Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Local Arrangements Committee member, Greta Schuster, welcomed the group. She made general comments about the hotel, the meeting room charges, and the Amarillo area. CSREES representative, Rick Meyer, updated the group on CSREES information and encouraged the group to check REEUSDA for funding opportunities. RAMP/CAR submission deadlines were fast approaching. Rick Roeder, Administrative Advisor, University of Arkansas, talked about project reviews and development of replacement project. S-1006 Project Reports 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 Nothing was presented in this topic. II. Outdoor management of nuisance insects Chris Geden presented research investigating visual targets for monitoring outdoor house fly and stable fly activity. Geden found Alsynite traps captured the largest numbers of flies followed by blue fabric targets. Colored fabric/alsynite combinations were more attractive than solid blue fabric. Geden also reported on tests conducted on targets treated with bifenthrin and presented to flies in large screen cages. Fly survival in tents with treated targets was reduced up to 90% over 4 days. Dayton Steelman discussed the approach of Arkansas broiler producers in windrowing and turning litter following bird removal in an effort to reduce pathogen loads. Steelman described litter beetles quickly evacuating the piles and climbing walls to escape the litter piles. He discussed the potential for treating the litter before windrowing in order to maximize litter beetle mortality. III. Food safety and health issues of manure and insects relative to manure treatments Reid Gerhardt reported that they continue to sample for E. coli O157 and that they are awaiting the results of the species separation for both house fly and stable fly. They are currently seeking additional facilities for more detailed fly-cattle studies. Alberto Broce reported on studies conducted by Ludek Zurek at KSU. Zurek is examining E. coli strains found in fast food restaurant dumpsters in Kansas. They have found E. coli internally in house flies. Additionally, Zurek is using antibiotic resistance to track house flies and is investigating the types of resistant strains the flies are transporting. Greta Schuster presented data showing the prevalence of salmonella on house flies collected in Texas feed yards. She also reported on positive antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria carried in these house flies and stable flies. Objective 2. Evaluate novel cultural, biological, and chemical strategies for pest management to minimize nuisance and health risk in the rural-urban interface. Dayton Steelman reported on numerous fly control studies conducted in Arkansas broiler-breeder facilities. These included pteromalid parasitoids which provided positive results in the absence of insecticides, fly baits and bait stations utilized in rafters and under floor slats, the use of Extinosad and pyrethrin insecticides, the citric acid-based product "Fly Cracker", which provided excellent results, but is quite difficult to use in these situations. Potentially prohibitive costs were also discussed. Steelman reported that the Fly Cracker product killed all house flies, however, the black garbage fly, Hydrotea, became quite problematic. Steelman also suggested lowering the sticky ribbon counting method from 300 to 100 flies per ribbon for use in these facilities. Kaufman reported on a successful use of Beauveria bassiana against house flies in New York caged-layer poultry facilities. The commercial product outperformed the Cornell University standard practice of pyrethrins. The response of pteromalid parasitoids was similar in both studies and predatory beetles were higher in the Beauveria facilities. Ralph Williams compared spinosad as a granular bait with the Quickbayt product. Chris Geden reported on a baculovirus that attacks house fly salivary glands that he and others are investigating. Geden and Dr. Verena Blaeske are currently studying this virus at the University of Florida. The virus appears to alter house fly females' willingness to mate and the timing of virus infection also affects fly fecundity. Next meeting will be in Orlando, Florida. Tentative dates are January 11-12, 2007.

