f.fs ; -7 o U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY— CIRCULAR No. 170. L. O. HOWARD. Hi In Iniiil and Chi<-( o( Bureau. THE FOWL TICK. nv F. C. BISHOFP, Entomological Aisitl . -13 i OFFICE : 1111 r BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY. L. O. Howard, Entomologist and Chief of Bureau. C. L. Mablatt, Entomologist and Acting Chief in Absence of Chief. R. S. Clifton, Executive Assistant. W. F. Tastet, Chief Clerk. F. H. Chittenden, in charge of truck crop and stored product insect investigations. A. D. Hopkins, in charge of forest insect investigations. W. I>. Huntlr, in charge of southern field crop insect investigations. F. M. Webster, in charge <,f cereal and forage insect investigations. A. L. Quaintance. in charge of deciduous fruit insect investigations. E. F. Phillips, in charge of lice culture. I). M. Rogers, in charge of preventing spread of moths, field work. Rolla P. Currie. In charge of editorial work. Mabel Colcord, in charge of library. Southern Field Chop [nsect Investigations. W. I>. Hunter, in charge. W. I>. Pierce, J. D. Mitchell. G. I). Smith. B. A. McGregor. Harry Pinkus, IS. It. C'OAD, G. X. WOLCOTT, W. A. THOMAS, It. W. MORELAND. C. E. HESTER, engaged in cotton-boll weevil investigations. A. ('. Morgan. G. A. Runner, S. E. Crumb, D. C. Parman. engaged in tobacco insect investigation. F. C. Hishopp. A. H. Jennings, II. P. Wood. W. V. King, engaged in tick investi- gations. T. E. IIolloway, E. R. Barber, engaged in sugar-cane insect investigations. J. L. Webb, engaged in rice insect investigations. It. A. Cooley, D. L. Van Dine, a. F. Conbadi, C. C. Kbumbhaab, collaborators. ii CIRCULAR No. 170. .], i;tl United States Department of Agriculture, BUREAU OK ENTOMOLOGY. L. O. HOWARD. Entomologist and Chief of Bureau. THE FONT, TICK. i i rgaa mintatus Kocb. t By I' i ' Bishopp, Entomological I isistant. 1 \ 1 Ki 'IH ( lh i\. Among ilif many problems which confront the poultry raiser in the southwestern portion of the United States none surpasses in im- portance that of the fowl or chicken tick (Argas miniatm Koch). The statement has been made by reliable authorities that chicken rais- ing in certain localities in southwestern Texas is pract ically prohibited by this pest. It is very common to meet people in many sections of thf infested area who have disposed of their poultry mainly on ac- count of tin- Losses caused by thi> tick. The damage occasioned to the man who is raising poultry on a considerable scale is very -mall when compared with the losses sustained by the hundreds of indi- viduals in town and country who keep a few fowls for home use. This is partly due to the Lack of attention given to their poultry by those who do not attempt to go into the industry commercially. It is difficult to make a reliable estimate of the damage chargeable to the fowl tick, as much of the Loss is indirect or complicated with damages produced by other causes. There is do doubt, however, the total Loss duo to the pest amount.- to many thousands ol dollars annually. HISTOBD W . A tick which many authorities consider identical with our Ameri- can form was briefly described by Oken in 1818 from specimens col- lated in Persia. In 1844 a German investigator, Koch, described specimens from Demerara, British Guiana. The latter were un- questionably of the same species as the tick which occurs in the Unite 1 1 Submittal by permission a- a minor thesis for the at the Colorado Agricultural College. 1 Z THE FOWL TICK. States. Our earliest record of the occurrence of the fowl tick in this country was published in 187:2 by Dr. A. S. Packard. This was based upon a collection of ticks made by Mr. G. W. Belfrage in southwestern Texas. Dr. L. O. Howard ' states that Mr. F. G. Schaupp sent specimens of this tick to the Bureau of Entomology in November, 18*4. At that time it was said to he a severe pest to chickens in Dimmit County. Tex. Mr. Albert Turpe stated that the tick appeared in Kinney County. Tex., in 1892, but Mr. Ferdi- nand Hoehr averred that it had been present in that county since 1888. According to a statement of Prof. C. M. "Weed published in the Prairie Farmer. January 7. 1SSS. Mr. George H. Trook sent in specimens of this tick from Maricopa County. Ariz., with the in- formation that they were troubling chickens in that section. Dur- ing December, 1894, Mr. C. II. T. Townsend found the pest infesting chickens at San Diego. Tex., and earlier in the same year Mr. E. M. Ehrhorn reported it as attacking chickens and turkeys at Merced, Cal. It has not been possible to secure reliable data on the early history of the pest from residents in the infested territory. It seems jn'ob- able that it has existed in southwestern Texas for many years and was probably introduced from Mexico at the time of the colonization of the State b}' the Spanish who came in from that country. Further- more, it has not been firmly established whether the species has been spi'eading northward in Texas, although the belief that a gradual spread has taken place has been expressed by Prof. E. D. Sanderson. It is certain, however, that the tick is becoming more generally dis- seminated