SOME POULTRY LICE AND MITES FOUND IN COLORADO By C. G. BABCOCK United States Bureau of Entomology

Transcription

1 mm ili!!!ii''"'""''''"'''''"'"''''''''''''''!i!!wi''''''""''!i!lih'''il'!!!'''''"'"''fii''fi''"''"''"''"m"''!iii!l!ilii''''fl''iii''''"fl'''m"''m'"'!l!'m"''ilii''''"'"''fi'flii'fl''fl'"m""e"mm Mrch, 1920 Extension Bulletin Series I, No. 165-A Colordo Agriculturl College EXTENSION SERVICE Fort Collins, Colordo H. T. FRENCH. Director mmii "'""'' '''''"'"'"'''' "ll'll''''!iil"ii'''' '" ii!illii!li!iiii'!!! 11'11' mmii SOME POULTRY LICE AND MITES FOUND IN COLORADO By C. G. BABCOCK United Sttes Bureu of Entomology ~ ~ Applying sodium fluoride by pinch method. (From Frmers' Bulletin No. 801, U. S. D. A.) "!!iiili!ii!lili!!iii !ii!il!il'llilil'ii'ili!i!"'"'"''liil!i'iliiilil'll'mmli''""'"'"'"""""'"'EIIIWi'''"'"""'"""''''''"''"'"""'""""'""""'""""""'""'""'"" CO-OPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE IN AGRICULTURE AND HOME ECONOMICS-COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE AND U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CO-OPERATING Published in the furthernce of the ct of My 8, 1914 Cooperting Prties United Sttes Bureu of Entomology nd Colordo Agricuiturl Collee m"m"'iillilii''"i!!l!!!!lil""mm"m"m" illllill!llllll iliili!i!ii "!ii!"'"i!!!"'" "!!iii!iiiii"'"''''"iii"!!!tiiiil"i!i!!!!!"i!i!ii' ""i!!l"""!!l!"'l!!'!iilili"ii!!!iii!iiili!!ii!'ii' mm

2 Colordo Agriculturl College FORT COLLINS, COLORADO THE STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE Term Expires HON. A. A. EDWARDS, President of the Bord... Fort Collins, 1921 HON. J. S. CALKINS... westminster, 1921 HON. H. D. PARKER... Greeley, 192h MRS. AGNES L. RIDDLE... Denver, 1923 HON. J. C. BELL... Montrose, 1925 HON. E. M. AMMONS... Denver, 1925 HON. W. I. GIFFORD... Durngo, 1927 HON. J. B. RYAN... Rocky Ford, 1927 PRESIDENT CHAS. A. LORY, GOVERNOR OLIVER H. SHOUP ~Ex-Officio L. M. TAYLOR, Secretry L. C. :\IOORE, Tresurer EXECUTIVE CO~TTEE A. A. EDWARDS, Chirmn E. M. AMMONS H. D. PARKER EXTENSION SERVICE OFFICERS CHAS. A. LORY... President H. T. FRENCH... Director A. E. LOVETT... Stte Leder County Agriculturl Agents l\iiria.m :\I. HA YNE Stte Leder Co. Home Demonstrtion Agents :\IACDE SHERIDAN... Stte Leder Boys' nd Girls' Clubs ANNA T. BARNARD... ExEcutive Clerk EXTENSION S~AFF RALPH L. CROSl\IAN... Editor of Publictions R. W. CLARK... Animl Husbndry STUART L. SWEET... Field Agent in Mrketing 0. S. RAYNER... Frm Mngement Demonstrtions R. H. FELTS... Assistnt Stte Leder County Agriculturl Agents A. E. McCLYMONDS... Specilist in Agronomy R. R. LANCASTER... Assistnt Stte Leder County Agriculturl Agents J. '1'. TINGLE... Assistnt Stte Leder Boys' nd Girls' Clubs EUNICE KENNEDY... Assistnt Stte Leder Boys' nd Girls' Clubs ERMA DOUGLASS... Assistnt Stte Leder Home Demonstrtion Agents COLLEGE FACULTY CO-OPERATING COUNTY AGRICULTURAL AGENTS County Js. E. Morrison, Sterling... Logn W. H. Luck, Colordo Sprngs El Pso W. J. Ott, Fort Morgn... Morgn H. H. Simpson, Longmont.. Boulder E. D. Smith, Durngo... L Plt Geo. R. Smith, Brighton... Adms Rlph R. Jeffries, Cnon City.Fremont C. D. Hytt, Monte Vist.. Rio Grnde Chs. E. Smith, Trinidd. LfJ Anims Mf"on E. Knpp, Greeley... Weld Wldo Kidder, Wlsenburg.Huerfno F. D. Yeger, Delt... Deli: Mry Collopy, County Home Demonstrtion Agent, Co 1 or do Springs... El Pso Susnne Thompson, County Home Demonstrtion Agent... Sterling Mrs. W. R. Rmsey, County Club Leder... Denver L. Morgn Sweitzer. Lmr.. Prowers County Scott Wisner, Hugo... Lincoln K. A. McCskill, Golden... Jefferson Wlter A. Groom, Littleton.Arphoe, Crig... Mofft Ben H. King, Montrose... Montrose J. C. Hle, Stembot Springs.. Routt H. 0. Strnge, Burlington. Kit Crson G. P. Newsom, Cortez... Montezum D. C. Bscom, Fort Collins... Lrimer W. F. Droge, Rocky Ford... OtPro -----, Cstle Rock... Dough; s Wm. 0. Suder. Center... Sg-uche 0. L. Dvis, Pueblo... Pueblo H. L. Ford, Kiow... Elhert L. P. McCnn, Grnd Junction... }fe,:: w. s. Hill. County Cluh Lec~fl~ns... Fort il J. T. Robertson, County Club tf:t 1 :fon '... ' C1 b Ameli Alexnniler. Count:; Flugler Leder...

