CATTLE TICK MENACE.

Northern Advocate, 18 June 1923, Page 8

CATTLE TICK MENACE.

INVESTIGATIONS BY DEPARTMENT. TALK BY DR. KEAKES. "We are taking every precaution to prevent cattle from infejfed areas from entering oth'M- districts," s:4d Dr. C. J. Roakes (Director' of Agriculture) in an informal talk to farmers at the New Plymouth Winter Show last week. He said the department had inspector? t!i '>ughout the Waikato, whoso duty it was to issue permit.-, to any stock intended for removal. In addition, w. ti'iinien were stationed 011 the roads to stop travelling animals without a proper permit. A special effort was being made to push back the outer boundaries of declared areas. Every known infected spot in the 15 area was marked, and .one duty of the officers of the department was to see that the best steps were taken to endeavour to deal with the ticks there. Their efforts so far had given some encouraging results. In North Auckland a very well equipped scientist had been engaged for months past in investigating the life history of these ticks. The report was not yet quite ready, but from information to hand they were convinced that the ticks did not conform in every particular to their book informaion. As soon as definite advice was received the department would adapt its methods within infected districts to the conditions now being established. HABITS OF TICKS. The time individual ticks remain upon animals had been found to be less than was at first supposed. It was now pretty certain that : tick world only remain upon an animal about seven days 011 the avenge, and not 14. There was therefore less risk of being found upon cattle that had passed through supervision ami then travelled a long distance, and this in itself formed a considerable safeguard, though not a permanent one. A curious habit of ticks was that they spent a great deal miore of their life upon the ground than upon the beast's skin, and, judging from observation, the rate of mortality must be very high indeed.

It had been universally noted that the tick pest was most troublesome whore <a rank growth of grass, etc., existed. Open paddocks within n few miles of country harbouring numbers of ticks seemed to be almost entirely free from the pest in snmmier. and none could be found on the ground in the winter. There was causc for congratulation that the chief dairying amis in Taranaki were mostly well pastured, and consequently less liable to retain ticks. It was seen that a female tick invariably sought shelter among the long grasses after faring off the animals, and it was certain that eggs were deposited on the ground, not on the animal, as many people imagine. Although most partial to cattle, ticks had been found on horses, hares, dogs and even sheep; but the fanner had a good friend in the starling, which accounted for many of the pests on tho ground ,and had also been noticed perched upon the backs of cattle eating ticks. MODE OF LIFE. Under favourable conditions young ticks had lived for months in the laboratory, but soon died off if subjected to insufficient moisture. Their mode of life was curious, for the female tick had to go through three stages upon three separate animals before it could reproduce. It had been estimated that, of the thousands of eggs from one tick, very few actually survived to becomie mature. Temperature and cover were the chief factors for the successful reproduction of young ticks.

In conclusion, Dr. Reakes said that ticks were most undesirable anywhere, and every effort should be made to deal effectively with them. The piece of leather from South Africa, on exhibition at the Show, which was punctured by ticks and consequently depreciated in value, was in itself evidence of the damage ticks could cause, and though the New Zealand tick was of an entirely different variety it had to attach itself to the hide in the same way. Farmerw in the tick country had given information freely on being questioned. The department was netivtIv continuing the campaign, and with the help of the ndditiona! knowledge now beim; compiled and the co-opera-tion of farmers and by common-sense measures, honed to jjive the menace a severe setback.