The housefly is a constant menace to public health. Therefore it is very essential that the growth and increase of house-flies and the infection caused by them must be stopped.
This can be done in the following ways:
1. Destruction of Breeding Grounds of Flies:
The garbage, stable manure, cow dung and other organic materials, in which flies may lay eggs, should be kept covered and systematically removed by municipality or corporation at least once a week. In villages and on farms, the manure should be either kept covered in manure container or spread thinly over fields and pastures, every 2 or 3 days, to dry.
Exposure to sunlight kill the eggs and larvae. Alternatively the container should be sprayed with cyanide solution and the debris should be treated with calcium borate. This will help all the eggs and larvae to be destroyed.
2. By Personal Protection:
Cleanliness should be maintained strictly and the flies must not be allowed to sit on the bodies of children. Houses must be properly screened and fruits, vegetables and food must not be exposed to flies. Sweets, milk and other eatables on which the flies are found to sit freely, must not be used.
3. Chemical Control:
Excreta, vomiting etc. containing disease germs must be treated chemically so that the flies may not pick up germs from it. If the cow dung, human faeces and debris cannot be disposed off immediately, it should be treated chemically with lime, crude oil, copper sulphate, formaldehyde or any other poisonous substance to prevent breeding of flies.
4. Destruction of Adult Flies:
The fly-swatters, flypaper, hanging cords polished with resin and castor oil are used to catch the adult flies and as a result many flies can be destroyed in this way.