8 Farmers’ Bulletin 1110. 
POULTRY TICKS, OR “BLUE BUGS.” 
Poultry ticks, or “blue bugs,” are common jin the Southern States 
and are very injurious to poultry and pigeons. Their habits are very 
similar to those of the little red and gray mites in that the adult bugs 
crawl on the bodies of the birds and feed at night only and during 
the day hide in cracks and crevices about the poultry house. The 
young ticks hatch and remain on the bodies of the fowls for from 3 
to 10 days, when they leave. After that, they attack the chicks and 
fowls only when they have gone to roost at night. These “blue 
bugs” are about the size of a bedbug and much more harmful than 
either lice or mites. 
Ticks, or “blue bugs,” are much harder to kill than either lice 
or mites, ordinary lice powders or insecticides having little effect 
upon them. If the poultry house or coops become infested, remove 
the birds to temporary quarters for a period of 10 days, during 
which time the young ticks on the birds become filled with blood and 
fall off, when the birds should be at once removed. In the mean- 
time thoroughly clean the poultry house by removing all nest boxes 
and nesting material, roosts, and other loose objects, and spray 
liberally with crude petroleum or kerosene or wood preservative. 
In spraying, make sure that the spray reaches all places where the 
bugs may be in hiding, Brood coops or temporary quarters, such as 
crates, etc., that may be infested, may be disinfected by scalding 
thoroughly with boiling water. For additional information the 
reader is referred to Farmers’ Bulletin 1070, “The Fowl Tick,” 
which treats of this pest more fully. 
CHIGGERS, OR “RED BUGS.” 
Chiggers, “ red bugs,” or harvest mites are also quite troublesome 
in the Southern and Central States. They breed in the tall grass 
and are usually most plentiful in low-lying land. They attack 
fowls and chicks that are on range, attaching to the skin, causing 
an intense itching. Abscesses a third of an inch in diameter, sur- 
rounded by an area of inflammation, often may be found where 
clusters of these “red bugs” are feeding, and as a result the birds 
refuse to eat, become weak and droopy and soon die from hunger 
and exhaustion. 
Fowls or chicks that have been attacked by chiggers, or “red 
bugs,” if discovered before abscesses are formed on the skin, should 
have the inflamed parts treated with sulphur ointment, or a mixture 
of 1 part kerosene with 3 parts melted lard. If pus has already 
formed in the sore, remove the scab and wash the sore with a 4 per 
cent solution of carbolic acid and water. In sections where “red 
bugs” are plentiful, if fowls and chicks have free range, the grass 
