The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-03-22
FARM NEWS
By A. |. Foard, County Agent.

The following articles on the COX
warble," Chicken mite" and "chicken
louse," were prepared by o. G. Bah
cock, special field agent, U. S. Blu
reau of Entomology, cooperating
with the State Extension Service of
Missouri, while he was in St. Fran
co.'s county last week:
The Chicken Mite, What 1t Is, and
How to Destroy 1t.
Almost every one who has ever
raised chickens is more or less famil-
lar with tiny pest of poultry, known
as the chicken mite. This mite is not
an insect, but instead belongs to that
group of animal life having eight
jointed legs when mature or full
grown, or the spiders, "daddy-long-
legs, red bugs, mites, etc. Three to
seven small white rather eliptal eggs
are laid at time, III the cracks and
crevicies of chicken roost, behind
boards and sometimes beneath shin
giles on the roof. After the eggs
hatch, the young or baby mite pos
sesses only six legs but after their
six-legged form will have secured a
meal of blood from some unfortunate
hen, the mite will leave the roost and
hide in some crevice, cast it's skin,
and then we have an eight-legged
form. Again, when darkness prevails
this pest will secure another full
meal, but this time it will take only
one or two hours instead of enc to
three days, leave roost, shed its skin
and on another evening partake of a
third feast. After having fed for the
third time, the mite is now mature,
mating takes place, three to seven
eggs are laid. Contrary to most in
sects, this mite will lay three to
eight patches Of eggs after as many
feelings.
The red mite, black mite, and blue
mite are all one, the different stages
of digestion of the blood, that is to
say the red mite has just had meal
and the bluish-black mite has pretty
well digested the blood.
Control: AS this pest feeds at
night, hidden in the cracks, etc, during
the day good suggestion is given as
to the method of control. Many rem
edies have been suggested, some of
which are fairly satisfactory only
when applied at ten-day or weekly in
tervals, such as kerosene. Even
though kerosene or gasolene will kill
when the mites are actually covered
with the oil, yet the light oil and car
bolic acid solutions have not the body
necessary to penetrate the cracks and
crevices where the mites are gathered
by the hundreds, nor have they last
ing qualities. The heavy oils, such as
carbolenium wood prescrvative) or
crude petroleum (back oil), Louise oil,
(crude OILY are the most satisfactory.
Crude petroleum, on account of its
penetrative power, lasting qualities,
and cheapness is probably the best.
Spray the house thoroughly with one
part kerosene oil, three parts crude
petroleum so that all cracks, hinges,
roosts, ETC., are covered, including the
draffings. 1t is preferable to treat
the house in the morning. After the
house mas been thoroughly treated,
wipe the excess oil off the roost be-
cause any oil that comes in contact
With the fowls skin may produce in
jury. The next day remove all I'M
necessary boxes, manure, .tc,, from
the chicken house and then drive four
"two-by-sixes" in the dirt floor, notch
each "two-by-six" and place 2 "two-
by-fours" from one post to the other,
then notch the two-by-four and place
across pieces for roosts. Do not nail.
For small houses two-by-twos will do
but where a great many fowls are
roosting use two-by-fours. By hav-
ing the roosts separate, not touching
the chicken house at all, the roosts
may be examined for mites at any
time, and if found present they will
be confined to the roosts only. This
crude petroleum oil will last at least
four to six weeks. At this time, if
second treatment is necessary, the
roosts only need be treated this time
painting the roost. The pure oil may
be used. The kerosene as added be-
fore is simply to thin the OIL
If the oil is sprayed, use a good
bucket pump and preferably a bor-
deau or four-spray nozzel. See your
County Agent for further information.
Send for Farmers Bulletin No. sol,
telling you about chicken lice and
mites.