POULTRY PESTS 



179 



important, however, if lice are to be gotten rid of entirely. 

 The two most practical methods of fighting Uce are dusting 

 and using a paste or an ointment. 



Dusting. Dusting can be done in two ways: 



1. Providing a good dust box as described on page 150, 

 containing a mixture of road dust and wood ashes, and 

 allowing the hens to dust themselves. 



2. Applying dust directly to the fowls. 

 When applying the 



dust or lice powder di- 

 rectly it should be work- 

 ed well into the feathers 

 with the hand, especially 

 around the vent and 

 under the wings. Fowls 

 dusted in this manner 

 should be treated a second 

 time in about a week or 

 ten days. A good home- 

 made hce powder can 

 be made as follows: Mix 

 IJ^ pints of gasoline and 

 half a pint of crude car- 

 bolic acid. Stir this 

 mixture thoroughly into 

 4 quarts of plaster of Paris and land plaster. Allow it 

 to dry and apply as suggested above It has recently been 

 found that sodium fluoride is very effective in getting rid 

 of lice on fowls. Sodium fluoride comes in powdered form 

 and can be purchased at most drug stores. 



Inasmuch as a httle of this powder goes a long way in 

 accomphshing results, a pound is sufficient to treat a large 

 number of fowls. The method of applying sodium fluoride 

 is by taking a small pinch between the fingers and placing 



Figure 179. — Applying sodium fluoride to a 

 fowl. 