throughout the infested territory along with the settling up of the Southwest. DISTRIBUTION. The chicken tick, "blue bug." "bloodsucker." or •"tampan." as it is called in different localities or regions, is a widely disseminated species. In the United States it is infrequently met with outside of the semiarid and arid Southwest. However, it has been reported a number of times from Florida, and the Marx collection in the United States National Museum contain- specimens from Iowa. The collec- tion of the Bureau of Entomology contains specimens from a corre- spondent at Fort Lauderdale, Fla.. where the tick was said to be injurious, and Mr. G. A. Runner found the specie- in numbers at Key "West, Fla. In this country, as has been indicated, this tide occurs in greatest abundance in the warm portions of the arid and semiarid region. A careful study of its normal distribution in Texas shows that it does not extend far eastward into the region where the annual rainfall exceeds 30 inches. This makes the eastern t'd^ of its 1 Insect Life, Div. Km., U. S. Dept. Agr., vol. 7, p. 418, 1S95. I II I I n\\ I IKK. range coincide closely with :i line dividing one of our life zones, known as the Lower Austral, into the Lower Sonoran and Austrori- parian Faunas. The map (fig. I) shows approximately the normal distribution of tlif species in the Onited States. It is b serious pest throughout tin- greater pari of western Texas, southern New Mexico and Arizona, southern and western California, and on the great plateau of north- central Mexico and in other pari- <>f that country. In many other regions of the n orld this tick is of important 1 nemj of poultry. It appears t" occur commonly in Persia, [ndia, southern Russia, rowl ti.i, \tut) Id the On (The large dots Indl Entomology The Bmali within the I'm - Dal.) Roumania, North and South Africa, various parts of Australia, the West Indie-. Mexico. Panama, British Guiana, and Brazil. There appears to be no reason why the species may not become established in all of our Gulf States, as it occur- in other countries which have very similar climate-. However, it will probably never become a pe-t of continuous importance in the States east of Texas on account of their humid climate-. There is little danger of the establishment of the species in the more northern State-, anil the cases where it is occasionally found outside <>f the area of normal occurrence must be considered as temporary infestations brought 4 THE FOWL TICK. about by the introduction of the tick on fowls or in coops from in- fested regions. If favorable conditions exist at the time of introduc- tion the tick may breed and become of some importance as a pest for a short period, but sooner or later it is so checked as to be of little consequence or it dies out completely. HOSTS. Although the chicken is the host most frequently attacked by this species, a considerable number of other domestic fowls may be troubled by it, and turkeys, geese, ducks, pigeons, ostriches, and canaries have each been found to suffer from its attack. During this investigation a few larva? of this species have been found in southern Texas on the meadowlark (J. D. Mitchell) and on wild turkey (F. C. Pratt). It has also been reported to have been collected, in rare instances, on cattle and jack rabbits, and experimentally it has been induced to feed upon rats and mice. In Persia this tick, which is known as the " miana bug," has a formidable reputation. It is said to attack man with avidity in that country, and early writers report very serious effects produced by its bite. In some cases it was accused of producing death within 20 hours. These statements are no doubt overdrawn and other species of a closely allied genus (Ornithodoros) may have been confused with this one. Prof. Lounsburv. in South Africa, allowed specimens to feed upon his arm and experienced no ,-erious results. In this country we have had no authentic reports of this pest attacking man. HOW THE IKJXFKY IS DONE. As a result of the presence of this creature loss is sustained in several wa} 7 s: (1) Through death, which may occur among poultry of all ages; (2) by the lowering of the vitality of the fowl so as to make it readily susceptible to disease; (3) by greatly reducing e\ the chicken tick. This malady, which is known a- spirochetosis, has been proven to exist in many countries where the chicken tick occurs, namely, in India, Egyptian Sudan, Transcaucasia, Roumania, Tunis, Algeria, Rhodesia, South Australia, Brazil, and Martinique. It is also probable that the disease occurs in other islands of the West Indies. A disease with many of the symptoms of spirochetosis occurs among chickens in the southwestern part of the United State- and in Mexico. The fowl tick has been found associated with this disease. These points strongly indicate that the malady in question i- (lie t ick-tran-mitted spirochetosis known in other countries, although thi- remains to be definitely prov e d. It i- readily -een how the weakening effect of the blood loss pro- duced by this species may encourage the development of various dis- eases. It ha- been shown by certain authorities