the FOWL TICK 



how to control it 



The fowl tick 1 injures poultry by 

 sucking blood. It prefers chickens, 

 but it also attacks other poultry, 

 chiefly turkeys. 



The fowl tick is also called the 

 chicken tick and the bluebug. 



This pest occurs mostly in South- 

 ern States, particularly where an- 

 nual rainfall is light, as in the 

 Southwest. It sometimes occurs in 

 more humid, cooler States, to which 

 it is carried in the shipment of 

 infested poultry and crates. 



The fowl tick can be controlled 

 by following good sanitation prac- 

 tices, and by spraying with insecti- 

 cides. 



NATURE OF INJURY 



The blood sucking of fowl ticks 

 causes poultry to be unthrifty, to 

 lose weight, and to lay fewer eggs. 

 Heavy infestations of ticks some- 

 times kill fowls and often cause 

 setting hens to desert their nests. 



Chickens infested with ticks show 

 weakness in the legs, droopiness of 

 the wings, and loss of appetite; they 

 have pale combs and wattles. 



1 Argas persicus. 



HOW FOWL TICKS 

 DEVELOP 



Fowl ticks lay brownish, spheri- 

 cal eggs in cracks and rough places 

 of poultry houses or roosting areas. 

 In warm weather, the eggs hatch 

 in about 2 weeks; in cool weather 

 they hatch in 2 or 3 months. 



When the eggs hatch, the young 

 ticks, or larvae, attach themselves 

 to poultry. They gather in places 

 where feathers are sparse — under 

 wings and on thighs and neck. 

 They remain on the fowls about a 

 week, sucking blood. Then they 

 drop off at night, while the fowls 

 are on the roost, and seek a hiding 

 place. They are about l /io inch 

 long and dark blue or purplish. 



After a few days the larvae molt 

 to the next stage: They become 

 nymphs. The nymphs also attach 

 themselves to fowls, and feed; but 

 they remain attached only a few 

 minutes at a time. After each feed- 

 ing they drop off and seek a hiding 

 place. Each nymph feeds two or 

 three times, and molts several days 

 after each meal. After the final 

 molt, the ticks become adults. 

 Adults feed several times, for a 

 few minutes each time, and females 