3 SOME POUI... TRY LICE AND MITES FOUND IN COLORADO By e.g. BABCOCK United Sttes Bureu of Entomology The mount of dmge cused by the rvges of lice, mites nd other prsites on the frm flocks, both directly nd indirectly, is pplling when one stops to give the subject moment's thought. Every yer we her such expressions s: "My chickens re lousy"; "My hens re not doing well"; "Wht cn I do for lice?" "How cn I get rid of mites?" ''My bby chicks died of hed lice"; "My chickens hve gone down in egg production", nd so the story goes. The fct of the mtter is, poultry prsites re mong the most serious obstcles to successful poultry rising in Colordo. They cuse loss by ctul deth, especilly mong young chickens, retrded growth, lowered vitlity which permits vrious diseses to gin foothold, nd reduced egg production. It is difficult to sy whether lice or mites produce the gretest loss, but they re both serious nd both quite esily combtted by following the right method. Lice nd mites re very different in hbits nd must be fought in very different wys. Lice remin on the fowls lmost entirely nd do not infest the nests nd buildings. Mites nd bedbugs, on the other hnd, remin for the most prt in the chicken houses bout the roosts, nests, nd wlls during the dytime nd suck blood t night. POULTRY LICE A creful study hs reveled the fct tht there re t lest seven known species of lice occurring upon chickens in the United Sttes. Four of these re known to occur commonly in Colordo, nd these will be discussed seprtely, but s the method of control recommended is pplicble to ll, this subject will be discussed s unit. Hed Louse 1 - This louse is t home when ttched to the fethers on top of the hed or on the neck hckles. While these gryish lice re on the hed fethers they remin there with hed down nd jws lmost touching the skin. On bby chicks they re to be found in the down on top of the hed nd beneth the bill, 1Lipeurus heterogrphus.

4 4 CoLORADO AGRICULTURAL CoLL~G~ where the eggs re deposited in considerble numbers. Instinctively the hed louse will leve the mother hen nd infest the bby chicks. Often this occurs before the chicks re dry fter htching. In these erly dys of life the chicks re nturlly very esily injured by ny dverse condition nd lrge number of lice on them will soon cuse their wings to droop nd the vitlity to wne. If not relieved promptly, the brood will begin to die off nd not infrequently every chick will succumb. In fct, the hed louse is one of the chief cuses of loss in young chicks. Whilethe injury is not so pprent mong grown fowls, the lice re undoubtedly deleterious, dversely ffecting growth, fttening, nd egg production. Body Louse 1.-There is no doubt tht the body louse is the most common nd the most injurious of chicken lice occurring in Colordo. Unlike the hed louse, this louse lives directly upon the skin, trveling hither nd thither over the body of its host, but often congregting in gret numbers in the re below the vent. Gently seprte the fethers nd these brownish, yellow-looking lice will be seen running in ll directions. The eggs re deposited in msses ner the bse of the fethers nd below the vent, nd in hevy infesttions upon other body fethers including the short fethers below the bill nd long the throt. In hlf-grown chickens the body louse is often present on the neck nd eggs. re commonly deposited in this region. Shft Louse 2.-This louse is especilly common in the estern nd southestern sttes nd hs proven to be very injurious. It hs lso been found infesting chickens in severl sections in Colordo. It is some1.vht smller thn the body louse, less spiny, drk yellow in color, nd exceedingly ctive. The preferred region of ttck is upon the shfts of the fethers. When the fethers re quickly seprted these shft lice will be seen running rpidly down the shft of the fethers. Flufl Louse"'.-So clled becuse it is most lwvs found in the fine, fluffy portion of the fethers. This louse is co~prtiveiy inctive, rther short, somewht brod, nd of ple yellowish color. Due to its hbits, it is very esily overlooked. It is seldom found ner the bse of the fethers. It is less injurious thn the other three kinds. The lrge hen louse nd the brown louse re the two lrgest species known to infest our chickens. The former is gryish in color, somewht inctive, nd pprently not confined to ny prticulr prt of fowl. The brown louse is very similr in 1 Menopon biseritum. 2Menopon pllidum. SGoniocotes holgster.