that, in feeding, this tick introduces a substance called anticoagulin into the wound produced by the insertion of the mouth parts. This substance and possibly other secretion- seem to produce acute inflammation at the point of attack, and" when the infestation is heavy the inflammation a 1 - well a- the loss of blood is an important factor in reducing egg production. The continued drain upon the Systems of chicken- from the time they are hatched until full grown is sufficient to accounl for the re- duction in the size of poultry raised in t ick-infe-ted houses. The irritation produced upon setting hen- by the attack of the tick in it- different stages frequently interfere- with successful hatching, in some instances even causing the hen- to desert their nests. Ill K HISTORY Wl> II \IUT-. The habits of the fowl tick are very similar to those of the bed- bug (( "iiiK.r lectulariua L. 1. It is almost exclusively a night feeder. Because of this habh of engorging on fowls during the night and biding in the daytime many people do not suspect the presence of the tick until serious loss has been sustained. The life history of this species is considerably different from that of the ticks ordinarily observed on the farm. The eeneath, is shown in figure 2. The seed ticks are light gray in color ami the mouth parts can be seen projecting in front of the body. Follow- ing hatching they remain quiet on the eggs for a few days and then, after nightfall, begin actively running about in search of a host. When a suit- able host is found they bury the rather long beak in the skin and begin sucking blood. Their favorite places of attach- ment are on the breast and thighs and under the wings, but they may be found on nearly all parts of the fowl. After feeding has begun they soon become dark blue in color and the body gradu- ally become- distended and rounded. The fully engorged seed ticks are about one-tenth of an inch in length and are usually of a dark-blue or purplish color. When fully engorged the seed ticks drop from the host. These ticks have acquired the habit of dropping from the host during the night. It is thus possible for them to find hiding places in the immediate vicinity of the chicken roost. The time required for the seed ticks to engorge has been found to range from 3} to 10 days. In from 4 to 9 days after dropping from the host the engorged seed ticks molt their skins and" acquire a fourth pair of legs. In cool weather this transformation sometimes requires slightly over a month. In this stage the ticks are known as nymphs (fig. 3). They are slightly larger than the en- gorged seed ticks but are very much flatter. In this and all subsequent stages the ticks feed almost exclusively at night and do not require more than from a few minutes to an hour to become filled with blood. This enables them to partake of their meal and thoroughly secrete themselves in the cracks during the night and thus escape destruction by the host. Before becoming mature the nymphs feed and molt Fig. •". — Nymph of the fowl tick, as seen from below. Greatly enlarged. (Original.) THE I iiu i i M'K. ' v - > their -kin- twice and sometimes three times. During these succes- live « i iii< >ruii i if 1 1 1 ~ ami tnol tings the ticks increase considerably in lize i>ui maintain the oval, flattened form. At the last moll the sexual organs are developed. The male- i fig. I i are slightly smaller than the females i fig. 5), i he former measuring about one fifth of an inch ami i be latter about one fourth of an inch in lengl h. Before feeding tin' adults arc yellowish brown color and arc very thin. After partaking of M<><><| they change t<> dark blue and the size in- creases considerably. The bodii the male- do not distend as much as those of the females. In the adult stages, as also in the nymphal stages, the mouth parts arc located on the underside of the front end of the body. They are not usually visible from above. The body is quite leath- ery and exhibits a cellular appearance with radiating row- of rather smooth, irregular disks. Mating take- place immediately alter en- I ■ : ! i i ■ beneath. N te hind itac mouth] 1 • [lnal. i Fig. 5.— Female of the fowl tick, as Been from :\.- and bem ith. (S genital opening just behind the moothpai glnal.) gorgement, and the female- begin to deposit eggs in from I to 1" days later. Often during the winter the female- do not deposit for long 8 THE FOWL TICK. periods and sometimes require a second engorgement before egg laving begins. Unlike many species of ticks, the female does not die upon com- pletion of the first deposition, but again fills with blood and produces another batch of eggs. This process of feeding followed by deposi- tion may take place as many as seven times, the average number being about three or four. The largest number of eggs which we have observed to be deposited by a single female is 874 and the average number 537. It will thus be seen that although deposition takes place a number of times, the total number of eggs produced is con- siderably smaller than the number deposited by many of our common species of ticks. For example, the average number of eggs