Evening star., 1936-08-25

rundown with decidedly aromatic.
disinfectant.
The charm of the kittens super
seeded all punishment that followed
in the wake of playing with them
and finally the kittens were hauled
forth into the light of day and given
q thorough "going over" to eradicate
the fleas. The treatment was only
partially successful, as it eradicated
some Of the kittens and did not do
away with all of the fleas-but things
were better and the family was satis-
fed q few fleaS couldn't do me any
harm. If they had known in those
days what is now known of the disas-
ter that one small flea may trail be-
hind tt doubt If I would ever had
had chance to even touch one kit
ten as long as there was single flea
to be seen in its vicinity.
"a CCORDING to the Bureau of En-
tomology of the United States
Department Of Agriculture. fleas affect
us in two drastic ways: First, as dis
sites and annoyers of men and ami
mails. They are held responsible for
the transmission of the dread bubonic
plague. Of a disease known as infan-
tile kala azar, occurring in the coun-
tries bordering the Mediterranean
Sea, and also of a particularly un-
pleasant species of tapeworm.
In the light of their being para
sites and an annoyance, they have
been known to cause loss of life and
health among animals, to have at
tackled poultry and to have rendered
houses uninhabitable for q time.
There are many kinds of fleas;
most of them. however, feed on
various wild birds and mammals.
Nearly all species have a certain
host for which they show preference.
For example, the dog flea normally
feeds upon dogs and cats, but has
been known to attack man; the hu-
man flea normally attacks man, but
can be found on a number of other
hosts; rat fleas will bite man-and in
this way transmit the bubonic plague
OF which we spoke before.
The chigoe flea remains with its
host all the time, as it buries itself
in the skin, there to develop its eggs
and die. The sticktight, or chicken,
flea, stays continuously with its host,
as does the dog flea, while the hu-
man flea skips gayly from one host
to another, ever on the lookout for
new hunting grounds.
4
4 S rule, in this part OF the world.
fleas seem to be more numerous
and active in the late Summer and
Fall. Humidity helps fleas to thrive,
and in sandy regions where it Is damp,
the flea finds all the requisites for
Q healthy, happy existence.
In this locality the dog flea is the
member Of the family with whose
pereerinations We are most con-
cerned. Houses that have been
vacated for the Summer months have
been found to be literally overrun
with the pests, usually because of
this: Pet dogs and cats are kept
about the household during the Spring
and early Summer; great numbers of
eggs have been deposited in their fur
by their colony of fleas. These eggs
have dropped off onto the floors, are
swept into cracks, and left there when
the family moves out for the Summer.
The eggs hatch, the larvae crawl
around, go through their cycle un-
hindered-and when the family re-
turns in the Fall the house has been
taken over by a very hungry army
Of adult fleas.
Sometimes, Of course, infestations
come from breeding places beneath
the houses, such as my cat and her
family of kittens. And where dogs
have kennels near the house, and
the fleas gain foothold on the dog
and his kennel, unchecked-then
trouble may easily come from that