Tropical Fowl Mite in the United States. 7 



sulphur proved effective in killing the mites but broke down the 

 feathers very badly. 



Final work. — In the final clean-up an attempt was made to get 

 complete eradication. At the present writing this seems to have been 

 accomplished, though more time must elapse before this can be de- 

 termined definitely. The poultry houses and chicken coops were 

 cleaned and all nesting material was burned. The manure was 

 lightly sprayed with carbolineum and then hauled to a garden or 

 other sunny place inaccessible to fowls. The inside walls of the 

 houses and coops, the roosts, dropping boards, floors, and nests were 

 either sprayed or painted with carbolineum. 



The fowls were then given a thorough dusting with sulphur, a dust 

 can being used and the material being applied liberally. At the time 

 of treatment it was raining. The fowls, freshly dusted with sulphur, 

 were sent out into the rain. Xo bad results were noted. The owner 

 of the flock was sure this treatment would be injurious, but con- 

 fessed she saw no injury. The writer believes that from this and 

 other experiments the common notion that fowls are injured by get- 

 ting wet after being dusted with sulphur is pure fallacy. The half- 

 grown chickens and the mother hens were treated in like manner. 

 The baby chicks were not treated, but the brood coops were given 

 clean nesting material and then dusted with sulphur. 



A sheep shed with an open front and a straw-thatched roof was 

 found to be used as a breeding place for hundreds of English spar- 

 rows. The front was closed with burlap, except for a small opening 

 at the ground through which the sheep might enter. After this 

 change five sparrows were the greatest number seen in the shed when 

 examination was made at night. All sparrow nests that could be 

 located were robbed of eggs or young and the nests burned. This 

 was done all over the farm. The owners were advised to keep up a 

 continuous war against the sparrow hj destroying eggs, young, and 

 nests whenever found. 



INJURIOUSNESS. 



A continuous heavy infestation of the tropical fowl mite often 

 results in the death of the fowl. Sitting hens will leave their nests 

 if not relieved of the infestation. Although the disease spirochae- 

 tosis has not been reported in this country, this disease may be pres- 

 ent nevertheless, and with this mite present the danger of its spread 

 would be increased. Some fowls in a flock seem to be more heavily 

 infested than others. Apparently those fowls that dust themselves 

 most are freest from the mite. Infestations on cock birds appear to 

 average heavier than on hens. 



