formalin diluted in this manner is not 
poisonous to man and will not injure fabrics. In this respect it is 
much safer than the fly poisons containing arsenic. 
Burning of fresh pyrethrum powder is also effective in killing 
flies in rooms. 
Flytraps may be used to advantage in decreasing the number of 
flies. There are many kinds on the market, and as a rule the larger 
ones are the more effective. These should be placed on the outside 
of houses, stores, stables, etc. Bananas, sugar and vinegar, milk, and 
beer will be found to be attractive baits under most circumstances. 
The use of flytraps has been enthusiastically advocated by Prof. 
C. F. Hodge, not only because of the immediate results, but because 
of the chances that the flies may be caught before they lay their first 
batch of eggs, and thus the possible number of future generations 
will be greatly reduced. From what was said above in regard to the 
preoviposition period it will be apparent that flytraps will be more 
effective in this respect during the spring and autumn months than 
during midsummer. 
The use of fly papers, poisons, and traps are at best only temporary 
measures. The most logical method of abating the nuisance is the 
elimination or treatment of all breeding places. It would appear 
from what we know of the life history and habits of the common 
house fly that it is perfectly feasible for cities and towns to reduce 
the numbers of these annoying and dangerous insects so greatly as 
to render them of comparatively slight account. 
CONSTRUCTION AND CARE OF STABLES. 
In formulating rules for the construction and care of stables and 
the disposal of manure the following points must be taken into con- 
sideration. In the first place, the ground of soil-floor stables may 
offer a suitable place for the development of fly larve. The larve 
will migrate from the manure to the soil and continue their growth 
in the moist ground. This takes place to some extent even when the 
manure is removed from the stables every day. Even wooden floors 
are not entirely satisfactory unless they are perfectly water-tight. 
since larve will crawl through the cracks and continue their develop- 
ment in the moist ground below. Water-tight floors of concrete or 
masonry are therefore desirable. 
