THE AGUTCrLTURAL XEWF. 



The Life History 



OF 



The Cattle Tick 



C^-.-^ 



CATTLE TICK 



The importnnoc of anrnrat^ knowledge on this subject lies in the fact that before methods of eradication can be carried out intelligently and suooes-s- 

 fully. it is n.'cc'^sn.ry to know tlit- lifo historv of the tick, and the influence of temperature, moisture, and fther climatic conditions on the various stage;^ of 

 its existence. In the follow iny note?, wlunever the term "tick" or "cattle tick is used it refers to the one species. Maroaropits annulatuis, the common 

 Cattle Tick, which is so prevalent throughout the West Indies, 



Only a part of the development of the tick takes place on the animal host ; the rest of the development occurs on the pasture occupied by the ho«t. 



DEVELOPMENT on the GROUND 



THE ENGORGED FEMALE. In tracing the life 

 bi'story oi* the cattle tick it will be convenient to begin 

 ^vith the large, plumxi, olive-green female tick, about half 

 an inch in length, attached to the skin of the host. 

 During the last few days spent on the host, she has 

 increased enormously in size, as a consequence of 

 drawing a large supply of blood. 



"When fully engorged she drops to the ground, and 

 at once. esi)ecially if the weather is warm, begins to 

 search for a hiding place on moist earth beneath le-.ives 

 or any other litter which may serve as a protection 

 from the sun and numerous enemies, or shield her from 

 unfavourablr conditions. The female tick may be 

 devoured by hirtls. or destroyed by ants, or may perish 

 .IS a nsnlt oi unfavourahlf conditions, such as low 

 Icmperature. ;ilisence or excess of moisture, and many 

 other i-ondilions ; so that many female ticks which fall to 

 the ground arc destroyed belore they lay eggs. 



EGG LAYING. Kgg laying begins during the 

 spring, summer and fall months in from 2 to 20 days, 

 and during the winter months in from 13 to 98 days, 

 after falling to the ground. The eggs are small, elliptical- 

 shaped bodies, lit first of a light amber colour, lat^r 

 changing to a dark brown, and are about one-fiftieth of 

 ;m inch in U-ng!h. As the eggs are laid they are coated 

 with a sticky secretion whi<:'h causes them to adhere in 

 clusters and no doubt serves the purpose of keeping 

 them from drying out. During egg laying, the mother 

 tick gradually shrinks in size and finally is reduced to 

 about one-third or one-fourth her original size. Egg 

 laying is greatly influenced by temperature, being 

 retarded or even arrested by cold. It is completed in 

 from 4 days in the summer" to Ifd days, beginning in 

 the fall. During this time the tick may deposit from 

 a few lumdred to more than a.OdO eggs. After egg laying 

 ■is completed the mother tick has fultlUed her purpo-e 

 and dies in the course of a few days. 



"SEED" TICKS. Alter a time, ranging from 1S» 

 days in the summer to ISS days during the fall and 

 winter, the ejigs begin to liatch. From each e^g issues 

 a small, oval, six-legged larva or "seed" tick, at first 

 amber coloured, hiter changing to a rich brown. The 

 "seed" tick, after crawling slowly over and about the 

 shell from wliichithas emerged, usually remains more 

 or less quiescent for several dnys. iifter which it shows 

 great activity, especially if Ibc weather is warm, and 

 ascends the "nearest vegetation, such as grass, otlu-r 

 herbs, and even shrubs. 



Since each female lays an enormous mass of eggs 

 at one spot, thousands of larvje will appear in the 

 course of time at the same I'lace. and will ascend the 

 near-by vegetation and collect on the leaves and other 

 parts of plants. This insiinet of the seed ticks to climb 

 upward is a very imiiortant adaptation of Nature's to 

 increase their chances of reaching their host. If the 

 vegetation upon which tliey rest is disturbed, tliey 

 become very active and extend their long front Icgx 

 upward in a divergent position, waving them violently 

 in an attempt to seize hold of a host. 



