Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1909-06-18


to those who have the pest TO contend
with in order that they may wage
their battle more intelligently and mt
the same time secure better and
greater results. n know lsdge of the
manner in which the tick propa-
gates can not fail TO be of value i'm
the war of determination now being
carried on against il i'm the South.
Only part of the development of
the tick takes place on the host (ani-
maD, while the remainder occurs in
the pasture. The female tick, which
is attached TO the skin of the host.
increases enormously in size as re-
suit of drawing liberal quantities OF
blood, and when fully engorged drops
to the ground, where she at once be-
gins TO search for 4 suitable hiding
place that will serve rs protection
from the sur and enemies. The female
tick may be devoured by birds, des-
troyed by ants, or may perish as the
result of unfavorable conditions, such
rs for example, low temperature,
may be destroyed without having
laid any eggs.
Egglaying begins during the spr-
ing, summer aud fall months in 2 to
20 days and during the winter
in ID to 90 days. The eggs are small,
elIipticaI-shaped bodies, of light
amber color that later changes TO
dark brown. one fiftieth of an inch
in length. coated with sticky secre-
tion that causes them TO adhere in
clusters and k eeps them from drying
out. During egg laying the tick grad
ually shrinks TO about one third or
one fourth her former size.
The egglaying period continues for
from 4 days in the summer to Isl
days beginning i'm the fall, and dur
ing this period from several hundred
to 5000 eggs may be deposited. The
mother tick then dies within few
days.
In from 10 days lin summer) to
1873 days(in fall or winter after the
eggs have been deposited they begin
to hatch. From each one issues
small, oval six-legged seed tick, at
first amber colored, later changing TO
a rich brown. After crawling slowly
about the shell il usually remains
quiescent for several days; then il
displays great activity, especially if
the weather is warm, and ascends the
nearest bit of vegetation, such as
grass, herbs or shrubs.
Since each female lays her eggs at
one spot, thousands of newly Matched
ticks or larvae will appear a the
same place and later will ascend near
by grass stems and collect on the
blades. This accounts for the brown
masses of larvae observed clinging TO
vegetation in pastures or on fence
posts. This upward instinct Of the
ticks increases their chances OF reach
ing a hot, for when the vegetation is
diturbed they become very active, eX-
tending their long leg violently up
ward in an attempt TO seize hold of
host.
During its life in the pasture the
seed tick takes no food and hence
does not increase in size, and unless
it reaches host ii dies of starvation.
This fact is significant and is taken
advantage of in work of eXtermua-
ting the ticks. Their endurance, how
ever Is very great, and under certain
conditions they have been found TO
live. without nOurishment nearly
eight months during the colder part
of the year.
The length of the period from the
time the females drop until the seed
ticks Matching from the eggs laid by
them are dead, or in other words the
time required for pastures to become
free of ticks after all cattle, horses
and mules have been excluded, varies
with the season of the year, being
shorter during the warm part of the
year and longest during the cold part
of the year. For example, all the seed
ticks resulting from females dropped
June Is will be dead by Novembre
period of four an one half months {;
but some of those resulting from
females dropped September l may
survive until the following July, a
period of ten months.
Another phase of development be-
gins when the tick reaches favor
able host, such as a COW. 1t usually
attaches itself to the skin of the
escutcheon,t tt {. inside of the III h
and flanks or TO the dewlap. 1t atonce
beins to draw blood and increase in
size. In few days il changes from
brown to white. In from TO II days
1t sheds its skin, the new form hav-
ing eight instead of six legs and be-
ing known as a nymph. In another
5 to IL days after the first mott the
nymph sheds its skin and becomes
sexually mature, and it is at this
stage that males and females are con