The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1914-09-18
REPELLENTS PROTECTING
ANIMALS FROM FLIES

The results of tests with various
substances designed to keep flies from
annoying cattle, horses, and mules,
are shortly to be published by the de-
partment. In these tests, the special
lists of the department found that
there were substances which, II APP
piled to animals, would keep the bit
ing flies, such as the stable fly and
horse fly, the bot fly, and the screw
! fly, away from the animal for from
one to four days. They also tested
number of substances to be used
on wounds to prevent the screw fly
from depositing eggs, and the house
| fly from interfering with the wound
and possibly injecting it,
Various kinds Of flies tend to in
jure cattle by weakening them and re-
ducing their milk supply 1t is fair
| w we'll established that the stable fly
does considerable damage, espt ally
IL northern Texas, where it was found
that they killed stock directly, made
cattle more subject 10 the recurrence
of Texas f. =. and duced the ! VI;
supply, causing loss estimatel at
over $4,000 in single year. The
test experiments with dairy cows
seem to indicate that the effect OF
| flies on milk is not of great economic
importance, although evidence seems
to show that animals protected from
flies feed better and are generally in
better condition. Reduction in milk,
some authorities believe, is due as
mach to the fact that cows do not
Craze as freely in the hot sun i'll sum
mcI as al other seasons.
| L., ,a hat
many of the substances, such as pyre-
and sassafras, while temporary re-
shortly. Ten per cent solutions of
the liquids in cottonsced oil, there
fore, commonly have to applied daily
! Various oils, emulsions of oils, and
mixtures of oils are used in repelling
flies. Crude petroleum, cottonseed
oil, fish or train oil, and light coal-tar
oil may be used pure.
Jensen 5000 recommends the fol-
lowing formula, which is said to pro-
tect cows for a week:
Common laundry soap ....l pound
Water E. . ............4 gallons
Crude petroleum .........1 gallon
Powdered naphthalin ....4 ounces.
Cut the soap into thin shavings and
dissolve in water by the aid of heat;
dissolve the naphthalin in the crude
OIL mix the two solutions, put them
into am old dasher churn, and mix
thoroughly for fifteen minutes. The
mixture should be applied once or
twice a week with a brush. 1t must
be stirred we'll before being used.
Fish oil is rated as one of the best
repellents and has been used alone
and in combination with various
other substances. Other substances
that have repellent qualities and that
have been use in various mixtures
are pine tar, oil of tar, crude carbolic
acid, oil of pennyroyal, and kerosene
The protective action of fish oil is
stated to range from less than two
days (Parrott, 1900 to six days
Moore's formula is said to protect
for two days. This mixture is safe
when applied lightly with brush
but not when applied literally with Z
pail spray pump. The formula is as
follows:
Fish oil .......,......1 100 part:
Oil of tar ..........5O part:
Crude carbolic acid -. par
Laurel oil is very effective repel
lent. Mayer lolD found that thC
protection lasted from 2 to II days
The oil when used pure has an irritat
ing effect unless it lis applied lightly
According to Mayer the irritating eff
feet may be overcome by combining
it with linseed oil in the proportion
of to 10. In the experiments of tht
Department of Agriculture, it wa:
found that 10 per cent of laurel oil il
cottonseed oil was active for les:
than a day
A number of formulas for repellent'
for application to wounds have beer
recommended by various authors.
In experimental tests carried out BY
the department the following results
were obtained:
10 per cent mixture of crude car
bolic acid Oils per cent phenols) il
cottonseed oil has a very strong re
pellent action on flies, but this last
less than a day, in consequence 0
which it is necessary to apply TIL
mixture every day. The mixtur
should be applied lightly with sof
brush, since heavy application wit
a spray pump is likely to cause phen
oil poisoning.
Mixtures consisting of 10, 20 and )
per cent of pine tar in cottonseed o
have marked repellent qualities. The
should be applied lightly and it is nee
essary to apply them every day.
liberal application of 10 per Ger