Techniques for rearing and handling body lice, Oriental rat fleas, and cat fleas.

The authors describe techniques for handling and rearing large numbers of body lice (Pediculus humanus humanus L.), oriental rat fleas (Xenopsylla cheopis (Rothschild)), and cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis felis (Bouché)).Body lice may be fed on man or on domestic rabbits. In the latter case, the lice are kept on woollen patches in glass dishes at 30 degrees C and 60% relative humidity. The patches are placed on the clipped belly of a rabbit once a day and the lice allowed to feed. Eggs are deposited on the patches, and the adult lice are transferred to new patches every two or three days.The adults of oriental rat fleas are fed on white rats, and the larvae are reared in a medium of dry sand and powdered beef-blood. Cocoons are placed in emergence funnels from which pure cultures drop into collecting jars. Cat fleas are raised in a very similar manner, but the adults are fed on dogs.