138 



Control. When warble flies are very abundant 

 they may be prevented from laying eggs on the cattle by 

 smearing the necks and backs of the animals with a repel- 

 lent mixture, which may be made by mixing together : 



Flowers of sulphur 4 oz. 



Spirits of tar 1 gill 



Whale-oil 1 quart 



During the egg-laying season, this mixture should be 

 applied once a week. 



Warble flies do not like deep shade, and it is said that 

 they will not fly over water ; consequently cattle that have 

 access to deep shade, and pools of water in which to stand 

 and wade, should be but little troubled by these pests. 



When the swellings on the backs of the animals are first 

 seen, a light rubbing with kerosene will kill the grubs. 

 This is due to the fact that the oil penetrates through the 

 holes in the skin of the cattle, through which the maggots 

 breathe. Later, the insects may be squeezed out of the 

 swellings and destroyed. 



FLEAS. 



Cats and dogs are attacked by fleas (Fig. 14S) which 



Fig. 148. Cat and dog flea. 

 Enlarged. {From U.S. Dcpt. Agric.) 



in the adult stage live among the hairs of the body, and 

 obtain their food by piercing the skin and sucking the 

 blood of the host. The life-history is similar to that of 

 the house ilea,(Pulex irritans), and the remedies to be used 

 are also similar (see Fig. 138). The eggs of the cat and 

 dog flea (Pulex serraticeps) are dropped to the floor, or to 

 the ground, where they hatch, and where the grub-like 

 maggots live and develop. 



