Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1921-03-11


Poultry raisers are all too familiar
with the common red or gray mite
which infests poultry houses. In gen.
reral those who are making a speciality
of poultry raising have comparatively
little trouble with mites, or at least
they keep them reduced to point
where they are of little Importance.
On the other hand, farmers and others
who raise poultry as an Incident to
other operations frequently find their
chicken houses overrun by mites.
Detecting Presence Of Mites.
The attack of this blood-sucking
mite is of an insidious nature which
does not readily draw attention to it's
presence, and often the poultryman
is not aware of an infestation until he
is attracted to it by the irritation pro-
duced by mites on his own body
through coming in contact with the
infested coOps. The presence of the
pest may readily be determined, how
ever by the detection of small areas
on the boards specked with black and
white as though busted with salt and
pepper. This is the excrement of the
Haites, which are hidden in adjacent
cracks or rough places. More careful
examination will reveal masses Of
mites in hiding, together with their
eggs and the silvery skins cast by the
young.
| In moderately infested poultry
houses the injury to the fowls is not
easily apparent, but the constant
blood loss and irritation are shown
by decreased egg production and the
poor condition Of the fowls flesh. In
heavily infested coops it is not I'M
usual for the chickens to become
droopy and weak, with pale comb and
wattles. Sitting hens desert their
nests and thus ruin the eggs or, as is
often the case they are found dead on
the nest, being killed outright by the
attack of thousands of mites. In ex-
IRENE cases a considerable number Of
fowls succumb, even though not sit
ting, and all are so weakened as to
be very susceptible to various dis
eases.
Owing to the fact that mites feed
during the night and secrete them
selves in cracks and crevices during
the day, their presence very often is
overlooked until 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, as,
at most only the few which remain
or 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.
essary boards and boxes removed. In
heavily infested houses the mites are
to 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 adj
jacent. For small coops a hand
atomizer will suffice for applying in
secticides as sprays, but for larger
houses a bucket pump, knapsack
sprayer, or barrel pump is desirable.
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
2 able number Of materials used as
sprays have proved effective. One Of
the so-called wood preserVers was
found Immediately effective, and it's
killing or repelling power lasts for
months. AS this material is rather
expensive (about ST per gal1on), and
is too heavy to spray WELL, it is adj,
visable to reduce 1t with equal parts
Of kerosene.
Crude petroleum is almost as effec-
tive, retains it's killing power for sew
eral weeks, and in most localities it is
very cheap. It will spray better If
thinned with one part of kerosene to.
four parts of crude oil.
1t has been found that one thor
ough application of either Of these
materials will completely eradicate
the mites, from an infested chicken
house, but ordinarily it is advisable
to make. a second app hcation month
after the first, and III some cases a
third treatment is required. These
subsequent applications may be made
with brush, using the materials I'M
';luted anS covering only the roosts.