5 SoME PouLTRY LICE AND MITES 5 A few fethers from one hen bering msses of body louse ~ggs. (Originl).

6 6 CoLORADO AGRICU~TURAL Co~LEG~ hbit~, brownish in color, nd ppers to be confined to the Gulf cost region. Control of Chicken Lice All poultry lice feed by chewing their food nd since they rrely leve the host, but spend their entire life upon the prey, it is resonble to suppose tht the lice my be killed with stomch poison. Experiments conducted by the United Sttes Bureu of Entomology hve proven tht ll poultry lice cn be completely destroyed by the use of stomch poison known s sodium fluoride. The commercil powder, contining from 90 to 97 per cent. sodium fluoride, is to be recommended. This mteril is fine, white powder nd my be used either s dust or s dip. If properly pplied by either method nd if every fowl is treted, complete erdiction of lice from the flock will result. The fowls will then remin clen until they come in contct with other lousy individuls. It is dvisble, especilly where lrge number of chickens re mintined, to exclude infested fowls, nd if dditions re mde to the flock to tret them s recommended below before freeing them in the yrds. It is well to look t the hens t lest once or twice yer in cse some lice my hve escped through crelessness t the time of tretment or by infested fowls gining ccess to the premises. Dusting.-As dust do not dilute the powder with ny substnce whtever, but use it pure. The shker method of ppliction my be used if thoroughly done to distribute the poison over every prt of the fowl including the hed, wings, nd til. The so-clled pinch method is more economicl of time nd mteril. A pinch of the powder is tken between the thumb nd finger nd plced on the skin t the bse of the fethers on top of hed, nd other pinches distributed s follows : One on bck of neck, one on throt, one on brest, one on ech thigh, one below vent, two on bck nd one on ech spred wing nd. spred til. In treting bby chicks, tke pinch of sodium fluoride nd pply hlf of it to top of the hed nd the other hlf below the bill, nd sctter one or two pinches over the rest of the body, depending upon its size nd ge. Cre must be exercised in dusting bby chicks. Dust them on wrm, sunshiny dys nd during the morning hours. At the sme time dust the mother to prevent trnsference of lice. If the dy is cold, the bby chicks will crowd beneth the mother nd in this wy obtin some of the poison internlly, resulting in the deth of the chicks. Alwys tret the hens before the htch

7 SoME PouLTRY LrcE AND MITES 7 comes off nd it will not be necessry to dust the chicks. Incubtor chicks re not lousy until fter hving ssocited with infested fowls. It will require pproximtely one pound of sodium fluoride to tret one hundred chickens. Dipping.-The dipping method is to be recommended bove the dusting method when wether conditions re fvorble, tht is, in mild wether on bright, sunny dy. This is especilly true when twenty-five or more fowls re to be treted. This insures thoroughness, reduces the time used in tretment, nd if fifty or more fowls re to be treted dipping reduces the cost of mteril. Furthermore, the irrittion of the nose nd throt of the opertor by the powder is voided. Of course for the tretment o.f fowls in winter or for young chicks or sitting hens the pinch method s described should be followed. In prepring for dipping, medium sized tub is filled with tepid wter to depth of t lest 8 inches, the wter being mesured. One ounce, or three level tblespoonfuls, of sodium fluoride is dded for ech gllon of wter. While the mteril dissolves redily in wter, it is necessry to stir the solution before dipping. To d ip, firmly hold the fowl by the bse of the wings nd submerge it in the dip. With the other hnd ruffle the fethers so tht the dip will touch the skin nd prtilly wet the fethers, then duck the hed couple of times. Choose wrm, sunny dy nd complete the dipping some time before sundown. The fethers re not wet very thoroughly by this tretment nd the fowls will dry in very short time. There is no injury to the skin or fethers nd the ltter re not discolored. The met is not tinted in the lest. Immeditely fter the dipping opertion, dispose of the dip 1vhere there will be no possibility of the chickens drinking it. Also, if glvnized iron tub is used for the dip it should be emptied nd rinsed t once to prevent chemicl rection from the sodium fluoride. Commercil sodium fluoride my now be obtined from ny lrge wholesle drug house in five-pound lots, from number of the drug stores, few seed nd hrdwre houses, nd the lrge mil order houses. It should be sold t retil t from 30 to 60 cents per pound.

