The Colfax chronicle., 1904-08-06
FARMER AND PLANTER.
TICKS ON CATTLE.
The Habits Of Cattle Ticks and the
Best WY TO 60 ABoat Ex-
terminating Them.

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| Since it is only with "a full knowl-
edge of the habits of the cattle ticks
and the manner in which they breed
that the proper means for their de-
struction can be devised ana under
stood, the following facts should be
carefully considered:
1. The full grown female ticks, after
Filing themselves with blood, drop on
the cattle and crawl under leaves,
grass or any other material with which
the ground may be covered.
2. In two or three days these ticks be-
gin laying eggs and lay FROM 1900 to
$500 during the next two weeks.
3. IN real warm weather these eggs
may hatch in three weeks. but the
Matching may be greatly delayed or
prevented entirely by cold weather.
4. The young ticks (seed Acks) al
though extremely small, are active, and
crawl up the weeds, grass or twigs and
wait for, cattle to come along and pick
them mp.
s. since tnesssstIe tseks srs not sbls.
TO live longer without food, unless
cow, morse or mule brushes its. legs
against the object upon which they are
waiting, within. four or five months
they will stafye 70 heath.
8; From the time the young ticks get
on cattle until they are full-grown and
ready to drop OF is about four weeks,
except in cold weather, when they fire.
quently remain on much longer.
z. Neither old nor young ticks crawl
far, and a fence with a rail or board on
the ground will certainly stop them,
but wire fences do not always afford
protection
8, ticks do not go from one animal
to another
.. Eggs laid before the first of Sep
tember will hatch the same fall, and
unless the young ticks get on cattle,
horses or mules they will dire of cold |
or starvation before spring. II
10. Eggs laid during the cold weather
Of late fall and winter do not hatch un- |
til the warm days of spring. 1t is,
therefore, the eggs and not the ticks |
that are able to pass through the win
ters Of the northern and western por-
ti0ns of this state
With the foregoing facts in mind,
Lhree Il rethods of destroying the ticks
II once suggest themselves: :-u-..--sss-a
l. Keep all cattle, horses and mules
'ut of the tick-infested pastureE, lanes
ind lots after September /, and all
Eggs previously laid will hatch before
old weather and the young ticks
'tarve to death before spring.
2. Divide the pastures by a fence
With rail or board tight on the
'round, and the first year keep all cat
lie, horses and mules out of one-half
fter September /. The second year
'ut the cattle on, the half left vacant
he year previous, and also provide
lew lanes and lots on ground over
1hich no cattle ran the year before.
g. If practicable. burn the pasture &
ver thoroughly early in the spring.
lix sulphur with the salt given the
attle--one part sulphur 70 three parts
salt. Begin not later than April Is
reasing the legs and under parts of
ne cattle and repeat it once week all
lmmer. While greasing the cattle,
'ok carefully for any ticks that may
ave escaped the grease or attached
lemselyes to the upper paris of the
ody, and If any are found, pick them
I and burn The grease may be one
art kerosene and two parts any cheap
'rt convenient, such as cottonseed oil.
a little sulphur and tar he added the =
feet will be prolonged and increased.
he grease prevents young ticks from {
'tting on the cattle and kills those al
ady OF by plugging the small OPEN =
gs in the body through which they z
cath.
If .he greasing and hand picking be =
me thoroughly and no ticks allowed :,
drop in the pastures, lanes or lots
r four or five months during the
arrn season, the effort will be sue
ssful..
of the first two methods, :
len it can be adopted, is always GER "
in to exterminate the ticks, but the a.
ird is not applicable to large herds u
d will fail unless it is carefully and u'
carried out. Bulletin byi =
!. TAFT Butler, State Veterinarian of to
nth Carolina. tl