, larva or maggot; b, pupa; c, adult; e, egg.
All enlarged. (Modified from Howard Bur. of Entomology. U. S. Dept.
Agri.)]

The presence of flies in the home is usually a sign of untidiness; but
it means more, it means that disease and often death is hovering over
the home. We are too apt to consider the fly simply as a nuisance when
we should take it more seriously. The child should be led to realize
that the fly should not be tolerated in the home, that it is dangerous
and that it can and must be destroyed.

The house fly may pass the winter either as the adult fly in cracks and
crannies about the home, or in out-buildings or it may remain as a
hard, brown, oval pupa in stables and manure piles when, with the first
warm days of spring, it escape from this case as the fly ready to lay
eggs for the first colony. The fly breeds largely in horse manure either
in stables, manure piles or in street gutters where manure is allowed to
collect. Each female lays a large number of eggs and since it requires
less than two weeks for the pest to mature, we are soon overrun with
flies in the summer where steps are not taken to control them. The
maggots are often so abundant in stables that they can be scooped out
with a shovel. This ceaseless breeding continues from spring until the
first frost in the fall.

[Illustration: Favorite breeding places of house fly. Such places should
be kept as clean and neat as the front yard.]

In the control of the fly and prevention of trouble from it there are
three important steps to take. First of all, go to the source of the
trouble and do away with or screen all breeding places. Then, by keeping
in mind the fact that the fly is comparatively harmless as long as it is
kept from filth laden with germs, do away with all open closets,
uncovered slop-barrels and other filth. As a further precaution keep it
from the home by the use of screens and when necessary "swatters." Do
not make the mistake of trying to control the pest with the "swatters"
alone. In the country too often manure is permitted to accumulate about
the barn during the summer with a view of using it on wheat ground in
the fall and this furnishes ideal conditions for the fly to breed.
Another source of constant danger especially in the rural districts is
the presence of open closets or worse still the presence of no closet at
all. This is without doubt the most dangerous accessory of the farm.
More screens should be used in the hom