8 COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE Dipping fowl in solution of sodium fluoride to destroy lice. All lice killed by single tretment. (Originl.) The Roost or Chicken Mite The roost mite is not n insect, but belongs to tht group of nimls hving eight legs when mture, such s the spider, dddy longlegs, nd ticks. An verge of three to seven smll, white, ovl eggs re lid t time by the dult mite in the crcks nd crevices of chicken roost, behind bords, nd sometimes beneth shingles on the roof. This process my be repeted s mny s seven or eight times, or in ll twenty-five to thirty-five eggs my be deposited. The newly htched mite possesses only six legs nd never feeds. After molting it hs eight legs. The pest will then prtke of mel of blood from some unfortunte fowl on the roost nd then leve the host nd gin hide in some crevice, digest the mel nd cst its skin. Agin, when drkness previls, this pest will secure nother full

9 SoME PouLTRY LICE AND MITEs 9 mel, leve the host, shed its skin nd on some other evening prtke of third fest. After hving engorged for the third time the mite is mture, mting tkes plce nd eggs re lid. The development from egg to dult mite requires bout seven to ten dys. The mite my live without food for bout four months. The red mite, blck mite, nd grey mite re ll one; the color is due to different stges of digestion of the blood. Tht is to sy, the gry mite is redy to feed, the red mite hs just hd mel, nd the bluish-blck mite hs pretty well digested its mel Control As this pest feeds t night nd hides in the crcks during the dy, good suggestion is given s to the method of control. Mny remedies hve been suggested, some of which re firly stisfctory only when pplied t ten-dy or weekly intervls, such s kerosene, sponified creosotes, nd other solutions. Even though kerosene or gsoline will kill when the mites re ctully covered with the oil, yet these light oils hve not the power to penetrte the crcks nd crevices where the mites re gthered by the hundreds nor hve they body enough to lst well. The hevy oils such s nthrcene (hndled commercilly s wood preservtive known s crbolineum) or crude petroleum (blck oil, louse oil, fuel oil) re the most stisfctory. Crbolineum, on ccount of its penetrtive power nd lsting qulities, is undoubtedly the best. Crude petroleum rnks next s mite destroyer. It is usully inexpensive but is less persistent nd will soil the fowls more thn crbolineum. Spry the house thoroughly with one prt kerosene oil, three prts crbolineum or crude petroleum nd see tht ll crcks, hinges, roosts, etc. re covered. When the mteril is spryed, use good bucket pump, good pressure nd good bordeux nozzle. It is preferble to tret the house in the morning. After the house hs been thoroughly treted wipe the excess oil off the roosts becuse ny oil tht comes in contct with the fowls' tender skin my cuse injury. Then remove ll unnecessry boxes, nd mnure, from the chicken house nd simplify the roosts s much s possible. Rebuild the roost in such wy tht it does not touch the sides of the chicken house nd mke it detchble without nils so it my be exmined for mites t ny time. Thus if mites re present they will usully be confined to the roosts only. Crude petroleum will lst bout four weeks, crbolineum severl months. If second tretment is necessry, the roosts only need to be treted with the pure oil pplied with pint brush.

