24 BULLETIN 248, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Another treatment, which is reported by Mr. A. A. Girault, of the 

 Bureau of Entomology, to be effective in ridding cats of fleas, is 

 naphthalene. Moth balls were finely pulverized and the powder 

 worked into the fur. The fleas soon began coming out of the hair and 

 on account of their stupefied condition were easily caught and killed. 

 The treatment slightly sickened the cats for two da3 T s, but had no 

 serious effect. Insect powder, sometimes called pyrethrum, buhach, or 

 Dalmatian insect powder, may be applied to the fur of animals in 

 the same way. It is not harmful to the host and causes the fleas to 

 come out of the fur in a stupefied condition, when they may be col- 

 lected on a newspaper and destroyed by burning. It is important 

 that fresh unadulterated pyrethrum be used to secure satisfactory 

 results. The destruction of the chicken flea or sticktight on poultry 

 seems to be rather difficult. Where heavy infestations are present 

 the careful application of kerosene and lard — 1 part kerosene to 3 

 parts of lard — to the masses of fleas gives fairly good results. Care 

 must be taken not to apply too much of the mixture and not to get 

 it on the parts of the fowl where it is not necessary, as it will prove 

 injurious if used too freely. 



CONTROL OF HOSTS. 



One of the common practices to avoid flea infestation of houses is 

 to keep all dogs and cats out of doors. This is often not desirable, 

 and it also gives an opportunity for the infested animals to start 

 breeding places under the house or in the yard or barn, hence this 

 practice without treating the animals for fleas is objectionable. Xot 

 keeping dogs or cats will, of course, largely solve the dog-flea prob- 

 lem, but this is not always feasible. Moreover, the stray animals 

 must also be considered as possibilities in house infestation. From 

 the standpoint of flea control, as well as for the prevention of im- 

 portant diseases, the strict enforcement of dog-control measures and 

 the destruction of all stray cats and dogs is imperative. Dwellings 

 and other buildings should be arranged to prevent cats, dogs, hogs, 

 chickens, and other animals from going beneath them, as the condi- 

 tions under buildings are often favorable for flea breeding and these 

 locations are exceedingly difficult to keep clean or treat after infesta- 

 tion is started. Numerous instances have come under observation 

 where such conditions were responsible for infested dwellings and 

 heavily infested animals. 



Along this same line is the question of separation of hosts. It is 

 bad policy to keep all kinds of animals in close proximity in localities 

 where fleas are numerous. Dogs and cats sleeping around poultry 

 pens are often responsible for keeping chickens constantly stocked 

 with sticktight fleas. Horses kept in buildings where chickens roost 



