CONTROL OF FLIES 25 1 



which elapse before consumption. To some extent protection is 

 afforded by covering the dishes or jugs in which the food is 

 contained, but flies are apt to crawl in or to feed on the remains 

 adhering to the edges, and cause infection in this way. If 

 possible, therefore, such articles ought to be placed in larders or 

 cool places protected by gauze, with a mesh sufficiently small to 

 prevent house-flies from penetrating through it. Some of the 

 minute species of flies will penetrate almost any gauze, but 

 their capacity for carrying disease-producing bacteria and their 

 opportunities of acquiring them are probably much more limited. 

 It should be remembered that house-flies will generally succeed 

 in getting through any crevices which may be left. 



Screening of the houses is adopted in some countries, 

 especially in parts of the United States, where flies are very 

 numerous during their season. The expense is considerable, but 

 in some localities it is undoubtedly justified, as the majority of 

 the flies is kept out. " No system of screening, however, seems 

 to be so perfect as to keep them all out. They get in, one way 

 or another, in spite of care ; even when double doors are used 

 they eventually gain entrance." 



It is highly desirable, however, that sick rooms should be 

 well screened, especially those occupied by persons suffering 

 from transmissible diseases, and any flies that chance to find 

 their way in should be killed to prevent them escaping and 

 carrying the infection. Further, all soiled linen, bandages, 

 sputum, etc., should be immediately disposed of in such a 

 manner that flies cannot infect themselves from them. 



It may be occasionally helpful to remember that flies are 

 not so apt to find their way into darkened rooms, as into rooms 

 to which sunlight has free access. 



Hodge (1910) is of opinon that the fly problem can be 

 effectively dealt with by catching adults at the breeding places, 

 especially in the spring months, and thus diminishing the 

 offspring of flies which have survived the winter. Even during 

 the height of summer he thinks that this plan will be of great 

 service, since there is a considerable period between the time the 

 fly emerges from the pupa and the time it becomes sexually 

 mature and lays eggs. He has devised several methods, the 



