FLEAS AND THEIR CONTROL. 7 



Some infestations of residences come from breeding i)laces beneatli 

 the houses. The fleas in these cases usually are furnished by stray 

 animals which sleep under the buildings. The immature stages de- 

 velop in the accumulation of dust and vegetable matter in the bed« 

 of these animals. Instances are not uncommon in wliich such infesta- 

 tions have extended to lawns, barnyards, and, in fact, all over the 

 premises, although as a rule the center of infestation is in some one 

 definite place frequented by animals. 



The infestations of the human flea are usually less severe than in 

 the extreme cases above mentioned, and the breeding places often are 

 more widely extended. 



A number of instances in the Southern and Central Western States 

 have come to notice in which hogs appear to have been the source 

 of gross infestations by the human flea. The adult fleas feed on the 

 hogs and breeding takes place in the beds of these animals. In some 

 instances the source of infestation is in the hog runs, but more usually 

 it is derived from hogs sleeping under houses or in barns. 



FLEAS INJURIOUS TO POULTRY AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



Fortunately the higher domestic animals are comparatively free 

 from flea attacks. Horses, cattle, sheep, and goats are seldom seriously 

 annoyed, although a few instances have been noted in which the 

 sticktight flea infested horses, and mules and horses are sometimes 

 W'Orried considerably by the human flea and may refuse to stay in 

 infested barns even long enough to eat. Hogs are infested to some 

 extent, but seldom heavily enough to do any gi'eat damage. 



THE STICKTIGHT FLEA. 



The sticktight flea, or southern chicken flea (figs. 4, 5), probably is 

 the most important of our live-stock infesting species. This form 

 attacks a number of different hosts, including poultry, dogs, cats, and 

 some wdld animals. As has been stated, the adult fleas remain during 

 the greater part of their lives attached to the host animal. On dogs 

 and cats they are largely found on the ears, particularly along the 

 edges. In the case of poultry infestations fleas are most common on 

 the heads of the hosts, where they are to be seen in groups or patches. 

 This habit of attaching in clusters seems to be well marked, and an 

 infested fowl often may be recognized at a considerable distance by 

 the dark flea-covered areas about the eyes, comb, and wattles. P'igure 

 4 illustrates the usual mode of infestation on a chicken's head, and 

 figure 5 shows one of the fleas much enlarged. AVhen the fleas are 

 excessively abundant they may be found in similar i>atrhes on the 

 neck and various parts of the body. 



This flea is most common and is of greatest importance in tlie 

 Southern and Southwestern States. It has been reported as injurious 

 to poultry as far north as Kansas. The injury is most marked in 

 young chickens, which when fairly heavily infested often die (|uukiy. 



