Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-05-27
Controlling Ticks on Poultry


An insect pest known as the chick
en- tick or fowl tick does serious
damage to poultry in several parts
OF the country. 1t is particular
nuisance to the growers Of chickens
IN the southwestern states. 1t may
become so bad as to cause the death
OF the chickens attacked, and GER
tainly no flock can thrive satisfac-
torily where a serious infestation has
developed. This pest lives in the
cracks about the chicken house. 1t
Is so small that very slight crevice
or opening will satisfactorily house
thousands of them.
When the seed tick itself to the
FOWL it remains there sucking blood
Tor a period of three to ten days.
Older ticks feed only at night.
The tciks may live over two years
without food. This shows how eX-
tremely difficult they are to kill. On
the other hand, they can be COM
pletely eradicated from premises
without great deal of expense. The
methods Of procedure to follow to &C.
complish this end are outlined be-
low:
Before proceeding to a considera-
ton of these methods it seems desir-
able to say a word about the tick,
as a familiarity with its life history
and habits helps essentially in effect
ing its eradication and control. At
the present time this pest is primari-
ly distributed in the southwestern
states. 1t appears to have establish
ed itself rather firmly in Florida. 1t
has, therefore, become menace to
h "a ~ A lob 20
and the Carolinas. 1t is all the more
important on this account that it's
habits should be understood and ap-
preciated so that any evidence Of it's
invasion of the territory in question
may be promptly and effectively met.
1t appears that the preferred host
of the fowl tick is the chicken,
though it does attack turkeys, geese,
ducks, pigeons, ostriches and gum
cas-. 1t does particularly serious in
jury to the turkey. When the fowl
tick invades the poultry house it's
presence may not be observed until
the chickens show marked symptoms
of injury. These are evidenced by
weakness of the limbs and extreme
paieness about the head. Chickens
that are not promptly removed and
treated are likely to die because Of
their weakened vitality. Fowls in
heavily-infested houses may not lay
for months. Death is brought about
naturally on account of the drain
upon the blood supply.
Unless familiar with this pest one
may miss the evidence of it's having
infested the poultry house for some
time. 1t is said by those who have
investigated the subject that there
are likely to be far more of these
pests hidden in the cracks than will
be found on the chickens. In cases
OF bad infestation there will be such
numbers present. however, as to
make Identification easy. Like many
other pests affecting demesticated
plants and animals, the tick has
adapted itself thoroughly to the con,
ditions under which it's host lives.
The eggs are spherical and brown
in color. In warm weather the eggs
hatch in ten to fifteen days. In cool
weather it may take three months.
When Matched out these young ticks
crawl about and attach themselves to
the fowls. Usually they find a place
where the covering of feathers is not
dense. They are most readily met
with on the breast and under the
wings and on the thighs and neck.
After attaching themselves to the
chickens they become engorged with
blood in three to ten days. They
then leave the host and congregate
together, or hide in cracks. At this
stage they are about one-tenth of an
inch long and very dark in color.
In from four to nine days after leaX-
ing the host the seed ticks shed their
skins and gain an additional pair
of legs. They also increase in size.
The females may lay once or they
may produce several patches Of
eggs. From 500 to 900 eggs will be
deposited by each female. Seed ticks
usually die If they do not find
host in from five to six months, but
may live in the nymphal stages from
eight 10 fifteen months. !
This pest is much more difficult to
destroy with chemicals than many
other types of insects. This is due
to their ability to hide in deep cracks.
It does not seem a desirable prac-
tice, therefore, to apply any material
to- the fowls in an attempt to kill
the young ticks, as practically any
substance that will effect this end
will injure the chickens. The fact
that the ticks move about frequent
ly also lldkeS lHGIl QlllculC 10 COM
bat. Whatever is. used must there,
fore have considerable killing pow
err and penetrai don in order to reach
the hiding places. The materials
which: meet these requirements most
satisfactorily are, therefore, crude
petroleum and carbolineum. The lat
ter is considered the better material
because it is more persistent and has
the advantage of drying into the
wood Creosote oil containing to
20 per cent tar acids is very destruc-
tive to blue bugs but is difficult to
use as a spray because of it's caustic
effect on the operator. When applied
to the roosts and cracks it destroys
all ticks touched and it effectively
persists for long time.
To treat an infested house one
should proceed as follows: Begin
by removing all materials from the
hen house early in the morning.
This should include nests, roosts,
loose boards, or any other movable
articles. Substances Of no value
should be burned up. Anything
which is kept should be placed in a
pile and sprayed with either of the
materials mentioned above. A good