SAES-422 Multistate Research Activity Accomplishments Report
Sections
Status: Approved
Basic Information
- Project No. and Title: S1006 : Insect and Manure Management in Poultry Systems: Elements Relative to Food Safety and Nuisance Issues (S274)
- Period Covered: 02/01/2003 to 01/01/2004
- Date of Report: 02/04/2004
- Annual Meeting Dates: 01/05/2004 to 01/07/2004
Participants
Chris Geden (cgeden@gainesville.usda.ufl.edu) -- USDA-ARS, Gainesville, Florida; Alec Gerry (Alec.Gerry@ucr.edu) -- Univ. of California, Riverside; Nancy Hinkle (NHinkle@uga.edu) -- Univ. of Georgia, Athens; Phil Kaufman (pek4@cornell.edu) -- Cornell Univ., New York; Don Rutz (dar11@cornell.edu) -- Cornell Univ., New York; Roger Moon (rdmoon@umn.edu) -- Univ. of Minnesota, Saint Paul; Wes Watson (Wes_Watson@ncsu.edu) -- North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh; Ralph Williams (rew@purdue.edu) -- Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, Indiana; Rick Meyer (HMEYER@CSREES.USDA.GOV) -- CSREES representative, Washington, D.C.; and Richard Roeder (rroeder@uark.edu) -- Administrative Advisor, University of Arkansas.
At 8:15 Ralph Williams, S-1006 Chair, called the meeting to order.
OBJECTIVE 1: Evaluate conventional and experimental poultry manure management systems as they influence production of filth flies, litter beetles, and associated foodborne pathogens.
I. Manure Management Systems: Treatments
A. Conventional Manure/Litter Systems
B. Black Soldier Fly Digestion
C. Composting
Williams (Purdue): Evaluation has been made of an in-house manure turning machine in a commercial high-rise caged pullet operation. This machine has been set to turn manure 2-3 times per week, and manure in seven pullet houses is being turned. Observations have been made of adult house fly abundance in the pits, house fly larval activity, and litter beetle and beneficial insect activity. Comparisons are being made with 10 houses with in-house undisturbed manure accumulations. In houses where the manure turning machine has been used, significant reductions have been observed in house fly breeding and adult house fly numbers, as well as litter beetle and beneficial insect populations.
Moon (Minnesota): Laboratory studies of house fly larval nutrition were begun by manipulating a standardized laboratory medium in different ways. Media were autoclaved or not, and allowed to ferment for 4, 11 and 21 days. Sand-dilution assays were then performed to assess nutritional value, and aliquots of the same media were analyzed for microbial content by collaborators at Kansas State University. Results indicated time of fermentation but not autoclaving had modest effects on nutritional quality; the older the medium, the less nutritious it was for developing larvae. Differences in quality were only weakly related to measures of aerobic and anaerobic bacterial densities.
II. Outdoor Management of Nuisance Insects
IIA. Determine standard monitoring methods for flies, beetles and other related pests of confined livestock and poultry. (MN, NC, IN, AR, GA)
IIA1.Suitability of commercial and experimental fly traps for monitoring abundance of house flies and blow flies.
Geden (USDA-ARS Florida) reported on field tests of materials having different reflectances using the standard Olsen trap. Combinations of colors, as well as single colors, were compared. Solid colors were most attractive to house flies in the order clear > blue > white > black. The blue/clear combination trap performed better than other combinations.
IIA2. Darkling beetle migration.
IIB. Evaluate survival of insects following incorporation according to region (NC, IN, NY, MI).
Darkling beetle (Alphitobius diaperinus Panzer) survival was evaluated in a controlled experiment (NCSU), monitoring beetle survival at various depths within a compost bin. Within 2 cm of surface, beetles had high (60-78%) survival, while below 25 cm no beetle survival was detected.
In unturned compost piles, darkling beetles survived well after two undisturbed weeks at 2 cm, but were unable to persist below 25 cm until the temperature began dropping at week 4. Turning the compost eliminated beetles entirely.
