POULTRY DISBASBS AND THEIR TREATMENT. I45 



This small brick red mite, rarely visible 

 to the naked eye, is bred upon berry and 

 currant bushes, vegetables and grain, but 

 virhen opportunity offers it bites almost 

 any animal, often attacking man. It some- 

 times causes considerable mortality among 

 late hatched chickens which frequent its 

 breeding places. The parasites fasten 



?" ^..' T ^^''Y themselves so firmly by their claws and 

 bug, 1 etranychus ■' -r 



{Leptus) autumn- palpi that they can only be detached by 

 alts, larval form, force. They produce intense irritation 

 (After Murray), which often leads to epileptiform symp- 

 toms and death follows in a few days. 

 Theobald suggests dusting flowers of sulphur among the feath- 

 ers when the parasites are present. Probably the Lawry lice 

 powder (p. 130) would be more effective. When these par- 

 asites are abundant chickens should be kept away from the 

 places where the mites breed. 



Other External Parasites. 



The dove cot bug or "bed-bug" of poultrymen, found in pig- 

 eon lofts, sometimes invades neighboring hen roosts. It prob- 

 ably sometimes attacks fowls. It resembles closely the bed bug 

 found in dwelling houses and like this pest is hard to extermi- 

 nate as it can live almost indefinitely on dead organic matter. 

 This tick hides in cracks during the day and attacks its host 

 only at night. Persistent repetition of the sprays recommended 

 for hen roosts infected with red mites (p. 134) will destroy 

 these parasites. 



Leaflet No. 57 of the English Board of Agriculture gives the 

 following brief account of the hen flea, Pulex gallinae (or 

 avium) : 



"The fleas, which are true insects, belong to the order of 

 flies (Diptera). They feed upon the blood. One species only 

 lives upon the fowl, namely the bird flea (Pulex gallinae or 

 avium) which attacks also most other birds. The hen flea, as 

 it is generally called, is abundant in dirty fowl runs, and espe- 

 cially in the nests where straw is used. The adult flea is dark 

 in colour, and, as in all fleas, is devoid of wings. The fleas 

 are provided with very sharp piercing mouths. They are what 



