DIPPING SHEEP FOR TICKS AND SCABS 443 



How far dipping is a necessity Dipping under ex- 

 isting conditions is a necessity wherever sheep are 

 affected with ticks or scab. While it would be possible 

 to eradicate both from infested flocks, the cost of such 

 eradication would be much greater. This would be true, 

 even of small lots of sheep, since these may be dipped in 

 a homemade dipping tub, which involves but little cost. 

 Many authorities favor dipping sheep for ticks in the 

 spring just after they are shorn, and again in the autumn 

 when they are to be brought into winter quarters. If 

 when the sheep are dipped for ticks after being shorn, 

 the lambs are allowed to go without dipping, the relief 

 to the sheep would only be temporary, for soon re-infes- 

 tation would follow, the ticks coming from the lambs. 

 Dipping the lambs is even more necessary than dipping 

 the sheep, for the reason, first, that the ticks virtually 

 leave sheep that are closely shorn for a time after they are 

 shorn, because the protection has been removed by shear- 

 ing, and second, the ticks are a greater source of annoy- 

 ance to the lambs because of the greater tenderness of 

 their skin. A second dipping, 10 to 14 days later, should 

 complete the work of removal, both with ticks and scab. 

 If the sheep and lambs are both moved entirely away 

 from old quarters after the second dipping, they should 

 be thenceforth free from those two classes of parasites. 

 Why, then, should further dipping be necessary for such 

 removal ? 



But there may be some necessity for dipping sheep 

 of the middle and coarse-wool breeds, in order to cleanse 

 the wool from dirt and to give the skin a bright appear- 

 ance. Only some of the dips will do this satisfactorily. 

 This claim has been made in behalf of the carbolic dips. 

 To accomplish this end when these classes of sheep are 

 to be shown, may call for dipping, even when the sheep 

 are free from parasites. But it would not be profitable to 

 dip sheep thus, simply to cleanse the fleece in the absence 



