Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-05-25
CARING FOR THE HOME FLOCK
II. w.
Poultry Specialist College,

and roost supports. in the droppings
and inside the nests. At night they
come out from their hiding places and
make their attack.
Whether the attack is directed
against the adult fowls or the little
chicks the effects are very much the
same: thousands-yes. miIlions-of
these little bloodsuckers. with mouths
fashioned for that purpose. crawl
down into the feathers next the skin
and suck the blood from the bodies
of the fowls and chickens in Ich
quantities that weakness and death
result from loss of blood.
Young chicks quickly die when
their coops become infested. and the
matured fowls. If not eventually
killed show lack OF vigor. and. in the
case of laying hens. show "A falling
off in egg production. 1t is practical
iy impossible to associate any par
ticular symptom with this trouble,
but in warm weather. when weak
ness of any kind appears. either IN
the young or old stock. il is always
safe to assume that mites are present
and the houses and coopS should he
carefully examined.
While the hidden mites cannot al
ways be seen. their presence is shown
by little white specks, the excremeat.
sucking 10 the wood around the
cracks and other hiding places. When
there are many mites around there
10 d uiSllHtl OupT, "nltn can easily DC
detected by one with a keen sense
of smell.
In the laying houses and colony
houses where the roo: is are supported
by blocks Of wood attached To the
walls or dropping boards. the mites
can usually be found in masses. be-
tween the roosts and the supports. and
in the adjoining cracks of the walls,
but in case of a heavy infestation.
which sometimes occurs where the
ordinary precautions are not observ-
ed. the cracks everywhere in the walls
in the nests, in the dropping boards.
and even in the roof, will be found to
be literally filled with these destruc-
tive parasites, mingled together with
their eggs and the cast-off skins OF
the young.
In the course of reproduction, the
female feeds, then lays from three to
seven eggs, then feeds and lays again,
and repeats the process until she has
deposited from twenty-five to thirty
five minute perfectly white eggs.
From the time these eggs are layed
not more than seven days elapse be-
fore they are Matched and the mites
grown to maturity. During the pro-
cess of growth they pass through
three stages, the larvael, and the
first and second numphal. ami In pass
ing from one stage to another they
their skins. In the first stage the lar
vac take no food. but in the second
and third stages the mites FL UP with
blood before the mo lifting process pc.
gins. 1t is no exaggeration to say mat
in some farm poultry house l nave
seen millions upon millions OF tnese
vermin, and it requires no stretch OF
the Imagination to get clear con.
ception CT the effect of tie proving ol
these parasites upon the chickenA
It is not easy to rid infested prem
Uses of mites; it is far easier ana
ton If we follow the plan OF many
poultrymen and begin to work after
the weather settles in the spring
and before hot weather sets IN, spray
ing well the inside of all houses Win
good insecticide and dislnfectant.
repeating the application at Intervals
of from two to three weeks during
the summer. the mites, may be kept
under control Most of the CONNER
ciaI coal tar disinfectants usually
recommended for this purpose are
effective and reasonable in price
while a small amount diluted with
water makes large quantity OF
spray material
The spraying should always Do
done early in the morning on warm,
clear day, SO that the house VIII DO
reasonably dry before the fowls go
to roost at night When it is found
necessary to spray the brood coops.
the hens with their broods should
be first moved to other scoops ana
the sprayed coops opened up to the
air and sunlight at least a week De-
fore other chicks are put in.
Wien arranging the poultry house nx-
lures, the nest boxes, roosts and broody
coops in which the broody hens are
broken up. do not nail them to the walls,
but hang by hooks or wires SO that they
can easily be removed to be cleaned and
disinfected. If the house and fixtures
are found to be badly infested. the mites
may be more easily eliminated by burn
ing the nest boxes and roosts and re-
placing them with others, provided the
boxes and roots are old and filed with
deep cracks and holes in which the eggs
of the mites may be deeply hidden.
Stems and leaves of the tobacco plant
or a small amount of sulphur placed in
the nest boxes under the nesting ma
terial will have a tendency to repel tho
mites Sitting hens are sometimes an
noyed by these parasites to such an ex-
tent that they are unable to sit quietly
and incubate the eggs under them-
Often they are driven from the nest.
and occasionally a persistent sitter will
die on the nest as a result of such con-
dtions, and SO from these facts We may
come to the conclusion that the ehmina-
ton and control of the red mite, as 1t is
so called, is one of the important duties
of the poultry keeper.