Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-08-20
LIFE HISTORY OF THE
CATTLE TICK is VALUABLE
FACTS ON WHICH CAMPAIGN FOR
TOLD BY THE PARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE, AT WASH
INGTON

| INGTON.
An intimate knowledge of the life
history of the cattle tick is necessary to
those who have the pest to contend
with in order that they may wage their
battle more intelligently and at the
same time secure better and greater re-
suits A knowledge of the manner in
which the tick propagates can not fail
to be of value in the war of extermina-
tion now being carried on against it in
the South.
Only part of the development of the
tick takes place on the host (animal,) J
while the remainder occurs in the pas
ture. The female. tick, which is at
tached to the skin of the host, increases
enormously in size as result of draw
ing liberal quantities of blood, and
when fully engorged drops to the
ground, where she at once begins to
search for suitable biding place that
Will serve as protection from the sun
and enemies. The female ticks may
by devoured by birds, destroyed by ants,
or may perish as the result of unfavor-
able conditions, such as, for example,
low temperature, lack of deture, ETC.,
50 that many may be destroyed with
out having laid any eggs.
Egg-laying begins during the spring,
summer and fall months in 2 to 20 days,
and during the winter months in Ii to
50 days. The eggs are small, elliptical-
shaped bodies, of light amber color
that later charges to dark browns, one
fiftieth of an inch in length coated with
sticky secretion that causes them to
adhere IN clusters and keeps them from
drying out During egg-laying the
tick gradually shrlnks to about one
third or one-fourth her former size.
The egg-laying period continues for
from days in the summer to ISL days
beginning in the fall, and during this
period from several hundred to 5000
eggs may be deposited. The mother
tick their dies within few days.
In from 10 days Gn summer) to 1873
days lin fall and winter after the eggs
have been deposited they begins to
hatch. From each one issues small,
oval, six-legged seed tick, at first am
Der colored, later changing to a rich
brown. After crawling slowly about
the shell it usually remains quiescent
for several'days, then it displays great
activity, especially if the weather is
warm, and ascends the nearest bit of
Vegetation, such as grass, herbs of
shrubs.
Since each femalelay her eggs at one
spot, thousands OF newly Matched ticks
or larvae will appear at the same place
and later will ascend nearby grass
stems and collect on the blades This
accounts for the brown masses of larvae
observed clinging to vegetation in pas
lures or on fence posts. This upward
instinct of the ticks increases their
chances of reaching host, for when
the vegetation is disturbed they become
very active, extending their long legs
violently upward 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 a
host it dies of starvation. This fact is
significant and is taken advantage of
in the work of eXterminating the ticks.
Their endurance, however, is very
great, and under certain conditions
they have heen found to live without
nourishment nearly eight months dur
ing the colder part of the year.
The length of the period from the
time females drop until all 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 result
ing from females dropped June Is will
be dead by November l, period of
four and one-half months; but some of
those resulting from females dropped
September l may survive until the fol-
lowing July, a perio of ten month.
Another phase of development begins
when the tick reaches favorable host
such as COW. 1t usually attaches it.
SELF to the skin of the escutcheon, the
inside of the thighs and f1anks, or to
the dewlay. 1t at once begins to draw
blood and increase in size. In a few
days it changes from brown 10 white.
In from to II days it sheds its skin,