152 POULTRY FOR PROFIT 



the productions of the skin and fragments of feath- 

 ers," mites suck the blood of their victims by night 

 and find their home in cracks in the walls, under the 

 ends of roosts and in corners of nest boxes, and are 

 found in great numbers among the droppings on a 

 dirt floor. Absolute cleanliness is therefore the only 

 preventive, and when they have once found a home 

 in a poultry house only a strong disinfectant will kill 

 them. 



Here are several good mixtures, either one of 

 which should be effective in ridding a house of 

 mites : 



1. Kerosene and Crude Carbolic. — For spraying 

 and painting houses and coops there is nothing bet- 

 ter than a mixture of kerosene and crude carbolic 

 acid, three parts kerosene to one of the acid. This 

 is recommended by the Maine Station and is very 

 generally used. 



2. Kerosene Emulsion. — The Department of Ag- 

 riculture recommends a kerosene emulsion which is 

 prepared as follows : Shave one-half pound of hard 

 soap into one gallon of soft water and boil the mix- 

 ture until the soap is dissolved. Then remove it to 

 a safe distance from the fire and stir into it at once 

 two gallons of kerosene. Dilute this stock mixture 

 with 10 parts soft water and apply as a spray or 

 with a brush, being careful to work into all cracks, 

 crevices and joints. 



3. Cresol Disinfectant. — The Missouri Station 

 recommends the following emulsion: "Shave a 10- 

 cent cake of laundry soap into a pint of soft water, 

 steep it until a paste is formed, stir in one pound of 

 commercial cresol, beat or allow to stand until the 

 paste is dissolved, and stir in one gallon of kerosene." 

 Cresol is a very powerful disinfectant, costing about 

 30 cents a pound. Care must be taken not to get it on 



