The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-09-27

and certainly the fleas materially re-
duce the egg production, retard the
growth of fowls, and diminish their
size.
The eggs are deposited by the adult
flea while it is attached to the host.
They fall to the ground under the
roost in chicken houses or under sheds
frequented by the poultry and there
continue to develop. When dogs and
cats are infested, the immature stages
develop largely in the material used
by them for beds. They require COM
paratively dry material in which to
breed, but large amount Of air moist
ure is favorable to them. Adults OF
this species continue to emerge from
infested trash for four or five months
after all hosts have been removed;
hence IL is easy to understand why
chicken houses may still have many
feas in them after being unused for
considerable periods.
A few other species Of fieas are Oc-
casionally found in poultry houses.
Some Of these may be normally bird
infesting species, while others are mt
home in the houses of domestic poul-
try. Infestations by these fleas have
been reported from several places In
the Northern states, particularly In the
Northwest. The presence Of the fleas
Is usually first detected by persons en-
tering chicken houses and being at
tackled by them. These feas do not
remain attached to the host continu-
ously as does the sticktight flea.
AS preliminary step 1t is well to
see that the poultry are kept away
from other animals as far as possible.
Especial care should be exercised to
keep dogs and cats from lying about
the chicken yards or places frequent
ed by the poultry. All animals. and
the poultry as well, should he exclud-
ed from beneath houses and barns, as
such places are favorable for flea de-
velopment and difficult to treat II they
become infested. These precautions
should be followed by a thorough
cleaning out of the chicken house and
outbuildngs frequented by the poultry.
All of the material should be hauled
n good distance from the buildings and
scattered. The places where the fleas
are thought to he breeding should
then be sprinkled with crude oil.
1t is rather difficult to destroy the
sticktight flea on fowls without injur-
ing the host. II Is desirable, however,
in the case Of heavy infestations to de-
stroy as many of the fieas as possible.
This can be accomplished by carefully
applying carbolated vaseline to the
clusters of fieas on the fowls, or greas-
ing them with kerosene and lard-one
part kerosene to two parts lard. In
all cases care should he taken that
the applications of grease are con-
fined to the seat of infestatiOn. 1t Is
important that dogs and cats be freed
from sticktight fleas. This may be
accomplished by washing them in a
saponified coal-tar creosote prepare
ton, or by greasing the most heavily
infested parts with kerosene and lard.
Rats sometimes harbor these fleas In
considerable numbers, therefore their
destruction will aid in the control work
as well as doing away with another
troublesome chicken pest.
The thorough cleansing OF poultry
houses and runs and the application of
crude petroleum VIII be found to aid
In the control Of other important enc
mics Of fowls. such as mites and chick
en- ticks or blue bugs"