468 JOUKNAL OF THE DEPARTMENT UE AciKlCl LTUEE. NoV., 1922. 



Wheat Louse.* 



Kolstdd. — We aiv feeding" off all our cereal crops witli cattle, 

 then hallowing' and rolling'. There do not ai)pear to be so many lice, 

 so therefore tliink the cattle ninst have eaten a large niunher. Wiiat 

 is the life cycle of the louse? 



Cedara Scliool of Agriculture replies: — -In early stages of attack 

 the wheat louse often appears in spots, and ploughing under or burn- 

 ing' straw on these has been found effecti\'e. The life cycle of the 

 louse is simple. The forms originally seen are all females. They g-ive 

 birth to living young which are all females, these being born at the 

 rate of something like one per day in warui weather. They mature 

 in about a week. This goes on for many g'enerations, no forms but 

 wing-less females being- produced, until the g-rain becomes tough, 

 when winged females appear. These migrate to various grasses. 

 During migration, tlie mortality is high in a dry season owing- to lack 

 of wild grass. Ants cajjlure the winged lice and rear them in their 

 burrows in order to obtain their sugary excrement. In climates with 

 severe winter, two sexes are produced in fall, either winged or wing- 

 less, and eg-gs are laid which ])ass the winter, hatching into female 

 lice in spring. In South Africa, I believe no egg's or males have been 

 seen . 



Three species of lady Ijcetle and a very minute was}) ar<' tiie 

 essential enemies. A fungous disease, previously unreported, was 

 recently found on some wheat lice from your localit3^ This disease is 

 probably useful in wet weather, whereas warm dry weather favours 

 the other enemies in general. Wet weather, since cooler than dry, 

 usually holds up the wasps, but allows the louse to go ahead. The 

 resistance of the M'heat is, however, increased by rain, and certainly 

 the fung-ous disease would be favoured by it. 



Capes in Fowls. 



Dalfoii. \(itnl. — Please advise treatment for g-apes in fowls. 



Cedara School of Agriculture replies: — This disease, which is 

 rarely met with in this country; is due to the presence of small, 

 thread-like worms in the windpipe of chickens. The symptoms are 

 generally gasping, with the mouth w'ide open, sneezing and difficulty 

 in swallowing. Cases of pneumonia, in which birds gasp in the above 

 manner, are frequently mistaken for gapes, but examin;ition of the 

 windpipe will prove conclusively. The following treatment is recom- 

 mended : — A feather, medicated with nicotine from a pipe, or 

 turpentine, sti'ii)pc(l of its down to witliin a short distance of the 

 end, is passed into the windi)ipe and withdrawn after two or three 

 turns round, when some of the worms will he attached to it. This 

 operation should be repeated until all the worms are lemoved or 

 ejected by the bird. 



* Sec 'also entomological note on the wheat louse in Departmental Activities in this 

 issue. — (Ed.) 



