Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-10-04
QUESTION AND ANSWER DEPARTMENT
PROTECTING CATTLE FROM TICKS

The cattle tick extracts a fearful
toll from the south each year, ano
seems TO be proving particularly trOu-
bIesome 10 our stockmen just at this
time, Judging from the large number
of complaints which are being received
OF sickness anu death among cattle In
spite OF the fact that the tick is found
in the majority OF the counties or
the state, many do not sem TO under
stand the character of the extent or
the damage which IL inflicts- Most peo-
pie seem TO think that If their animals
are III that IL must be due To some
form OF indigestion, OF To the fact that
they pasture in lowlands or high woods.
In reality the tick is causing the sick
ness and distress in the great majority
OF cases The dry, hot weather seems
to have favored their development in
the past few weeks, and as they multi
ply very rapidly under favorable con-
ditions, il does not take long for them
to infIict serious losses. Since the tick
has a habit OF climbing up the legs
of the animals and attaching Itself to
the abdomen and inside Of the flanks
and other parts of the body not readily
observed in riding through a herd, its
presence often escapes notice, and IL
is On this account that many persons are
inclined to attribute the sickness in
their herds to various other causes.
when animals seem TO be unwell in the
late summer or early fall, they should
be examined carefully to make certain
that they are not infected with ticks.
To do this IL will often be necessary
to confine them in a yard or lot and
halter them or drive them into a narrow
chute where they can be examined leis-
urely and without difficulty by the at
tendantS.
Since ticks infIict such serious loss
es, il becomes a matter Of great i'm
portance 10 discover by what means
they may be held in check or extermin-
ated altogether. Where there are but
q few animals TO deal with. picking or
brushing them OF may be resorted to.
The animals should be brought into a
dry lot where the ground is clean and
dry before the operation is commenced,
and any ticks removed should be care
fully scraped up and burned. This Is
important when you realize that under
favorable circumstances the female may
produce as many as 5000 seed ticks 1t
is no wonder, therefore. that they cause
serious losses when large numbers OF
them attach themselves to the animais
body and live thereon as parasites
Another method OF destroying the
ticks is 10 smear or spray the animals
with some ufsinfecting solution. Various
materials may be used for this purpose,
such as cotton seed oil. FISH oil or
beaumont crude petroleum If the legs
and lower parts OF the body are thor
oughly smeared with oil, IL prevents
tire ticks from readily crawling up on
the body and as they can not develop
unless they can attach themselves TO
a catue beast. they soon perish. This
method can be followed successfully
with small herds or cattle. but proves
laborfous and difficult where large num-
bers OF animals have to be dealt with.
In small herds the smearing can
best be done by confining the animals
in a chute This chute should be just
about wide enough TO receive them and
blind at one end. When the animal IS
driven up to the further end, bars are
placed across the passage which pre-
vents 1t from backing out When thus
confined il is a simple matter to smear
animals with crude petroleum and coz
ton seed oil or such other material a.
rs available for the purpose Various
methods or performing the operation
may be followed. Brushes, spOnges,
mOps. syringes or brooms may be
used II a considerable number Of
animals are 10 be treated, a barrel
spray pump will be found very salts
tie oAACA AA~nS WIN
oil mechanically plugs up the breath
ing pores which kills them This meth
cd has been found very effective on
many plantations and the cost OF the
materials Is not excessive.
Where large numbers Of animals are
to be dealt with dipping In u vat is
the best method TO pursue. The con-
struction or a vat is quite expensive
and a considerable amount of the dip
ping material must be secured, and
heLce. il could only be used profitably
where large numbers OF animals are
handled as on the ranges Of the west.
For this reason the method will not be
described in detail. Persons desiring to
construct a dipping vat, however. may
secure plans for the same by writing to
the secretary OF agriculture, Washing.
ton. ID. -, for farmers bulletin No. 152,
which will be sent Tree OF cost
The methods described above are. OF
course. only temporary. for in a short
time the ticks will again find their way
on TO the cattle and the process must
be repeated over and over indefinitely for