New tools, challenges for poultry farm insect control

Insect control is an important part of poultry farm biosecurity programs and can help prevent nuisance lawsuits from neighbors.

Producers recognize the need for an effective layer farm insect control program as an important part of a biosecurity program. The extensive list of chicken and human diseases that might be transmitted by flies, darkling beetles and mites includes viral, bacterial and parasitic diseases such as Salmonella, avian influenza, E. coli, infectious bursal disease, coccidiosis and roundworms. The egg industry also strives to reduce the potential impact of these pests on neighbors and adjacent operations. Flies have been cited in recent North Carolina nuisance lawsuits filed against hog producers.

Product offerings are varied and include sprays, granular baits, sticky traps with or without insecticides, dust, pheromone traps and parasitical insects. Contact insecticide groups include pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, organophosphates and spinosyns. Organophosphates with long residual control can only be applied by a licensed pesticide applicator.

Contact larvacides and insect growth regulators are also important tools as, for example, house fly infestations are estimated to have 80 percent or more of the insects in the larva stage at any one time of measurement.

An infestation normally has 80 percent or more of flies in the larva stage. | Holger Kirk, Shutterstock

Fly control

Mike Nash, regional manager for Starbar, stresses the importance of treating flies on three different levels of the building based on their natural behaviors: “We recommend fly scatter baits, fly bait sprays and fly abatement strips on the floor or as low as possible, as that’s where flies feed. Inside and outside walls should be sprayed with fly bait product that includes an attractant and active ingredient. Use pheromone bags or bottle traps five to six feet off the ground to control flies where they mate and fly. Finally, place brightly colored sticky traps up high where flies rest.” Nash encourages producers to treat the outside of buildings with fly bait sprays and pheromone traps to eliminate flies that migrate on and off the premises.

A first-in-class dual-action insecticide branded as Decimari is appearing on the market this fall as an introduction from MGK. Containing both a neonicotinoid (clothianidin) for adult house fly control and an insect growth regulator (pyriproxyfen) for larvae control, the product has scatter, bait station and paint- or spray-on application approvals. Adult flies have been shown to have 90 percent reproductive inhibition before dying, and larvae die either by ingesting or contact with the product.

Starbar has recently introduced a new product, Cyanarox, which contains a new active ingredient — cyantraniliprole. Flies die after feeding due to muscle paralysis. As one granule can kill up to 90 flies, the usage rate is much lower than most traditional baits. Producers will benefit from having a new product to include in their insect control rotation programs.

Darkling beetle control

With the advent of more birds having floor access, an opportunity emerges for darkling beetles to become more of a challenge for the egg industry. For persistent darkling beetle infections, MGK has a recent introduction, Tobex, which is also labeled for fly and other insect control. This is a combination product that contains a contact ingredient and an insect growth regulator ingredient, as well as a synergist, which accelerates the effect of the ingredients. This product must be used between flocks and has been reported to be very effective in reducing the impact of flies and darkling beetles.

Mites and bed bugs

James Arends, Ph.D., of JABB of the Carolinas, warns, “As we continue to house more layers in less-intensive housing, we will face more pest problems. There are many ‘old’ pests out there that were previously not present in our layer houses which are looking for a place to live. In time, they will show up in our newer systems.” Backyard flocks are a reservoir of these pests, which are waiting for a lapse in biosecurity to move into commercial production houses.

Northern fowl mites are a recognized pest that egg producers have dealt with for years. As northern fowl mites live on the chicken, an infestation is easily recognized. Red mites and bed bugs both hide in cracks and crevices, making them much more difficult to treat.

North American industry experts are closely monitoring reports of red mites, which have plagued European producers, causing significant financial losses. To date, only a few red mite reports in the U.S. and Canada have been recorded in commercial layers. One flock is suspected to have suffered secondary E. coli mortality transmitted by red mites during a serious infestation.

Arends says red mites are very common in backyard flocks, as well as in colony birds such as pigeons and starlings. U.S. approval of a treatment product that is very successful in Europe is still a year or two away, so producers need to be vigilant to avoid red mite infestations.

PureScience Poultry Mite Dust from TyraTech is a recent introduction for treatment of northern fowl mites and bed bugs. This product contains geraniol and thyme oil as active ingredients, which are safe, even for use directly on birds. One important feature is that it’s effective as a knockdown product for adults and also kills the mite eggs by attacking the cuticle. One of the ingredients is also an irritant for both mites and bed bugs and is said to cause them to leave their hiding places, which is important since traditional insecticides will only work if the pest comes in contact with them. Two applications, one week apart, are recommended to ensure complete control. Producers are able to observe absence of mites about four weeks after initial treatment. A backpack blower/dust applicator is used to distribute the product.

While still a relatively rare occurrence, there have been reports of bed bug infestations in laying hen houses in a few states. While bed bugs evidently don’t greatly affect bird performance, they do create a negative effect on work place environment for employees. The infestation and re-infestation cycle can alter between chickens, the chicken house, workers and their homes. So, if treatment is planned for a layer house, a coordinated effort must also be undertaken to treat workers and their homes at the same time.

Bedbugs are not as common as the northern fowl mite in U.S. layer houses, but they present some unique eradication challenges. | Courtesy of RPS Fumigation

Traditional insecticides are effective for bed bugs that are exposed to the product. However, as bed bugs hide in equipment, cracks and crevices, it is extremely difficult to completely eliminate an infestation with insecticides.

A complete and thorough clean-out is required after the flock is removed. Bed bugs are susceptible to extreme heat (130 F to 140 F for several hours), but it is extremely difficult to reach and maintain these temperatures in a poultry house. One operation used this method and had an unfortunate consequence of misshapen plastic equipment after the attempted eradication.

Several farms have opted for an expensive and effective option (compared to spraying insecticides): sealing and fumigating the house by a professional extermination company. Rick DeDonato, Royal Pest Solutions, advises, “This treatment method works well for a single-age operation, which allows for complete depopulation required for the fumigation process.”

As the layer industry moves into more cage-free production, biosecurity will continue as a top priority. It appears that new and different insect challenges may plague producers not prepared to keep these pests out of their operations.

ROTATION, ROTATION, ROTATION

Acquired resistance is a well-described issue with compounds in pesticides used to control insects and rodents. Careful planning and forethought are required when developing a pest control program that includes product rotation. Development and licensing of these products are expensive and time-consuming, so it is important to prolong their useful life.

Cassie Krejci, Ph.D., an animal health technical field specialist at MGK, emphasizes three considerations when rotating products to avoid resistance:

1. Look at the active ingredient (different manufacturers or brands may use the same compound).

2. Consider the mode of action (even if an active ingredient is different, Krejci recommends alternating classes).

3. Follow label application rates (product dilution can lead to faster development of resistance).

Danny McDonald, Ph.D., MWI Animal Health, reports that research has shown the benefits of alternating use of spinosad with pyrethroids or organophosphates, resulting in the reduction of pyrethroid or organophosphate resistance in darkling beetles. Products from both the spinosyns and pyrethroids insecticide classes are registered for use on birds.

About Author:

Jerry Dreyer has worked in the poultry industry in global marketing and sales roles in animal health and genetics companies. He now assists clients with market and product development, communications, research and marketing projects.