THE CATTLE TICK.

Shannon News, 27 February 1925, Page 4

THE CATTLE TICK.

RAVAGES OF THE PEST. Dairy farmers and stock breeders in New Zealand should make every effort to prevent the spreading of the cattle-tick menace, which is apparently allowed to gain ground at present. Cattle owners, except in affected areas, are still prone to overlook the full significance of tick activity. It has been stated that the pest cost Australia over a million pounds caused by the depreciation of hides alone and experts from that country are endeavouring to impress New Zealand producers with the fact that prevention is better and far less costly than cure.

The pest which for a long time was more or less confined to the uorthern part cf New Zealand is now and again •na!>-j.g its appearance in other districts and its recent discovery at Waitara has again roused public sentiment for drastic Government action. It is becoming more and more recognised that the mere dipping of cattle is no effective remedy of keeping the

lick from spreading-. In fact, says one writer on this subject, "I saw recently in the milking shed of a northern farmer literally handfuls of ticks scraped from the udders of cows that had been dipped within the fortnight." If this is so, our dairymen may realise what an invasion by this pest would mean to the dairy industry. 1000 Eggs at one Time. ;

The cattle tick exists on living hosts, and by sucking immense quantities of blood quickly reduces the general vitality, and in dairy cattle, the flow of milk, besides making them susceptible to various other troubles and diseases The normal growth in young cattle is interfered with and tick bitten hides possess but a reduced market value. The female tick known in New Zealand lays about 1000 eggs at tfae time Males of the species are extremely

rare, which leads to the probability that the females have convenient power of laying fertile eggs without the help of the males. The cattle tick lacks organs of sight, hearing and taste and gains almost all knowledge by touch and smell. The general surface of its skin is sensitive to light, otherwise the tick is absolutely blind and crawls haphazardly to the top of long grass to await a suitable host which is then located by touch and smell. Though cattle are the chief hosts there are no fewer than seven mammals in this Dominion which act as hosts for the cattle tick, including hares, dogs and horses, as well as a number of birds. Pest Spreading.

Although for a number of years confined to the North Auckland Peninsula, it is now in evidence as far South as the lower King Country as well as the recently reported discovery in Taranaki. It is only natural, that the utmost care should be exercised in bringing cattle fi'om areas where the tick is known to exist and the greatest supervision should take place in saleyards and similar places. Although dipping in arsenic dip preparations may kill the tick itself, it is well known that in the case of the sheep-tick, for instance, it will often not destroy the insect in the larva or pupa stage. Prevention is therefore the only reliable remedy and no effort should be spared with this end in view.