90 Biology 



Destruction of Argas persicus. 



We have referred to the fact that the Persians migrate from their 

 villages or burn them when the tick grows too aggressive (Oken, 1818, 

 p. 1569, etc.). 



With regard to fowls, Riley and Howard (1893, p. 267) have recom- 

 mended spraying the hen-coops and poultry yard and washing the 

 poultry with kerosene-emulsion. Hoehr (1893), on the other hand, did 

 not find the emulsion satisfactory and obtained better results with lime 

 and sublimate. Ehrhorn (published by Packard, 1895, p. 418) reported 

 that a spray of " creozozone " instantly killed the ticks and gave good 

 results. Riley and Howard (1895, p. 348) state that oil of sassafras 

 kills the ticks quickly but is dangerous when applied to young birds. 

 Fuller (1897, p. 590) recommends white-wash, and scalding the fowl's 

 nests, boiling water being effective. The ticks are killed by turpentine. 

 Lounsbury (ix. 1903, p. 12) discusses the value of various remedies and 

 describes an instance in which the following procedure was successfully 

 adopted : 



All the old roosts and nests were burnt, the wooden walls of the 

 fowl-house were well brushed over with hot coal-tar. New roosts were 

 suspended by wires from the roof so that they did not touch the walls 

 (into the crevices of which ticks retreat; poles with bark on them 

 should not be used for roosts for the same reason). Paraffin was freely 

 applied to nests when ticks were encountered in them, the floor was 

 regularly swept clean and sprinkled with wood ashes and lime. In 

 other cases frequent spraying of fowl-houses with various sheep-dips 

 proved effective. The ends of the roosts may be wrapped around with 

 oiled waste or be insulated in a deterrent fluid. Corrugated, or better, 

 sheet iron fowl-houses have the advantage of being readily cleaned if 

 any ticks are about ; they may be tarred inside. Loose bark on trees 

 in fowl-runs and wooden fences are also hiding places for ticks. 

 Instead of dipping or treating young birds, Lounsbury recommends 

 isolating them for some days in crates when any young ticks on them 

 drop off and may be destroyed by burning the crates. 



