Walter Timmis was a consulting engineer at a Sackett-Wilhelms Lithographing & Publishing Company oin Brooklyn, New York.
But this publishing company had a problem
Timmis turned to the Manhattan office of the Buffalo Forge Company, a company that designed and manufactured steam engines and pumps.
He explained this problem to J. Irvine Lyle, the head of Buffalo Forge’s sales activities in New York.
His printing paper was soaking up moisture because of the high temperatures and high levels of humidity in the printing press building. As a result, his paper expanded and contracted in size.
At the time, printing was a tedious process that involved running the printing press over a single piece of paper…applying one color of ink to the paper at a time.
By the time four different colors of ink were applied, the colors would be misaligned.
The company was turning out low-quality work.
The company was also wasting its resources and losing production days.
The problem was so bad that several of his most important clients threatened to take their work elsewhere.
Timms needed the Buffalo Forge to figure out how he could control humidity at the printing press.
Yet nobody had yet figured out how to use “modern” technology to create a comfortable microclimate indoors. Previous attempts had not been efficient enough or had been too cumbersome for commercial use.
He recognized the importance of being able to control the humidity levels in a manufacturing environment.
He also thought he knew someone who could easily solve this dilemma.
For thousands of years, humankind attempted to do something about the slow torture of hot weather.
These attempts involved…
electric power
ice made from steam engines
professional air-sniffers
refrigerated beds
slave power
ventilation amateurs
water power
Thankfully, someone finally invented “modern air conditioning.”
Air conditioning allowed people to live in places that were previously considered inhabitable – like the desserts of New Mexico and Arizona.
Air conditioning led directly to the success of movie theaters, especially afternoon matinees. People were willing to spend money simply to enjoy a break from the summer heat.
Air conditioning helped create better work environments for factory and office workers. Being able to work in an air-conditioned factory was an employee benefit right off the bat.
Not only that, air conditioning was great for the factories and businesses also. Workers were more productive working in a more comfortable environment.
Air-conditioning prevented millions of heat-related deaths.
Air conditioning is now seen as an expected necessity, not the luxury that our great-grandmothers thought that it was.
Even if we only seem to appreciate it when it’s 102 degrees in the shade.
So who are we to thank for finally creating the first modern air conditioner?
Probably some foreign guy whose name we could never pronounce even if we practiced all day?
No…
And obviously, modern air conditioning was invented to keep people comfortable hot, humid summer?
No again…
The answers may surprise you as much as they did me…
But the very best way to get rid of house flies is to keep them out of your house in the first place.
Keeping flies out of your house requires a proactive approach centered on the three things that flies love most – rotting food scraps, fermenting spills and readily available trash.
*************************
Food Scraps:
Store food properly so that you don’t end up throwing it out…not to mention, attracting even more flies.
Store ripe fruits in the refrigerator rather than on the counter. Keeping ripe fruits cold slows down the fermentation process that attracts flies.
Consider freezing overripe fruits for later use in smoothies or baking.
Dispose of overly ripe produce promptly. Wrap spoiled produce in a sealed bag before placing it in the trash and take it outside right away to avoid attracting even more flies.
**************************
Spills:
You want your house to be as uninviting to pests as possible, including human pests perhaps. The main way to do this is to create an environment that isn’t very inviting.
As far as flies, this means keeping your house clean, especially your kitchen.
As far as people, keeping a clean house will at least keep people from going around town gossiping about what a messy house you keep…or calling your Mama to see if you’re okay…right(?!)…
Be sure to wipe up any spilled liquids, juice or crumbsimmediately. Food crumbs, spilled drinks and sugar all begin to ferment over time.
***************
Create a regular cleaning schedule that targets fly-prone areas. This routine should include cleaning specific surfaces – around sinks and faucets, backsplashes, countertops, dish rack, faucets, stove tops and underneath small appliances like coffee makers and toasters
Be sure to dry these areas after you clean them. Moisture creates ideal conditions for flies to feed and lay eggs, especially during the summer.
Also pay special attention to the garbage disposal and the area under the sink.
The food particles, grease, and moisture that build up inside neglected drains, garbage disposals and kitchen pipes creates the perfectly moist environment that flies need to lay their eggs.
Regularly cleaning these areas helps remove any trapped food scraps and residue. It also kills eggs before they hatch…(Bravo, job well done)…
To clean your drains, first pour boiling water down your drain to loosen buildup. Follow this with ½C salt and then ½C baking soda and finally 1C white vinegar. Let it sit for at least an hour, preferably overnight. Flush with more boiling water
This process will kill existing flies, but does not remove eggs or organic slime.
So you should follow this by pouring a bacterial drain cleaner gel into the drain to remove any organic slime or existing flies.
Do this about once a week.
A few more words to the wise:
Avoid putting starchy or sticky scraps down the disposal.
Grind ice cubes with salt to help dislodge residue… lemon or lime peels to reduce lingering odors.
Run cold water, not warm or hot water, while grinding food.
************************
Avoid leaving wet dish cloths, gloves or sponges out overnight…(still looking for the best place to keep rubber gloves, any suggestions(?!)),,,
Replace old dishrags, sponges and mops regularly.
**************************
Rinse dirty dishes immediately instead of simply allowing them to sit in the sink overnight.
Washing dishes as soon as you finish eating dinner, instead of waiting an hour or even until the next morning, actually creates more work later. The longer you wait, the more time that leftover food on that plate has to get stuck on the plate, bowl or whatever.
Also, having a sink full of dishes and water gives the flies the perfect swimming pool for this dreadful summer heat…and who wants that…
****************
Trash:
Clean the sides and bottom of garbage cans and bins regularly so that their surfaces are free of food and juices.
Empty recycling bins and trash cans regularly, especially in warm weather.
Make sure that your garbage bins have tight-fitting lids. Line them with durable trash bags
Rinse food containers before throwing them away.
Wash garbage containers frequently to eliminate odors.
Finally, if you’re lucky (or unlucky) enough to have a cat, you should be cleaning that litter box daily.
