HOUSEHOLD INSECTS 



CHAPTER I 



THE HOUSE-FLY 

 Musca domestica 



THERE are no household insect pests more annoying, 

 on the whole, than house-flies. They are present from 

 early spring to late fall, 

 even remaining far into the 

 winter. They are trouble- 

 some in kitchens and dining- 

 rooms because of their abun- 

 dance, their proneness to get 

 into food, and their gener- 

 ally filthy habits. Until 

 within comparatively recent 

 years the house-fly (Fig. 1) 

 has been generally regarded 

 as somewhat of a scavenger 

 and has been considered of 

 value to humanity because 

 of its aid in the removal of 

 wastes that are a menace to human welfare. The eggs 

 of the house-fly are often deposited on decaying vegetable 



FIG. 1. The adult house-fly. 

 (X5.) 



