474 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



The fever appears before the ticks have matured. In fact, they are 

 still small enough to be overlooked. In any case very careful search 

 should be made for them in those places upon which they prefer to 

 locate — the thighs, escutcheon, and udder. After the acute stage of 

 the fever has passed by, the ticks begin to swell up and show very 

 plainly. (PL XLVIII, figs. 6 and 7.) 



PREVENTION. 



It is generally accepted that if southern cattle are entirely free from 

 that species of tick known as Margaropus (Boophilus) annulatus, they 

 can be allowed to mingle with the most susceptible animals without 

 danger. Furthermore, it has been learned from the study of the life 

 history of the cattle tick and from the fact that this tick infests pas- 

 tures only transiently, never permanently, and will not mature except 

 upon cattle or equines, that its extermination is possible, and that 

 the disease it causes may be prevented. The various methods with 

 these results in view should be directed toward the destruction of 

 ticks on cattle as well as their eradication from the pastures. 



HOW TO FREE CATTLE OP TICKS. 



Among the most important measures to be adopted in eradicating 

 these parasites from cattle in the infested districts may be mentioned : 

 (1) Picking or brushing them off; (2) smearing or spraying the animals 

 with a disinfecting solution, and (3) dipping the "ticky" animals in a 

 vat containing a solution capable of killing the ticks without injury 

 to the cattle. 



The systematic application of one or more of these methods, together 

 with appropriate measures for eradicating or destroying the cattle 

 ticks upon pastures, has been successfully adopted in certain sections, 

 and has thus diminished the area of the infested district. 



Picking or brushing licks off cattle. — Where the herd is small a 

 very effective but laborious method is to pick off these parasites by 

 hand or to scrape them off with a dull knife or a currycomb. This 

 should be done at least three times a week in order to find all the 

 adults before they mature and fall off, as by this system the smaller 

 ticks which at first escaped detection will be found before they are 

 fully developed. After removing the ticks they should be destroyed, 

 preferably by burning. Care should be taken to go over all parts 

 of the animal frequented by the ticks, especially under the belly, 

 around the tail and udder, and inside the legs. After the ticks are 

 picked or brushed off, the cattle should not be neglected, but should 

 be carefully examined later for the presence of ticks which have been 

 picked up in the meantime. If this work is thoroughly performed 

 and no ticks are allowed to fall off and lay eggs from June 1 to the 

 end of November, the cattle will be free of ticks, and the pastures 

 will have had an opportunity of becoming cleaned. 



