The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1909-11-26

irritation and loss o. blood due to
nightly visits of hOrdes Of these
hungry parasites. 1t seems hardly
believable that fowls could be killed
hy such small pests, but they are so
many Ia numbers that their toval
capacity for blood is enormous, Their
ravages are most pernicious on sitting
hens, as here they may have access o
their host at dill times, causing rapid
loss OF blood. Attacks upon sitting
hens often result In the hen leaving
her nest or 10 her death, spelling the
hatch in either case. Even If the
hen does withstand the ravages of the
mite, the newly chicks are attacked
as soon as they emerge from the shell
aud are often killed in short time.
DESCRIPTION OF THE MITE.
The common adult chicken mite is
elliptical and somewhat fiattened ia
shape. The adult varies from / 25 tc
20 of an inch In length and is plainly
visible to the naked eye. 1t is grayish
In color, with darker spots except
after feeding, WHEEL it assumes a
reddish appearance due to the blood
which it has sucked from its host 1t
is while gorged with blood that ID is
known as the red mite. 1t has eight
rather slender, tapering legs by which
it can move rapidly. 1t has sharp,
needle-like mandfbles which it inserts
into the flesh to obtain blood. In
haYing sucking mouth parts the mite
is greatly different from the poultry
louise, which has biting mouth parts
and cannot suck bleed.
HABITS OF THE MITE.
Unlike the louise, the mite does not
live 90 the birds at all times, except
in extreme cases ST infestation, but
lives and breeds in cracks, crevlces
and Curriers' Of the rOests, buildings,
nests and elsewhere about the poultry
house. II generally attacks the
! fowl when upon the roost or nest.
Therefore, an eXamiGation of the
body OF the bird would not always
discover the pest. They may be
discovered, If present, by q careful
examination of the cracks In the
reosts, nests and walls of the building,
lifting up the roosts and bottoms of
nests, where they will be found
gathered in patches which have the
appearance Of grayish or reddish
brown, powdery deposits. These
patches are composed Of adult mites,
young mites, eggs, cast Of skins,
excrea and filth. The patches are
gray or reddish in cast, depending
upon the amount of blood In each
mite. 1t requires very careful
examination TO discover mite patches
when there are but few mites present,
as they are hidden away from the
light, but in cases where they have
been allowed to multiply freely the
patches may increase in size and
spread over the exposed surfaces of
the walls, roosts and nests. In some |
instances Of extreme infestation, it |
is actually possible to gather them
up by the spoonful.
LIFE HISTORY.
The adult female mite lays her |
eggs, which are elliptical in shape
and about 100 Of an inch in length,
in the cracks and crevices of the
roOsts, walls, nests or boxes, usually
where there is some manure or other
filth. Under favorable conditions the
eggs will hatch In few days. When
hatohed the young mites are white,
oval In shape, and have but six legs
They feed for few days upon filth,
but attack fowls when older. Every |
few days the young mite molts or
sheds its skin and increases in size,
becoming full grown in about ten
days from birth.
REMEDIES.
The best remedies for mites are
cleanliness, sunlight and spraying
with disinfectipg solutions. The
poultry house and fittings should be
so built as to be easily cleaned, The
walls should he smooth and as free
from cracks as possible. Nests, roosts
and dropping boards should be easily
removable to allow spraying of their
entire surface and the walls beneath
them.
There are several preparations for
the eradication Of mites. A good one
is given below:
Cresol Soap.-Shave or chop one
ten-cent cake of laundry soap into
one pint of soft water. Heat or allow
to stand until soap paste is dissolved.
Stir 10 one gallon of kerosene. For
use dilute with 80 Darts OF water,