The Monmouth inquirer., 1924-08-28
NJ REMEDIES FOR FLEAs s
Permanently to Get Rid Of the Pests
They Must Be Attacked In Their
Breeding Places.

sIhef MUST sc SlLaCkSu III thSiH
Breeding Places.
Persons whose houses. pet AMI
mails or live stock are infested with
neas are warned in a new publication
OF the q. S. Department Of Agrieut
ture, Bulletin No 24S, that it is al
most hopeless to get rid of the pest
IL no attention Is paid to the breeding
places of the insects. II is of course
important to destroy the adult fleas
but this should be accompanied by
thorough cleaning out Of all places in
which their eggs may be laid. Since
Il takes from two weeks to many
months for the eggs Of fleas to deyel-
on 20 adults there is always danger
oil q reinfestation unless the breed
tng places are thoroughly destroyed.
II Is a well known fact that GER
tain kinds of fleas are responsible
for the spread Of the bubonic plague
and this alone would make their des.
sruction a universal duty. They are,
however, responsible for other dis.
eases as well as the plague, and en-
tireiy apart from their share IN
spreading contagion they are a great
nuisance to human beings. and may
annoy live stock to such an extent
that they seriously injure the health
Of the animal The flee can exist
practically everywhere that man can,
and II the conditions are permitted
to be favorable 1t viii multiply with
great rapidity.
OF the approximately 400 species
known to exist the human flea, the
dog flea, the cat flea, the rat flea
which carries the plague-and the
eticktight flea are the varieties which
most commonly affect human beings
and domestic animals. The stick
tight flea differs from the others In
that when It has once attached itself
20 a host 1t remains with its mouth
parts inmovably Embedded in the
flesh. Chickens suffer IN particular
from this pest and for this reason
Il Is sometimes called the chicken
flea. 1t Is frequently seen In dense
masses also on the ears of dogs and
eats. It is difficult to loosen it from
Its hold and its destruction there
fore presents some difficulties. Fair
Iy good results are obtained from
the local application of kerosene
and lard In the proportions Of / part,
kerosene and 3 parts lard, but If
used too freely this may tnjure
poultry.
In the case OF other species the
insects hop about much more freely
and may or may not, therefore. be
found at any given time on their
hosts When dogs or cats, however,
are found to be suffering, bath In
per cent solution of creolin viii
probably be found to be effective. A
sufficient accurate method of making
such a solution is to add table
spoonfuls of creolin to each gallon
OF water. Warm water should be u.s.
ed and the animal placed in tub
with the solution In 1t. A stiff brush
should then be used to work the so
luton into the hair, particular care
being taken to wet the fleas on the
head Of the animal. The bath should
last five or ten minutes, after which
the creoiin should be rinsed off and
the animal washed with warm water
and soap. This treatment is desira-
BILE for cats and will prevent the skin
of the most delicate animal from be-
Ing burned. Finely pulverized moth
balls worked into the fur Of the cat
are also useful The napthalene in
the moth balls drives the fleas out
Of the hair. They emerge into stu
pefied condition and can then easily
be killed. Insect powder, sometimes
called pyrethrum. bubach, or Dalma-
tian insect powder, may be used in
the same way. Fresh, unadulterated
pyrethrum is necessary TO secure sat
fsfactory results.
It has already been said however,
No. d1 20 offanIy hn adult
flee If no attention is paid to its
breeding places. The flea may lay
It's eggs upon the host animal, but In
the case of the human flea most of
the eggs are probably deposited
while the insects are In their nests
somewhere in the vicinity In houses
the cracks OF floors or under mating
or carpets are favorite places. The
conditions under building are often
favorable for breeding. For this
reason It is desirable that dwellings,
stables and sheds should be so ar
ranged that cats, dogs, chickens, and
other animals that harbOr the pests
can not go beneath them to sleep.
Dirt floors in chicken houses and
sheds furnish more favorable condi-
lions than wooden floors, and young
fleas are often found in the straw,
feathers and waste in such places.
Where chicken houses and sheds are
found to be infested the manure
should be hauled away and spread
in fields. Unnecessary rubbish and
dry animal matter should be piled
MP and burned The ground, the
floors of outhouses, and similar
places where the breeding Is sup
posed to occur should be sprayed
with kerosene or crude petroleum
sprinhled about An inexpensive
preventative measure is the liberal
use OF salt scattered about the breed.
sng place 'hen wet down.
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