10 10 CoLORADO AGRICUL.TURAL CoLLEGE Type of roost designed to combt chicken mites. Note ese with which roost is tken to pleces nd treted with brush. Crbolineum should not be confused with sponified creosote clled crboline. This is not to be recommended. If the crbolineum cn not be obtined from your locl deler it my be obtined from number of mnufcturers. It will require between five nd eight gllons of the spry mteril to thoroughly tret n ordinry frm poultry house. SCALY LEG There is no doubt tht poultrymen nd most frmers re more or less fmilir with roughened scly ppernce of the feet nd shnks of chickens. The distortion of the legs nd feet is cused from the ttcks of very smll mite. This mite enters the skin beneth scle nd forms tunnel, where the mite feeds, develops, mtes, nd deposits eggs. It continully irrittes the host. This constnt irrittion elevtes the epiderml or skin scles. After time, when thousnds of these mites re ctively t work, the scles will begin to drop off, toe nils my lso be lost, nd in severe cses the host my become so lme s to be unble to get on the roost. Infection tkes plce very slowly nd, in fct, severe cse is often seen in wht my be clled helthy flock. When chicken is once disesed, the infection develops slowly but surely nd generlly persists for long time. In severe cses the birds become thin, lose their ppetites, nd being unble to scrtch for bugs go down in egg production nd my become lmost worthless. In rre cses the comb nd neck re infected.

11 SoME PouLTRY LicE AND MITES II Control As with other poultry prsites, mny remedies hve been suggested nd tried. Some of them re quite stisfctory. Extensive experiments fvor the hevy oils on ccount of their hevy body, lsting qulities, nd penetrtive powers. In using oils, void getting on the fethers nd be especilly creful not to let it come in contct with the tender skin becuse of the irritting nd blistering effects tht re lmost sure to follow. On ccount of its effectiveness nd chepness, crude petroleum is highly recommended. This oil my be sold under severl nmes, s Beumont oil, blck oil, fuel oil, louse oil, nd hog oil. The opertion is simple. Secure smll vessel- gllon cn or lrd bucket of sufficient height-fill the vessel nerly full of crude petroleum, with one hnd hold the chicken's wings nd with the other hold the legs, dip the feet nd shnks in the petroleum, llow the feet to drin nd turn the fowl loose. Dip erly in the dy so tht the excess oil will hve been rubbed off during the dily ctivity. In very severe cses second dipping bout month lter my be necessry in order to get ll the mites. This method is quick nd esy, not pinful to the fowl, thus mking it prcticble to tret severl hundred in short time. If only very few chickens re kept nd crude petroleum is not ccessible the following method my be used though it is very tedious nd slow: Sok the feet nd shnks in wrm sopsuds until scles re loosened, then grese the feet nd legs with sulphur nd lrd, or lrd plus 6 per cent. crbolic cid. A second tretment s soon s the oil hs disppered nd possibly severl my be necessry. THE BEDBUG Strictly speking this is humn enemy nd hs followed mn wherever he hs gone, but it is cpble of living in close ssocition with certin other life. When such is the cse it is usully ccidentl s, for instnce, chickens being llowed to roost in brn tht ws previously infested with bedbugs, by bedbugs leving n unoccupied dwelling nd finding their wy into poultry house. Mny chicken houses infested with this humn prsite prove beyond doubt tht the chicken is fvorble host. Lrge msses of bedbugs congregte between bords, in knot holes, bout joints, in the roof, bout nests nd other suitble plces, nd my be esily detected by their peculir odor, the smll blck chrcteristic specks, or by ctul observtion of the insect inself. Bedbugs re somewht reddish in color nd flt in shpe. The eggs re smll, white, cylindricl objects nd re fstened to the bords or strw

12 12 CoLORADO AGRICULTURAL CoLLEGE bout nests, roosts, nd other hiding plces. The eggs htch in few dys into smll, somewht trnsprent bby bedbugs resembling piece of lint. It is due to the protective colortion tht this stge is often overlooked. After the first mel of blood this pest is of bright red, lmost scrlet color, but soon turns to dull bluish tint. The bedbug feeds t night, hiding during the dy. It is cpble of existing for months without food under proper temperture nd moisture conditions. Control In humn dwellings bedbugs re killed by cynide gs, but in chicken houses this method is entirely out of the question. The sme method of control s dvised for roost mites is recommended for the begbug in poultry houses. TURKEY LICE The body louse of the chicken is probbly the most common nd injurious pest ttcking turkeys. It infests the turkey the sme s it does the chicken nd when present my lwys be found upon the skin below the vent, the eggs being deposited there in msses t the bse of the fethers. The lrge turkey louse 1 is, strictly speking, genuine turkey louse. It is very lrge, brown louse with prominent hed, hving two projections extending bckwrd. It is to be found upon ny prt of its host except possibly the hed nd wings. There is lso very lrge turkey wing louse 2 When present it is found between the brbules of the lrge wing nd til fethers. It is common prctice for people to htch turkey eggs beneth hen. When this is done there is usully gret del of trouble resulting from hed louse injury. The louse in question is the common chicken hed louse. It is found in gret numbers ttched to the fethers on top of the hed of young turkeys nd its injurious effects re eqully s pprent s in the cse of young chickens. Control.-The sme s for chicken lice. LICE OF GEESE AND DUCKS Wing lice re firly common upon these fowls nd cn usully be found if looked for. The wing lice of the goose re found upor the lrge nd smll wing fethers, the eggs lmost lwys being plced ner the shfts of the smll wing fethers on the under side of the wings. Lice on grown geese re seldom of ny prticulr importnce. Goslings re commonly infested with lice when rised with chickens. The louse in question is usully the common body louse of chickens. On this host it seems to prefer the 1Goniodes stylifer. 2Lipeurus heterogrphus.

