The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1909-08-05
How to Free Cattle and Pastures Of
Ticks.


cattle and pastures of Texas fever
ticks: o. Picking or brushing off
the the ticks; (2) smearing or spray
ing the animals with disinfectlng
solution; 81 dipping the "ticky' an
imaIs in vat containing solution
capable of killing the ticks without
injury to the cattle; (4) systematic
pasture rotation whereby the ticks
are eliminated by changing the
cattle to one pasture after another,
allowing the ticks to drop off, and
preventing new ticks from getting
on the cattle.
In sections where there are large
herds and ranches, dipping or spray
ing on large scale has been success
fully carried out, either alone or in
conjunction with pasture rotation,
while in other sections, where the
cattle on farms consist Of only a few
head, hand dressing with oil has been
found to be the most practical plan.
The methods above suggested there
fore, apply to different sections of
the country, and the stockman or
farmer should select the one which
is best suited to his particular case.
Where the herd is small the ticks
may be picked off by hand or scrap
ed off with dull knife or. curry
bomb. This should be done at least
three times a week in order to move
all the large ticks before they ma
ture and fall off, as by this system
the smaller ticks which at first es-
cape detection will be found before
they are fully developed. After re-
moval the ticks should be destroyed.
preferably by burning. Care should
be- taken to 60 over the animals
thoroughly, and after once going
over they should not be neglected, as
ticks may be picked up from time to
time. If this work is thoroughly
done and no ticks allowed to fall off
and lay eggs from June ! to the end
of November, the cattle will be free
from ticks and the pastures clean.
Greasing the animals all over
thoroughly with cotton seed oil, fish
oil, or Beaumont crude petroleum
will assist in preventing the ticks
from getting upon them and destroy
the ticks already on them. This
method is practicable when only a
few animals are to be treated. A
mixture of 1 gallon Of kerosene, /
gallon of cotton seed oil, and 1 pound
of sulphur has proved effective when
used two or three times week dur
ing the tick season. 1t should be APP
piled with a sponge, syringe, brush,
mop, or broom.
Where larger number of cattle
arc to be treated, but not enough to
warrant building a vat, spraying has
given good results. The necessary
equipment consists of force pump
such as is used by orchardists for
spraying trees, with a barrel in a
wagon or on a platform and a hose
with an ordinary nozzle. A 20 per
cent emulsion of BEAUMONT oil or a 5
per cent solution of any of the stan
dard coal-tar dips may be used. The
sprayings should be continued
throughout the whole season and if
thoroughly done will leave the cattle
and pastures free for the following
year.
Where a large number of animals
are to be treated, dipping in vat is
a convenient and effective method
Beaumont crude petroleum is consid
cred the most satisfactory dip anC
may be used either alone or in q
per cent emulsion. Animals thai
have been dipped in the oil, especial
ly during warm weather, should not
be driven any great distance imme
diately afterwards, and should b.
provided with shade and an abun
dance of water.
This system Of eradication appeals
to many farmers and should be fol
lowed whenever practicable or con
ditions will permit. 1t consists il
placing ticky animals in a small pas
ture for a period of 20 days. During
that time considerable number o
ticks will drop off. Then transfe
the cattle to second small pastur
for another 20 days, and if all of tn
ticks have not dropped off, to still
another pasture. If the full tim
has been used, 60 days will have bee
consumed and the stock is then read
to be placed on tick-free pasture
The object Of moving cattle fror
pasture to pasture at intervals Of z
days is to cause all the ticks to dro]
off and at the same time to proven
the animals from becoming infeste
again with young, or seed ticks
Twenty days is less than the short
est time within which seed ticks vii
appear from eggs laid by ticks tina
} drop off, and all Of the ticks presen