32 INSECT PESTS 



ting of disease viruses from one to the other. This is seen 

 particularly in the case of Redwater in calves ; where the 

 Ticks, by sucking affected beasts and passing to others, are 

 a considerable danger. The redwater disease however is 

 not transmissible to sheep, and so advantage can be taken 

 of this fact to run sheep on ground where it has occurred, 

 to attract the Ticks, which are then disposed of in the dip. 



Pigs are not worried with insects to any extent. Their 

 troubles are mostly confined to swine fever, anthrax, and 

 erysipelas, whilst foot and mouth disease, if it occurs 

 amongst pigs, may be the precursor of a serious outbreak 

 among cattle. These however, as already stated, are 

 beyond the scope of this book, although I shall have to 

 refer to Tapeworms in a later chapter. 



If I were to attempt to deal with all the insects round, 

 in and about a farm, this chapter might well be extended 

 to ten times its present length, but we shall have to 

 conclude this livestock section with a brief reference to 

 poultry parasites. Amongst insects the birds are attacked 

 by Fleas {Pulicidre) and Lice (Mallophaga) , but there are 

 also Mites (Acarino). A specimen is shown of each kind 

 of parasite. As has been mentioned in Chapter I, dirt is 

 the friend and cleanhness the enemy of all these creatures, 

 but an additional deterrent will be found by adding pjrre- 

 thrum powder to their litter or in the nests. Fowls rid 

 themselves naturally by means of the dust bath. 



There are in addition internal parasites of poultry, in the 

 form of nematoide or round-worms, which cause gapes 

 and intestinal troubles. The Gape-worm {Syngamus 

 trachealis) attaches itself by the circular mouths to the 

 interior of the bird's windpipe, sucking its blood and 

 causing much pain, which may often end fatally, especially 

 in young chicks. Cleansing roosts, nests and runs with 

 hot lime wash should be resorted to as soon as gapes is 

 suspected. Affected birds to be isolated and a brush of 

 turpentine passed up and down their throats. The birds 

 cough up the worms when they become mature, and thus 