deposited by the cattle tick is between 3.000 and 4.000. As has been stated, the eggs are to be found in small clusters associated with all stages of the tick in the cracks and crevices about the chicken house. One of the most remarkable features of the life history of this creature is its great length of life without food. The seed ticks have been found to live for a period of 5| months. Ticks in the first nymphal stage may live for slightly more than 9 months, those in the second nymphal stage for about 15 months, and those in the adult stage for nearly -2i years. In each of the>c cases the specimens ob- served were kept in tight boxes and no food was given. Other ob- servers have recorded still greater longevity among adults of this species. Some of them state that the tick may live over 3 years with- out food. Dr. C. V. Riley has published a statement to the effect that they have been observed to live some 5 years without food. Our observation upon hundreds of individuals indicate that there must be some mistake about this record. SUMMARY OF LIFE CYCLE. The eggs of this tick hatch into larvae in from 10 to 100 days. The seed ticks, or larva?, attach to a fowl and feed from 3£ to 10 days, after which they drop from the host, mainly at night, and secrete themselves in protected places. During warm weather the skins of the seed ticks are molted in from 4 to 7 days and the eight-legged nymphs appear. The second engorgement, which always occurs at night, requires only a few bonis at most, after which the ticks again secrete themselves and molt their skins. The third engorgement also occurs at night, as do all subsequent feedings. Following this engorgement the ticks require 11 or more days in which to -bed their skins. About six-sevenths of the resulting ticks are now mature. These are ready for depositing eggs after another engorge- ment and mating. The other one-seventh of the individuals are still nymphs after the third molt and must of necessity feed once I III. i <<\\ i i I' K. 9 mors and moll their - K 1 1 1 - again before becoming adults. The last oymphaJ molt in this case has been found t<> require 9 or more days. The adults are ready for engorgement booh after 1 1 * « - last molt, and deposition begins after mating has taken place. As man] as seven engorgements and depositions have been observed, an average ot 537 being deposited by each female tick. The number of generations of the chicken tick annually has not hem determined. Ii is possible for the tick to develop through all of it- Btages ami thus complete it- life cycle in about K) 'lay-. Nor- mally, however, it probably takes at least tw< nth-, in warm weather, tor this complete transformation. Although breeding con- tinues through tlif winter it i- greatly retarded during the coolest weather. It i- c-timated that about ti\e generations occur annually in the southern part of the range of the tick. \ \ n l: \i \(.i Mir- O] CON! ROL. \- has been pointed out. this tick doe- not thrive in portions of the Southern State- which have a humid climate. This fait, together with experimental evidence, indicate- thai the species is largely con- trolled by excessive moisture. It has also been found that the in- jury indicted by the species i- greatest during hot. dry seasons. It also appear- thai low temperature- are important in reducing the rapidity of multiplication and other activities, and that where very cold winter- occur the tick doe- not exist. The >peeie- i- singularly free from natural enemies. The little hlack ant (Monomorium minutum) ha- been -ecu carrying off the eggs and larva?, ami some of the house-inhabiting spiders probably destroy limited numbers of the tick in the later stages. Rats and mice are also concerned in it- destruction in these stages. Chicken- eat the tick with avidity when they have access to it. However, it i- greatly protected by it- habits id' night feeding and of crawling deeply into crack- during the day. These habits also make it prac- tically exempt from destruction by insectivorous birds. \ 1 ROL Ml \-l R] -. Ml Mines 1. 1 PREVENTING INTESTATIOH. It i- much easier to exclude the fowl tick from premises which are not already infested than to eradicate it after an infestation ha- he- come established. Hence it i- advisable, when poultry raising i- beinir started, to choose a site some distance from where chicki have roosted. If it i- possible to have the entire poultry farm well separated from other farm- the exclusion of the tick i- made more certain. No chicken-, or coop- which have contained chick, should he hroiicrht near the site of the new yards. This demai 10 THE FOWL TICK. the use of the incubator for starting and replenishing the flock. When the chicken yards are built in proximity to infested premises extreme care should be exercised by the poultryman to exclude his fowls from these premises, as well as to prevent foreign poultry from entering the tick-free yards. Frequent and careful inspections should also he made of chicken houses to be certain that an infesta- tion has not occurred from unguarded sources. If it is desired to bring stock in, tins should be kept quarantined at some