In similar conditions, house fly pupae persisted at 2 cm depth, averaging 10-15% survival in the compost bin. In unturned compost piles, >90% and >50% fly pupae survived at weeks 3 and 4 near the surface (2 cm depth), while minimal survival (<10%> was observed below 25 cm both weeks 3 and 4. Again, turning the compost essentially eliminated fly pupal survival at all depths for 4 weeks.
III. Food Safety and Health Issues of Manure and Insects Relative to Manure Treatments
OBJECTIVE 2: Evaluate novel cultural, biological, and chemical strategies for pest management to minimize nuisance and health risks in the rural-urban interface.
I. Adulticides
Williams (Purdue): A new granular fly bait containing imidacloprid has been tested and shows promise as an alternative to methomyl baits in confined livestock and caged egg layer operations. Another active ingredient, spinosad, has been evaluated as a residual spray and shows promise as a residual spray treatment for house flies and stable flies. A bait formulation of spinosad is anticipated to be evaluated.
Watson (NCSU): Comparing efficacy of disinfectants and insecticides used in combination showed that addition of insecticides did not reduce efficacy of the disinfectant DCR, while all insecticides inhibited Synergize. Disinfectants did not affect efficacy of Rabon or Ravap, but all disinfectants appeared to reduce Extinosad‘‘‘‘s effectiveness. Three of the disinfectants adversely impacted Permethrin, and Tryad lowered house fly mortality produced by cyfluthrin.
Nithiazine traps were used to sample fly populations inside and outside poultry houses. Pools of flies were plated microbiologically and Campylobacter was isolated from 4 of 24 fly pools.
II. Biological Control
Geden (USDA-Gainesville) is investigating a Sarcophagid larval parasitoid, house fly parasitoids, and Beauveria.
Moon (Minnesota) conducted laboratory experiments examining host ranges of four different pteromalid wasps from FL, Russia and Kazakhstan. There were no substantial differences in acceptance and suitability of 6 species of filth flies for North American and Eurasian lines of Muscidifurax raptor, Spalangia cameroni, S. endius, or S. nigroaenea. Studies of house fly dispersal from a animal confinement unit in western Minnesota indicated a recently colonized strain and a second, lab adapted strain with a mutant phenotype were equally dispersive. Dispersal rates in a landscape devoid of other fly breeding habitats averaged 1.8 km per day. In addition, rates of contamination of the flies with an arterivirus diminished with distance from the source facility.
III. Insecticide Resistance
Plans for 2004.
OBJECTIVE 1: Evaluate conventional and experimental poultry manure management systems as they influence production of filth flies, litter beetles, and associated foodborne pathogens.
Manure Management Systems: Treatments
Conventional Manure/Litter Systems
Black Soldier Fly Digestion
Composting
Outdoor Management of Nuisance Insects
Determine Standard Monitoring Methods for Flies, Beetles, and Other Related Pests of Confined Livestock and Poultry
IIA. Standardize monitoring methods for flies, beetles and other pests of confined livestock and poultry. (MN, NC, IN, AR, GA)
IIA1.Suitability of commercial and experimental fly traps for monitoring abundance of house flies and blow flies.
Evaluate Survival of Insects Following Incorporation According to Region
IIA2. Darkling beetle migration.
Collect data on migration of darkling beetles from poultry facilities and various types of manure storage systems.
III. Food Safety and Health Issues of Manure and Insects Relative to Manure Treatments
OBJECTIVE 2: Evaluate novel cultural, biological, and chemical strategies for pest management to minimize nuisance and health risks in the rural-urban interface.
Biological Control
Continue studies of fly parasitoids (USDA-ARS-FL , USDA-ARS-NE, MN), black soldier flies for manure processing and fly suppression (UGA).
Insecticide Resistance
Standard assessment techniques will be developed; baselines determined for cyfluthrin, permethrin, and rabon; and standardized resistance kits mailed to project participants for resistance measurement (submitted by D.C. Sheppard, UGA, following meeting).
OBJECTIVE 1: Evaluate conventional and experimental poultry manure management systems as they influence production of filth flies, litter beetles, and associated foodborne pathogens.
