Association of mechanical cleaning and a liquid preparation of diatomaceous earth in the management of poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae (Mesostigmata: Dermanyssidae)

• Published in: Experimental & applied acarology Vol. 81; no. 2; pp. 215 - 222
• Main Authors: Alves, Luis Francisco Angeli, de Oliveira, Daian Guilherme Pinto, Pares, Rafaela Barbosa, Sparagano, Olivier A. E., Godinho, Rui Pedro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.06.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acaricides; Animal Ecology; Animal Genetics and Genomics; Animal Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Dermanyssus gallinae; Diatomaceous earth; Ectoparasites; Entomology; Farms; Intensive farming; Laboratories; Life Sciences; Mechanical cleaning; Mites; Poultry; Poultry farming; Poultry housing; Inert dust; Animal production; Ectoparasite; Alternative control
• ISSN: 0168-8162; 1572-9702
• DOI: 10.1007/s10493-020-00497-z

The poultry red mite (PRM), Dermanyssus gallinae , is an ectoparasite of great importance related to poultry farms worldwide. Problems associated with its control have led to the search for alternative treatments, especially using inert dust, which has recently been introduced into liquid formulations. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate the acaricidal activity of a liquid diatomaceous earth (DE) preparation in the laboratory and its association with mechanical cleaning (brushing) in the field. In the laboratory it was first determined that a concentration of 10% DE would be necessary for field applications. The field experiment was conducted in a commercial poultry house. The 10% DE liquid preparation was administered in three applications and associated to mechanical cleaning. Then, 42 days after the first DE application, a population reduction of 94.7% was observed in relation to the initial population of mites. These results confirm the efficiency of DE applications in association with mechanical cleaning already adopted in poultry houses as an alternative for the control of D. gallinae , which can also contribute to avoiding mite resistance to chemical acaricides.