PESTS OF A POULTRY YARD 93 



ter over the birds and by pricking the skin can fill themselves with 

 blood. They are injurious not only on account of the blood they 

 draw, but because of the itching pain and loss of rest. They will 

 even kill young fowls and setting hens. When they are discovered 

 vigorous means should be adopted to get rid of them. The Iowa 

 State Experiment Station gives a full description of the best and 

 cheapest way of exterminating these mites. At this station the 

 kerosene emulsion was found to be perfectly effective in killing 

 them. It is made as follows : 



KEROSENE EMULSION In one gallon of boiling water dis- 

 solve one pound bar of soap or one pound of soap powder. Remove 

 from the fire, add immediately one gallon of kerosene, churn or agi- 

 tate violently for ten minutes, or until the solution becomes like a 

 thick cream. If the oil and water separate on standing, then the 

 soap was not caustic enough. Take one quart of this, add to it ten 

 quarts of water ; spray thoroughly the houses every three days with 

 this diluted emulsion until all the mites are exterminated. To make 

 it more effective, you may add one pint of crude carbolic acid to the 

 emulsion as soon as taken from the fire. The diluted emulsion (one 

 part to ten of water) is also used to rid fowls of lice. By using this 

 spray once a month always, the houses can be kept perfectly free 

 from vermin and thoroughly disinfected from disease. 



Lice 



There are nine varieties of lice affecting poultry. Some of these 

 lice spread rapidly. One infested bird is capable of spreading the 

 vermin through a large flock. They cause dumpishness, drooping 

 wings, indifference to food and may stunt or even kill the chicks. 

 One of the best means of preventing lice is the dust bath. This 

 bath should be a wallow of freshly turned earth, mellow and 

 slightly damp, out of doors under some tree in the summer time, or 

 in a box six or eight inches deep in the hennery in the rainy weather. 

 Provided with a good dust bath, healthy hens will almost keep 

 themselves clean from lice. When fowls are badly infested with 

 lice they should be well dusted with a good lice powder, of which 

 there are a number on the market. Two good powders can be 

 made as follows: To one peck of sifted coal ashes add one-half 

 ounce of 90 per cent carbolic acid. When mixed thoroughly, add an 

 equal amount of tobacco dust. 2nd : Take half peck of sifted road- 

 dust, four fluid ounces of any good liquid lice killer; mix thoroughly 

 and add bulk for bulk of tobacco dust. 



The roosts may be painted with liquid lice killer, or the fowls 

 placed in a box for three hours, the floor of which has been painted 

 with lice killer and the top covered with burlap, care being taken 

 not to smother the hen. The nits of lice hatch about every five 

 days. The treatment should be repeated until all the young lice 

 have been exterminated. 



How to Keep Poultry Free from Lice 



The following formula is used at the Maine and Cornell Ex- 

 periment Stations : 