I. Manure Management Systems: Treatments
A. Conventional Manure/Litter Systems
B. Black Soldier Fly Digestion
C. Composting
Williams (Purdue): Evaluation has been made of an in-house manure turning machine in a commercial high-rise caged pullet operation. This machine has been set to turn manure 2-3 times per week, and manure in seven pullet houses is being turned. Observations have been made of adult house fly abundance in the pits, house fly larval activity, and litter beetle and beneficial insect activity. Comparisons are being made with 10 houses with in-house undisturbed manure accumulations. In houses where the manure turning machine has been used, significant reductions have been observed in house fly breeding and adult house fly numbers, as well as litter beetle and beneficial insect populations.
Moon (Minnesota): Laboratory studies of house fly larval nutrition were begun by manipulating a standardized laboratory medium in different ways. Media were autoclaved or not, and allowed to ferment for 4, 11 and 21 days. Sand-dilution assays were then performed to assess nutritional value, and aliquots of the same media were analyzed for microbial content by collaborators at Kansas State University. Results indicated time of fermentation but not autoclaving had modest effects on nutritional quality; the older the medium, the less nutritious it was for developing larvae. Differences in quality were only weakly related to measures of aerobic and anaerobic bacterial densities.
II. Outdoor Management of Nuisance Insects
IIA. Determine standard monitoring methods for flies, beetles and other related pests of confined livestock and poultry. (MN, NC, IN, AR, GA)
IIA1.Suitability of commercial and experimental fly traps for monitoring abundance of house flies and blow flies.
Geden (USDA-ARS Florida) reported on field tests of materials having different reflectances using the standard Olsen trap. Combinations of colors, as well as single colors, were compared. Solid colors were most attractive to house flies in the order clear > blue > white > black. The blue/clear combination trap performed better than other combinations.
IIA2. Darkling beetle migration.
IIB. Evaluate survival of insects following incorporation according to region (NC, IN, NY, MI).
Darkling beetle (Alphitobius diaperinus Panzer) survival was evaluated in a controlled experiment (NCSU), monitoring beetle survival at various depths within a compost bin. Within 2 cm of surface, beetles had high (60-78%) survival, while below 25 cm no beetle survival was detected.
In unturned compost piles, darkling beetles survived well after two undisturbed weeks at 2 cm, but were unable to persist below 25 cm until the temperature began dropping at week 4. Turning the compost eliminated beetles entirely.
In similar conditions, house fly pupae persisted at 2 cm depth, averaging 10-15% survival in the compost bin. In unturned compost piles, >90% and >50% fly pupae survived at weeks 3 and 4 near the surface (2 cm depth), while minimal survival (<10%> was observed below 25 cm both weeks 3 and 4. Again, turning the compost essentially eliminated fly pupal survival at all depths for 4 weeks.
III. Food Safety and Health Issues of Manure and Insects Relative to Manure Treatments
OBJECTIVE 2: Evaluate novel cultural, biological, and chemical strategies for pest management to minimize nuisance and health risks in the rural-urban interface.
I. Adulticides
Williams (Purdue): A new granular fly bait containing imidacloprid has been tested and shows promise as an alternative to methomyl baits in confined livestock and caged egg layer operations. Another active ingredient, spinosad, has been evaluated as a residual spray and shows promise as a residual spray treatment for house flies and stable flies. A bait formulation of spinosad is anticipated to be evaluated.
Watson (NCSU): Comparing efficacy of disinfectants and insecticides used in combination showed that addition of insecticides did not reduce efficacy of the disinfectant DCR, while all insecticides inhibited Synergize. Disinfectants did not affect efficacy of Rabon or Ravap, but all disinfectants appeared to reduce Extinosad‘‘‘‘s effectiveness. Three of the disinfectants adversely impacted Permethrin, and Tryad lowered house fly mortality produced by cyfluthrin.
Nithiazine traps were used to sample fly populations inside and outside poultry houses. Pools of flies were plated microbiologically and Campylobacter was isolated from 4 of 24 fly pools.
II. Biological Control
Geden (USDA-Gainesville) is investigating a Sarcophagid larval parasitoid, house fly parasitoids, and Beauveria.