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 Arkansas: Evaluation of the impact of in-house composting on adult and larval lesser mealworms showed that no detrimental effects were observed on adult and larval lesser mealworms by the composting of the litter. We concluded that the larval and adult beetles left the wind-rows immediately after approximately 2,500 gallons of water was added to the litter, composting into windrows was completed and the temperatures started to increase. Within the first 24 hours the adult and larval lesser mealworms had migrated to the walls and moved upward into the facility insulation. In tests, where the insecticide cyfluthrin was added to the water and dispersed immediately prior to composting into the windrows, all adult and larval beetles were killed. No beetles were observed leaving the wind-rows and climbing the walls as was observed in houses where wind-rows received water only. Indiana: Evaluation of an in-house manure turning machine in commerical high-rise caged pullet houses has been discontinued because of mechanical problems with the unit being used. While in use it resulted in significant reductions in house fly breeding and in other insect fauna in the manure, including beneficial insects that serve as house fly predators. Adult house fly numbers have been more variable with some houses showing moderate populations of adult flies. II. Outdoor management of nuisance insects Minnesota: Analysis of survey results indicated that percentage of rural residents in Jackson and Clay Counties, MN, were increasingly likely to be annoyed, i.e., say their yards contained "way too many flies," as trap catch rates increased in matching terminator jug fly traps. The relation between annoyance level and catch rate, termed an annoyance curve, indicated half or more of the rural respondents were annoyed if catch rates in their yards exceeded 650 flies per trap per day. USDA-FLORIDA: Visual targets for house flies were evaluated for relative attractiveness. Insecticide treated versions of the most effective target (blue fabric paired with alsynite) provided 90% control of flies after 4 days in a tent study. III. Food safety and health issues of manure and insects relative to manure treatments North Carolina: Poultry farms were sampled weekly for flies using Nithiazine strip, (Quick Strike). Among the 28 farms selected for the study fly traps were set inside and outside of the structure make up 280 fly collections during the season. A total of 110,688 flies were captured for a mean fly trap capture of 403.97. Fly traps placed outside the poultry barn captured more flies than those inside, 65,192 and 45,496, respectively. Twenty-eight of the 274 fly pools were suspect for Salmonella on XLT medium for a total of 9.48%. Suspect cultures were subsequently not confirmed as Salmonella in AFLP analysis. Objective 2. Evaluate novel cultural, biological, and chemical strategies for pest management to minimize nuisance and health risk in the rural-urban interface. Indiana: Evaluations of bait formulations containing imidacloprid and spinosad in commercial caged-layer operations showed both active ingredients reduced adult house fly activity as compared to untreated houses. However, the imidacloprid bait was quicker in fly knockdown, whereas, spinosad treatments provided slightly longer term control over two 56-day trials. Minnesota: Laboratory experiments examined host preferences for five different dipteran hosts among five different pteromalid wasps from Florida, Morocco, Russia and Kazakhstan. Females of Muscidifurax raptor, Spalangia cameroni and S. endius readily attacked and reproduced equally on pupae of house fly, stable fly, black dump fly, and horn fly, whereas reproduction was lower on a sarcophagid flesh fly, Sarcophaga bullata. There were no substantial differences in reproductive capacity among New World and Old World lines of Spalangia cameroni, S. endius, and of S. nigroaenia, but a Florida strain of M. raptor had slightly greater reproductive capacity than Old World counterparts. These results confirm that the pteromalid wasps are cosmopolitan in distribution, and there is little evidence for differential adaptation to any of the fly host species. Studies of PRRS virus-bearing house flies among animal confinement units were extended by developing a mathematical model of virus spread by contaminated flies moving outward from a diseased premise. Combination of empirical descriptions of rates of virus retention and spread indicates log-density of contaminated flies was well approximated as a decreasing, linear function of radial distance. Densities of contaminated flies decreasing by 10-fold (1 log10-unit) every 0.59 km (0.37 mi) from the source. New York: Applications of a commercially produced Beauveria bassiana product, balEnce, were compared with pyrethrin treatments for the control of adult house flies in high rise caged-layer poultry facilities. An integrated fly management program, which included the release of house fly pupal hymenopteran parasitoids was used at all facilities. Adult house fly populations were lower in B. bassiana-treated facilities during the spray and post-spray periods, as recorded on spot cards. Concurrently, the numbers of house fly larvae recovered in B. bassiana-treated facilities were less than one-half that of the pyrethrin-treated facilities. House fly pupal parasitism levels were low, but similar under both treatment regimes. The numbers of adult and larval Carcinops pumilio, a predatory beetle, recovered from B. bassiana-treated facilities were 43 and 66 percent greater than from the pyrethrin-treated facilities, respectively. In lesser mealworm insecticide resistance study we determined high levels of resistance to tetrachlorvinphos in both larvae and adults and resistance to cyfluthrin in larvae. USDA-FLORIDA: Fly pupae that were killed with heat shock were as effective as live or irradiated hosts for production of the parasitoids Spalangia cameroni and Muscidifurax raptor. Heat-killed hosts retained high host suitability after two months of storage under refrigeration. A salivary gland hyperplasia virus was found infecting up to 35% of house flies on Florida dairies. The virus, which seems to be transmitted by co-feeding of infected and uninfected flies, shuts down ovarian development and renders female flies refractory to copulation.

