DESTRUCTION OF FLIES.

Franklin Times, 3 January 1923, Page 5

DESTRUCTION OF FLIES.

AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY, What seems to be a revolutionary discovery is reported to have been made by Mr J, (Hertz, principal of a firm of wholesale chemists in Lon,ctan.i For two years he has been experimenting with various substances for putting an end fto insect pests. Ajt last he is said to have discovered a solution, quite harmless to individuals and animals, in the fumes of which no insect cpn live for more than a (few seconds.

Putting this assertion to the test, he placed a wasp* and afterwards some flies, in a glass bowl with two or three drops of the liquid. The \yasp struggled on the side of /the glass if or ten seconds and then fell dead ; the en,d ojfi the flies came more swiftly still. A few days ago Mr Hertz said he visited a department of the factory of a well-fepown firm of confectioners, which \qas much troubled with wasps and bees. He sprayed the room with /the liquid, and hundreds dropped on the floor dead. The manager .of the department had been stung by one of the wasps, A drop of the liquid rubbed upon the wound at once removed the sting p.nd reduced the inflammation* Another trial of the solution was ma.d(e in some stables. No flies (touched any horse that |was sprayed; nor did (they enter the stables so long as the odour lasted. At his home in the country Mr Hertz keeps ■a little of the liquid in a bowl on the dinging table, and uie room has been (free tfirom insects of every kind throughout the summer. The odour is by no means pungent, but is rather Rke that of burnt) rubber. Countries that are troubled with the mosquitp are greatly interested in the discover Mr Hertz is being urged' to plpce the solution upon the market. It, will be sonic lijtji'le itluief ■ however* before this can be done, for it means getting a factory where f't wills be possible to produce it in many thousands of gallons d^iVy,