Moon (Minnesota) conducted laboratory experiments examining host ranges of four different pteromalid wasps from FL, Russia and Kazakhstan. There were no substantial differences in acceptance and suitability of 6 species of filth flies for North American and Eurasian lines of Muscidifurax raptor, Spalangia cameroni, S. endius, or S. nigroaenea. Studies of house fly dispersal from a animal confinement unit in western Minnesota indicated a recently colonized strain and a second, lab adapted strain with a mutant phenotype were equally dispersive. Dispersal rates in a landscape devoid of other fly breeding habitats averaged 1.8 km per day. In addition, rates of contamination of the flies with an arterivirus diminished with distance from the source facility.
III. Insecticide Resistance
Plans for 2004.
OBJECTIVE 1: Evaluate conventional and experimental poultry manure management systems as they influence production of filth flies, litter beetles, and associated foodborne pathogens.
Manure Management Systems: Treatments
Conventional Manure/Litter Systems
Black Soldier Fly Digestion
Composting
Outdoor Management of Nuisance Insects
Determine Standard Monitoring Methods for Flies, Beetles, and Other Related Pests of Confined Livestock and Poultry
IIA. Standardize monitoring methods for flies, beetles and other pests of confined livestock and poultry. (MN, NC, IN, AR, GA)
IIA1.Suitability of commercial and experimental fly traps for monitoring abundance of house flies and blow flies.
Evaluate Survival of Insects Following Incorporation According to Region
IIA2. Darkling beetle migration.
Collect data on migration of darkling beetles from poultry facilities and various types of manure storage systems.
III. Food Safety and Health Issues of Manure and Insects Relative to Manure Treatments
OBJECTIVE 2: Evaluate novel cultural, biological, and chemical strategies for pest management to minimize nuisance and health risks in the rural-urban interface.
Biological Control
Continue studies of fly parasitoids (USDA-ARS-FL , USDA-ARS-NE, MN), black soldier flies for manure processing and fly suppression (UGA).
Insecticide Resistance
Standard assessment techniques will be developed; baselines determined for cyfluthrin, permethrin, and rabon; and standardized resistance kits mailed to project participants for resistance measurement (submitted by D.C. Sheppard, UGA, following meeting).
Accomplishments
House flies were shown to disperse approximately 1.8 km per day.
Covering manure piles with clear plastic tarps effectively "solarized" the material, significantly inhibiting darkling beetle survival.
In-house manure turning (2 to 3 times per week) significantly reduces larval house fly, litter beetle, and beneficial insect numbers. Other composting procedures, while reducing darkling beetle numbers, do not successfully suppress house flies.
Mixing disinfectants and insecticides was shown to be an undesirable practice, frequently resulting in lowered efficacy of both compounds.
The potential human pathogen, Campylobacter, was isolated from 17% of house fly pools sampled from around poultry houses.
Nithiazine traps were more attractive to house flies than to black dump flies or bottle flies, both inside and outside chicken houses.
Using an imidacloprid house fly bait applied to 12" cardboard squares in layer house pits and on ceilings is a suitable alternative application method.
Field testing showed that flies were differentially attracted to colored traps, with a blue/clear combination most successfully trapping house flies.
Researchers demonstrated that native parasitoids were comparable to introduced ones in killing pest flies.
Participants published scientific papers on a new parasitic wasp found in North America, mass-rearing beneficial insects for fly biocontrol, fungal control for litter beetles, microsporidian infections in a house fly parasitoid, and using external waxes in parasitoid identification.
Covering manure piles with clear plastic tarps effectively "solarized" the material, significantly inhibiting darkling beetle survival.
In-house manure turning (2 to 3 times per week) significantly reduces larval house fly, litter beetle, and beneficial insect numbers. Other composting procedures, while reducing darkling beetle numbers, do not successfully suppress house flies.
Mixing disinfectants and insecticides was shown to be an undesirable practice, frequently resulting in lowered efficacy of both compounds.
The potential human pathogen, Campylobacter, was isolated from 17% of house fly pools sampled from around poultry houses.
