Elbert County tribune and Elbert County banner., 1920-12-31

For Small coops a Hand Atomizer
Poultry raisers are all too familiar
nth the common red or gray mite
which infests poultry houses. In gen.
raj those who are making a speciality
Il poultry raising have comparatively
little trouble with mites, or at least
hey keep them reduced to a point
where they are of little Importance.
IN the other hand, farmers and others
Fho raise pou1Jry as an incident to
rner operations frequently find their
hicken houses overrun by mites.
Detecting Presence Of Mites.
| The attack of this blood-sucking
mite is of an insidlous nature which
ioes not readily draw attention to its
presence, and often the poultryman
. not aware of an infestation until he
5 attracted to 1T by the irritation pro-
iuced by mites on his own body
through coming in contact with the
infested coops. The presence of the
,est may readily be determined, how
,ver, by the detection of small areas
IN the boards specked with black and
White as though busted with salt and
,epper. This is the excrement of the
mites, which are hidden in adjacent
racks or rough places. More careful
examination will reveal masses of
mites in hiding. together with their
,ggs and the silvery skins cast by the
roung
In moderately infested poultry
,ouses the injury to the fowls is not
EASILY apparent, but the constant
,lood loss and irritation are shown
~ decreased egg production and the
,oor condition of the fowls flesh. In
heavily infested coops it is not un-
usual for the chickens to become
iroopy and weak. with pale comb and
gattles. Sitting hens desert their
rests and thus ruin the eggs or, as is
,ften the case, they are found dead on
he nest, being killed outright by the
attack OF thousands of mites. In ex-
rene cases considerable number of
fowls succumb, even though not sit
ling, and all are so weakened as to
be very susceptible to various dis
Eases.
Owing to the fact that mites feed
Turing the night and secrete them
selves in cracks and crevices during
he day, their presence very often is
overlooked until a very heavy infesta-
ton has developed. In such cases
they should be attacked energetical-
~. Although not hard to kill, the
greatest obstacle is the difficulty Of
reaching them in their hiding places.
Dust baths will not control them, us,
1t most, only the few which remain
IN the chickens during the daytime
will be destroyed.
The first step necessary to destroy
the mites is to get rid of the hiding
places so far as possible The roosts
should be taken down and all unnec-
tssary boards and boxes removed. In
heavily infested houses the mites are
10 be found in all parts of the build
ing, including the roof. Where they
are less numerous the infestations
usually are confined to the roosts and
nests and the walls Immediately ad-
lacent. For small coops hand
ltomizer will suffice for applying in
secticides as sprays, but for larger
houses bucket pump, knapsack
A rather coarse spray should be ap-
piled from all angles and thoroughly
driven into the cracks. The floor also
should be treated, as many mites fall
to the floor when the roosts are being
removed.
In tests conducted by the United
States Department of Agriculture
| during the last two years a consider
able number of materials used as
sprays have proved effective One of
the so-called wood preservers was
found Immediately effective, and its
killing or repelling power lasts for
months. AS this material is rather
expensive (about 81 per gallon), and
is too heavy to spray well, it Is ad-
OF kerosene.
Crude petroleum is almost as effec-
tive, retains its killing power for. sew
eral weeks and in most localities 1t is
very cheap. 1t Will spray better If
thinned with one part of kerosene to
( four parts of crude OIL
It has been found that one thor
ough application of either of these
materials win completely eradicate
the mites from an infested chicken
house, but ordinarily it is advisable
to make a second application a month
after the first. and in some cases a
! third treatment is required. These
subsequent applications may be made
with a brush, using the materials un-
/