13 SoME PouLTRY LICE AND MITES 13 under side or brest. Here they my be observed crwling upon the skin nd mong the fluff from the vent to ner the neck. It seems tht the dense fluff on the bck is not ttrctive to this louse. Hed lice re often very destructive to ducklings brooded by hens. Control The sme s for chicken lice except tht the goslings my be dipped if one so desires. The close fethers necessitte more thorough tretment thn is dvised for chickens. For dipping, disso1ve smll mount of lundry sop in wter nd dd to the sodium fluoride solution t the rte of 1 ounce per gllon. In dusting, especilly when goslings or ducklings re treted, it is dvisble to rrnge their drinking wter so tht they cn not get into it nd thus get it contminted with the chemicl. LICE OF GUINEA FOWLS Guine fowls re infested with severl kinds of lice, yet they seldom hve lice tht pprently become numerous enough to cuc;c trouble. These guine lice pprently never infest other fowls. vvhen guine fowls re llowed or forced to mingle with nd roost with chickens they will become crriers of some of the chicken lice. Therefore if guine is dded to flock of chickens, even though temporrily, it would be best to tret it beforehnd with sodium fluoride. PIGEON LICE AND MITES There re severl different kinds of pigeon lice recorded, but only two pper to be common. These re the pigeon wing louse 1 nd the pigeon shft louse 2 The wing louse is beyond question the most common, occurring upon the lrge wing fethers nd, when numerous, upon the til nd hckle fethers. This louse is 1::-ng nd slender nd well dpted to the wing nd til fethers, but very much out of plce on the body fethers. The pigeon shft louse ppers not to be confined to ny prticulr prt of the host. It is smll rther brod, yellowish-looking louse nd somewht ctive. Control Creful experiments crried out by the United Sttes Bureu of Entomology indicte the desirbility of the dip method of using sodium fluoride for the destruction of pigeon lice. To insure complete destruction it is best to use sopy solution, otherwise the dip does not penetrte the fethers well. llipeurus bculus. 2Qoniocotes compr.

14 14 COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE To tret the flock first confine ll the pigeons to one prt of the pigeonry. Dissolve one ounce of good sop in one gllon of wter. Mix up the mount of sopy wter necessry nd to this dd 1 ounce of sodium fluoride to ech gllon of the solution. By the use of fish net or insect net the pigeons cn be cptured quite esily. The sopy sodium fluoride dip penetrtes nd wets the fethers quickly. This will lso fcilitte rpid tretment of lrge flock. In order to void possible poisoning of the pigeons by their bthing wter becoming contminted with sodium fluoride, it is dvised tht the bth wter be removed for few dys nd the drinking wter protected so they cn not bthe in it. Pigeon Mite.-The pigeon mite is somewht rre, yet it hs been tken in Colordo, the squbs especilly being subject to ttck. This mite resembles, but is not the sme s, the roost. or chicken mite. When present it cn be found mong the nesting mteril nd on the squbs during the dy s well s t night. If found it would be best to send specimens to the entomologist t the Agriculturl College for identifiction nd dvice. Flies.-Occsionlly, smll yellowish-looking flies re noticed drting in nd out mong the fethers. These Hippoboscid flies re blood-suckers nd owing to their hbits re seldom seen. When numerous they re quite injurious. During moist wether, especilly if the nesting mteril nd pigeon mnure is llowed to become wet, fly mggots re lmost sure to be found. If the nest boxes re kept clen nd in dry plce this trouble is quickly eliminted. PEAFOWL LICE Like ll other fowls, pefowls re subject to lice. Probbly the lrge pecock louse 1 is the most common. These lice my be esily controlled with sodium fluoride pplied by the pinch method. Being lrge bird, it requires bout twice s much poison s for chickens. IGoniodes flcicornis.