The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-03-05
Advice on "Smiting the Mite"
BY HELEN DOW whitaker.

BY HELEN DOW WHITAKER.
Head of Poultry Department, State
College.
GONE one computed the loss to
- Missouri caused by the surplus
- male. The slogan went forth
Swat the Rooster" and the poultry
industry scored a point for its better
ment. Having swatted the rooster,
why not go step farther to "Smite
the Mite? Tremendous as it is, no
one has computed the damage done
by the mite. While one was COM
putting the number, the mites would
have increased to millions.
The common chicken mite named
Dermanyssus gallinae is not so long
as its name, measuring less than one
twentieth of an inch. 1t is plainly
visible to the naked eye; little clip
tical, flattened body with eight slen-
der, tapering legs; pair of short
feelers and between them a pair Of
needle-like jaws with which il pierces
the flesh of Its victim to suck out
the blood upon which 1t dimes. In
color the hungry mite is pale gray
with darker dots on its back and
sides. The after-dinner mite is red
dened with the blood of it's victim.
Incubation of Mite.
The mother deposits her tiny egg
in crack or crevice Of the wood. Her
idea of a cozy cradle for her baby is
crack lined with a -mussed, soiled
old feather, or crevice in which is
little heap of manure or other filth
to furnish dampness and heat. Here
is also an incubator which gives a
100 per cent hatch in about three or
four days. The tiny whitish, six
legged baby feeds on the filth it is
born in. A spoiled egg broken in a
dirty nest will furnish delectable food
| for thousand. In few days they
shed their skin and crawl forth upon
eight legs like the parents that begot
them. About 10 days elapse between
Matching and maturity. Mites live
upon the fowls only when feeding,
preferably by night. Where they are
numerous they can be found on the
hens by day, or crawling about the
building, but their habit is to eat at
night, then desert the victim for a
dark, dirty crack In which to sleep
by day.
Remedies.
In considering remedies for these
pests, first hold in mind the condi-
tions under which they breed and
thrive. Is there dropping board in
the henhouse that holds the accumu-
lation of a week? If there Is you
have a mite incubator, million or
two capacity, set for hatch. In the
cracks and corners have the soiled
old feathers Of the molt heaped up?
Each one is an incubator for q
thousand mites. Has the damp and
dirty straw litter been raked out and
the floor beneath scraped clean, OF
has new straw been piled upon old
filth, thus making giant hatchery
for mites? Consider the nests, are
any broken eggs left in their straw tC
decompose and feed the pests? Are
there any sitting hens In soiled boxes
to mother them? Any filthy, soured
feed troughs to breed them?
The first remedy for mites Is tt
rake up, scrape up, spade up, sweeI
up and scrub up. For the raking use
steel tool with close teeth. For the
scraping of all packed ground and o.
, all boards use sharp garden hoe OF
narrow spade, applied with plenty o.
lubricating oil from the elbow. d.
not be afraid to scrape down through
t the filth to fresh soil or clean wood
For the sweeping use stiff whisl
broom for all nest corners and crev
ices, and deck broom for floors
dropping boards, etc. For scrubbin,
nothing is better than Pearline ant
Dutch Cleanser. At least. three times
week each wet mash trough and bo,
for feeding sprouted oats and drink
ing dish should be absolutely as clear
as hot water and Dutch Cleanser cal
make it. At least two times a yea
every nest and roost and droppin,
board and feed hopper and shelf the!
rest upon and board floor and al
walks and overhead braces and raft