FLIES

Flies. Often called "Filth Flies," these insects are not only a nuisance, but are important from a human and animal health standpoint. House flies may spread diseases such as conjunctivitis, POLIO, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, anthrax, leprosy, CHOLERA, diarrhea and dysentery. They may serve as intermediate hosts for parasitic tapeworms on poultry or parasitic roundworms on horses. When feeding, house flies regurgitate some of their stomach contents on the food, which dissolves it. Then they suck it back into their stomach. They leave fecal deposits where they have walked. While walking and feeding on garbage, fecal material and food, flies may transfer disease organisms from both inside and outside their bodies. The flight range is from 2 to 20 miles.

The life cycle from egg to adult may be from 8 to 12 days in warm weather. A pair of flies beginning breeding in April, if all were to live, would result in 191,010,000,000,000,000,000 (191 quintillion 10 quadrillion) flies by August. Allowing 1/8 cubic inch to a fly, this number would cover the earth 47 feet deep.

Fortunately, predators, parasites and other factors reduce fly populations. In Dubuque, the control of flies at least once involved the members of the DUBUQUE BOYS' CLUB.

In 1896 the Division of Entomology of the United States Department of Agriculture issued a 130 page bulletin dealing with the principal household insects. Information included the habits of the insects, favorite foods, and best methods of exterminating them. It was noted by the newspaper that there was no attempt to discuss the information from a technical standpoint making the bulletin easy to understand. (1)

The fact that flies were drawn to waste products was well known. In 1901 officials of the same department stated that more than 95% of house flies bred in horse manure. These officials called for the proper treatment of excrement in box privies in cities, the cleaning up of horse manure piles, and the daily collection of manure in stables and treatment with chloride of lime. This treatment did not affect the value of the manure for agricultural use. Ignoring the proper handling of human excrement would be handled with penalties from the local board of health. (2)

During WORLD WAR II government scientists developed DDT in hopes that it would "doom the fly and the mosquito." It was soon discovered that both insects had developed a resistance to the poison. Scientists then turned to developing baits. (3) In 1972 the OPTIMISSES CLUB sold copies of The Purple Martin by R. B. Layton and a pamphlet on constructing appropriate birdhouses. Among the reasons to attract bird to Dubuque was the bird's voracious appetite for insects--with an emphasis on houseflies and MOSQUITOES. (4)

FLY CONTROL WEEK in 1949. Photo courtesy: Bob Reding

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Source:

1. "Information for Housewives," The Dubuque Herald, November 4, 1896, p. 2

2. "Harm Done by Flies," The Dubuque Daily Telegraph, September 29, 1901, p. 11

3. "Man Still Wages Losing Battle Against House Fly," Telegraph-Herald, January 16, 1952, p. 20

3. Brimeyer, Jack, "Club Prepares Populace for Purple Martins," Telegraph-Herald, March 16, 1972, p. 7