Nithiazine traps were more attractive to house flies than to black dump flies or bottle flies, both inside and outside chicken houses.
Using an imidacloprid house fly bait applied to 12" cardboard squares in layer house pits and on ceilings is a suitable alternative application method.
Field testing showed that flies were differentially attracted to colored traps, with a blue/clear combination most successfully trapping house flies.
Researchers demonstrated that native parasitoids were comparable to introduced ones in killing pest flies.
Participants published scientific papers on a new parasitic wasp found in North America, mass-rearing beneficial insects for fly biocontrol, fungal control for litter beetles, microsporidian infections in a house fly parasitoid, and using external waxes in parasitoid identification.
Impacts
- Darkling beetles constitute a major pest of poultry production in most areas of the United States. Successful "pile and tarp" technology will allow producers whose operations are in warmer areas as well as those utilizing summer clean-out practices in Northern areas to effectively nullify beetles prior to land application of manure. Studies will provide data on a promising management option available to producers that will reduce an important antagonism at the agriculture-urban interface.
- Darkling beetles are pestiferous in the larval and adult stages to both the poultry producer and to neighbors living near manure-applied fields. Results of producer surveys will be critical in demonstrating to poultry producers the effective mechanisms available to reduce darkling beetle impacts on their operations.
- New technologies of manure handling will alter the environment where house flies, darkling beetles, and other pests breed. This should reduce the impact these pests have in poultry production operating costs while reducing environmental nuisance concerns of arthropod activity. Also, new insecticides and formulations in poultry pest control are promising additions to integrated control programs since there have been limited products available.
- Continuing work to identify parasites and disease agents to suppress pest insects around confined animal agriculture facilities will yield alternative strategies to employ in integrated pest management programs.
Publications
Boohene, C. K., C. J. Geden, and J. J. Becnel. 2003. Evaluation of remediation methods for Nosema disease in Muscidifurax raptor (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae). Environ. Entomol. 32:1146-1153.
Carlson, D. A., U. R. Bernier, and C. J. Geden. 2004. Distinctive hydrocarbons of four parasitoids, Spalangia spp. (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae). Submitted to Archives of Insect Biochemistry.
Geden, C. J. 2003. Mass-rearing beneficial insects for biological control of flies. Proceedings, IOBC Workshop on Arthropod Mass Rearing and Quality Control, Montpellier, France. September 2003.
Geden, C. J., M. A. Ferreira de Almeida and A. Pires do Prado. 2003. Effects of Nosema disease on fitness of the parasitoid Tachinaephagus zealandicus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). Environ. Entomol. 32:1139-1145.
Geden, C. J. and D. C. Steinkraus. 2003. Evaluation of three formulations of Beauveria bassiana for control of lesser mealworm and hide beetle in Georgia poultry houses. J. Econ. Entomol. 96: 1602-1608.
Hoebeke, E.R., Kaufman, P.E., Glenister, C.S. and Stringham, S.M. 2003. New Nearctic record for Epitranus clavatus F. (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae). Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 105: 1062-1063.
Carlson, D. A., U. R. Bernier, and C. J. Geden. 2004. Distinctive hydrocarbons of four parasitoids, Spalangia spp. (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae). Submitted to Archives of Insect Biochemistry.
Geden, C. J. 2003. Mass-rearing beneficial insects for biological control of flies. Proceedings, IOBC Workshop on Arthropod Mass Rearing and Quality Control, Montpellier, France. September 2003.
Geden, C. J., M. A. Ferreira de Almeida and A. Pires do Prado. 2003. Effects of Nosema disease on fitness of the parasitoid Tachinaephagus zealandicus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). Environ. Entomol. 32:1139-1145.
Geden, C. J. and D. C. Steinkraus. 2003. Evaluation of three formulations of Beauveria bassiana for control of lesser mealworm and hide beetle in Georgia poultry houses. J. Econ. Entomol. 96: 1602-1608.
Hoebeke, E.R., Kaufman, P.E., Glenister, C.S. and Stringham, S.M. 2003. New Nearctic record for Epitranus clavatus F. (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae). Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 105: 1062-1063.