distance from the chicken yards for 10 days. The temporary coops in which the poultry is kept during this period should then be burned or dipped in boiling water to insure the destruction of all ticks. As has been stated under the discussion of the life history of this species, the seed ticks may remain attached to the host for a period of 10 day-, hence the recommendation that fowls be quarantined for that period. At the expiration of the 10 days all of the ticks will have dropped and hidden themselves in the cracks of the coop. They may then be destroyed by the methods mentioned. "When poultry is to be moved from an old chicken house into a new one the same method of free- ing them from ticks should be employed. METHODS OF COMBATING INFESTATION. It is of much importance to determine as early as possible whether or not the fowl tick is present in the chicken house. Oftentimes the small blue seed ticks are observed upon the skin of poultry which is dressed for consumption. The presence of these little parasites should always cause the owner to turn his attention to the chicken coops. Whenever the combs and gills of chickens appear pale or signs of weakness are exhibited the cause can often be ascertained by making an examination of the roosting places. Frequently severe losses are sustained without the presence of the pest becoming known to the poultryman. It is therefore necessary to make frequent care- ful examinations of the cracks in the vicinity of the roosts to deter- mine if an infestation exists. When ticks are found it is important to determine how extensive is the infestation and where the majority of the ticks are. If many specimens are found in all parts of the building and if the structure is of little value, the easiest and surest way of destroying the pest is to burn the entire chicken house. If, however, the ticks are not to be found in all parts of the building and if it is of too much value to be destroyed, other methods of fighting the tick should be adopted. In the first place all unnecessary boards and boxes which form protection for the tick should be removed. The house should then be thoroughly sprayed with pure kerosene, crude petroleum (Beaumont oil), creosote, or some of the standard tick dips used at a strength of 1 part of the dip to 3 parts of water. A thorough spraying with whitewash containing carbolic acid has I hi i !'\\ L TICK. 11 :il-o been recommended. Man) other destructive agents have been employed \\ nli greater or less success; among these are boiling water, creosoted products, and strong kerosene emulsion. The application • it" hot tar to the interior of infested houses has given some relief From the pest in certain instances. The tar tends to lill up the cracks and to seal up i he i icks already in them. When chickens are found to be suffering From the attach of the tick they should be removed immediately From the house in which the ticks occur. It is possible i<> destroy many of the larvae which are attached to the bird, but as a rule it is sufficient to -hut the affected chicken up and allow the larvae t" he,, me engorged and drop off. In case chickens become very weak From attack before the trouble is located it is advisable to apply kerosene and lard to the underside of the wings and breasts in order to destroy some of the larva? already attached. Practically all of the seed ticks on the chickens may be destroyed by submerging them in one of the creosote dips, mixed with water in the proportion of l to 1°. Plunging in- Fested Fowls into gasoline has been Found to destroy every tick attached to them, but this treatment is too harsh on the host to be recommended. In general, dipping of the birds is inadvisable, as that treatment i- rather severe, ami usually it' the chickens are kepi From further infestations they soon recover From the attack. The chicken tick- ha- been Found to be one of the mosl difficult form- of animal life to destroy. It i- able to survive applications which would kill practically any Form of insect life. Insect powder, kerosene emulsions, and creosote dip- w^r<\ at the ordinary strength and Fumigation with such poisonous substances a- hydrocyanic-acid gas are entirely inadequate t" destroy tin pest. On account of the ability of the ticks to crawl far into very narrow cracks it i- prac- tically impossible to strike all of them with any substance applied. This oecessitates the repetition of the treatment at intervals of a k or 10 day-, until the tick i- brought well under control. Numerous devices have been used or advocated tor protecting chickens from tick attack. Among the contrn at ces For isolating the roosts may he mentioned wrapping the end- of the poles in waste or cotton soaked in petroleum and supporting the roosts by means rods running through cup- filled with kerosene or other deterrent material. If these method- are employed For protecting the poultry Care should he taken to keep the repellent -uli-taiee- Fresh and n« t to allow the dust to accumulate on the top. In any event the roosts should he smooth and free from hark and crack- -<. as not to furnish hiding place- for the ticks. They should al-o he arranged so a- \<> he ly removed to permit of cleaning the house ami applying petroleum or creosote around the end- of the r< • -t- ami other place- where the tick.