The seed tick during its life on the pasture -takes 

 no food, and consequently does not increase in size, and 

 unless it reaches a host to take up the parasitic portion 

 of its development, it dies of starvation. The endural:ce 

 of seed ticks is very great, however, as ihey have been 

 found to live _ nearly eight months, even during the 

 colder jjart of the vear. *. 



DEVELOPMENT ON CATTLE 



"SEED" TICKS. The parasitic phase of develop- 

 ment begins wluTi the larvffi or seed ticks reach a 

 favourable host, such as a cow. They cnvwl up over 

 the hair of the host, and commonly attach themselves 

 to the skin of the escutcheon, the inside of the thighs 

 and flanks, and to the dewlap. 'They at once begin to 

 draw blood, and suon increase in size. 



THE NYMPH. In a few days the young tick 

 changes (rom a brown colour to white, and in from 5 to 

 12 days sheds its skin. The new form has eight legs 

 instead of six and is known as a nymph. 



SEXUALLY MATURE TICKS. In from 5 to 11 

 days atier the first moult the tick ayain sheds its skin and 

 becomes sexually mature. It is at l-his stage tliat males 

 and females are with certainty distinguishable for the 

 first time. 



The Male. The male tick emerges frpm his skin 

 as a brown, oval tick, about one-tenth of an inch in 

 lengtli. He has completed his grow th and goes through 

 no further development. Later he shows great activity, 

 moving about more or less over the skin of the host. 



The Female. The female tick at the time of 

 moulting is slightly larger than the male. She never 

 shews niuch activity, seldom moving far from her 

 original point of attachment. She still has to undergo 

 most of her growth. After mating, the female increiLses 

 very rapidly in size, and in from 21 to 00 davs after 

 becoming attached to a host as a -seed lick, she becomes 

 lullv enixorged and drops to the jKisture. to start again 

 ihe'eycle ( f development by hiyingegg.s. 



SUMMARY OF LIFE HISTORY 



. To >um up: on the p*i«turc there are found three -stages of the tick - the engorged fennile, the egg. and the larva or seed tick : and on the animal host 

 are also Lj.md three -t igi-> the Inrva or seed tick, the nymph, the sexually mature adult of both sexes, and in addition the engorged female. 



iTh> above is an exhrnt from a Jiullitin U'iurti oxVu-UfUtj by the Vnttcd States T)'tpartini:/it of Agriculture, entitled^ 

 -yiithods of Kiicruiimi'ti/iif thr Trxas Fivtr Tili:') 



COOPER'S CATTLE TICK DIP 

 Mas received the official approval of the following Countries: 

 Union of South Africa. Northern Rhodesia. Brazil. HasutolanJ. 



Nyasaland, Swaziland, Southern Rhodesia. .Uadajiascar, 

 British Hast Africa, (icrman East Africa. PortUKuese Fast Africa. 

 Portuguese West Africa, I'gypt. Argentine Republic, Qiiceii.sljind. 



United States of America, Northern Territory of Australia, 



WEST INDIAN AGENTS: 



ST. KITTS : .S. L. Horsford & Co. ANTIGUA : Hennett. Bryson & Co. 



JAMAICA: l>. Henderson & Co., Kingston. 



Ukt^NADA: Thomson, liankey & Co- 



BARBAOO^: liarhados Co-operative Cotton Co.. Ltd. 



TKIMOAl): T. Oeddes tirant. I*«rt of 5pain. 



BRITISH (UlANA: 5andbach. Parker* Co. 



.ST. VINCKNT: Ccreu v«< Co.. Kingstown. MiVI.S: 5. D. Malone. 



I)ANI.SH \V l:ST IM)lt:.S: Carl V. La IJcct. ^t. Thomas. 



^\(>^T.SH«RAT: W. I.U■^^eHvn\VaII. DOMIMCA: Hon. H. A. Framrton 



Manufacturers : WILLIAM COOPER & NEPHEWS, Berkhamsted, England. 



BRANCHES : Toronto, Chicago, Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Cuer.os Aires, Moole Video, Punta Arenat, Eatt London, Odeua. 