- are most apt to hide. Gasoline torches have been used in de- 12 THE FOWL TICK. stroying ticks with some success. This method is very effective in eradicating the pest from noninflammable buildings such as are dis- cused under "tick-proof houses.*' .1 very simple and inesapem method of protecting fowls from the tick is to suspend the roosts by means of small wires from the ceiling. Wires should country. Tin i<>\\ i TICK. 18 Til K moot Hot si s, When it is planned to construct u>-w quarters for poultry the matter of protection from this pest should be kept in mind. It is possible to build chicken houses which are practically tick proof; moreover, the cost <>f building ;ui construct m house which would favor tick 'lc\ elopment. Rouses can be built of a variety of different materials bo as to make it very easy to control thi- pest It* it seems desirable to build ;i frame structure ;ill parts should be made of smooth | ber and care .should be taken to furnish the least possible number of hiding places for tin* tick-. Shingle roof- when once infested are exceedingly diffi- cult t<> riil of ticks. It i> therefore advisable to make the roof of cor- rugated icon. tin. or one of the patent roofings. The all-metal chicken house has many advantages over wooden or partially wooden structures. A number of such houses built mainly of metal are in use in southwestern Texas and have been found prac- tically tick free, although no precautions were taken against intro- ducing ticks with the poultry or of treating the inside of the houses. In constructing a poultry house the individual need- largely gov- ern the style and size of the structure. The cost of material- required for an all-metal house 11 feet long, 1" feel wide, and 7 feet high in front, with a roof sloping one way. has been found to amount to about These figures are based on the use of three-fourths inch piping for the framework and painted corrugated iron for the covering. The difference in price of painted and galvanized iron is considerable, the former being about $2.40 per square and the latter about $3.50. The painted iron will be found satisfactory for use at inland points, tts life may Ih> increased by applying an occasional coat of paint. In the construction of the frame it i- necessary i" have the piping cut to the required lengths and threaded. The large number of -hurt pieces of piping and the considerable number of crosses, elbows, and T's make the assembling of the frame rather difficult. Where angle iron is available it is more desirable and costs no more. The corrugated iron may then be riveted on or cleated on ;i- would he done if the piping frame wen- used. Wooden frames may Ih> employed if the metal is too expensive or difficult to obtain. When wooden frame- are used it is best to put the framework on the outside of the -In i ing. These corrugated iron houses are very hot during the day and therefore -hade, other than that afforded by the hoii-e-. should l>e provided in the chicken yard-. This extreme heat and the lack of protection are the essential factor- in keeping the chicken tick out. The tick will never become a serious nuisance in an all-metal house if protection, such as loose boards, nests, etc., i-. not given it. Never- UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 14 the fowl T 3 1262 09216 5538 theless it is advisable to avoid introducing the pest, if possible. The complete destruction of the tick, should it become established in a metal house, is easily accomplished by removing the roost and burn- ing a considerable quantity of straw, paper, or other light material within the house. All parts of the house should be thoroughly heated or reached by the flame. As has been stated the roosts should always be arranged to permit of easy removal for cleaning and other pur- poses. It is recommended that nests be located apart from roosting places. Tick-proof nests or boxes isolated by means of legs set in dishes tilled with kerosene are desirable. If. however, the nests are made of ordinary boxes and not allowed to come in contact with any walls it is seldom that they will become infested to any degree if thoroughly cleaned out occasionally. Should these boxes become infested they can be destroyed with little loss. Metal nests may be made with a ring of small iron to which is attached a sort of basket made of wire netting. These nests may be thoroughly cleaned by burning the straw which they contain and holding the wire part over the blaze. In the infested territory brooders and pens should be selected or con- structed with a view to lessening hiding places which may be occupied by this pest. That the fowl tick can be kept completely out of a poultry farm has been demonstrated conclusively by a few progressive poultrymen in Texas, but this is the reward of scrupulous cleanliness and con- stant vigilance. Approved : James Wilson, Secretary of Agriculture. Washington, D. C.. January 18, 1913. 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