Ambourn, A., J. Juzwik and R. D. Moon. 2005. Seasonal dispersal of the oak wilt fungus by Colopterus truncatus and Carpophilus sayi in Minnesota. Plant Disease 89: 1067-1076. Carillo, M. A., G. E. Heimpel, R. D. Moon, C. A. Cannon and W. D. Hutchison. 2005. Cold hardiness of Habrobracon hebetor (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid of pyralid moths. J. Ins. Physiol. 51: 759-768. Carlson, D. A., U. R. Bernier, and C. J. Geden. 2006. Distinctive hydrocarbons of four parasitoids, Spalangia spp. (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae). Arch. Insect Biochem. (in press). Cummings, M. A., R. D. Moon and E. S. Krafsur. 2005. North American face flies Old World origins: mitochondrial evidence. Med Vet. Entomol. 19: 48-52. Geden, C. J. 2005. Methods for monitoring outdoor populations of house flies, Musca domestica. J. Vector Ecol. 30: 244-250. Geden, C. J. and J. A. Hogsette. 2006. Suppression of house flies (Diptera: Muscidae) in Florida poultry houses by sustained releases of Muscidifurax raptorellus and Spalangia cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae). Environ. Entomol. 35: 75-82. Geden, C. J., R. D. Moon, and J. F. Butler. 2006. Host attacks and progeny production by six species of solitary fly parasitoids on pupae of house fly, horn fly, stable fly, black dump fly and a flesh fly. Environ. Entomol. (in press). Geden, C. J. 2006. Visual targets for capture and management of house flies, Musca domestica. J. Vector Ecol. (in press). Geden, C. J. and P. E. Kaufman. Development of Spalangia cameroni and Muscidifurax raptor on live house fly pupae and pupae killed by heat shock, irradiation, and cold. Submitted to Environ. Entomol. Geden, C. J, R. D. Moon and J. F. Butler. 2006. Host ranges of six solitary filth fly parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae, Chalcididae) from Florida, Eurasia, Morocco and Brazil. Environ. Entomol. 35: in press. Hamm, R.L., P.E. Kaufman, C. Reasor, J. G. Scott and D. A. Rutz. 2005. resistance to Cyfluthrin and Tetrachlorvinphos in the Lesser Mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) Collected from caged-Layer Poultry Facilities and a Cricket Colony. J. Econ. Entomol. (Accepted 10/05) Kaufman, P.E., C. Reasor, J.K. Waldron and D.A. Rutz. 2005. Suppression of the Lesser Mealworm (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) Using Soil Incorporation of Poultry Manure. J. Econ. Entomol. 98: 1739-1743. Kaufman, P.E., C. Reasor, J.K. Waldron, and D. A. Rutz. 2005. Evaluation of a Barrier to Inhibit Lesser Mealworm (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) and Dermestidae Movement up Support Posts in High-Rise, Caged-Layer Poultry Facilities. J. Econ. Entomol. 98: 1744-1749. Kaufman, P.E., C. Reasor, D.A, Rutz, J. K. Ketzis and J.J. Arends. 2005. Evaluation of Beauveria bassiana Applications Against Adult House Flies, Musca domestica, in Commercial Caged-Layer Poultry Facilities in New York State. Biol. Control. 33: 360-367. Moon, R. D. and S. K. O'Rourke. 2005. How many filth flies is too many? Nuisance thresholds for rural Minnesota communities. CURA Reporter 35 (3): 17-19. Moon, R. D. and S. A. Dee. 2005. Flying insects as biosecurity risks and what the swine vet needs to know. Proc. Am. Assoc. Swine Veterinarians, Annual Meeting, 5-8 March, Toronto, Ontario. P. 417-424. Schurrer, J. A., S. A. Dee, R. D. Moon, M. P. Murtaugh, C. P Finnegan, J. Deen, S. B. Kleiboeker and C. B. J. Pijoan. 2005. Retention of ingested porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus in house flies. Am. J. Vet. Res. 66: 1517-1525. Schurrer, J. A., S. A. Dee, R. D. Moon, M. P. Murtaugh, C. P Finnegan, J. Deen, S. B. Kleiboeker and C. B. J. Pijoan. 2005. Retention of ingested porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus in house flies. Am. J. Vet. Res. 66: 1517-1525. Schurrer, J. A., S. A. Dee, R. D. Moon, K. D. Rossow, C. Mahlum, E. Mondaca, S. Otake, E. Fano, J. E. Collins and C. Pijoan. 2005. Spatial dispersal of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus-contaminated flies following contact with experimentally infected pigs. Proc. Am. Assoc. Swine Veterinarians, Annual Meeting, 5-8 March, Toronto, Ontario. (Abstract, p. 37). Extension Publications Hinkle, N.C. 2005. "Animals: Fly Control in Livestock Facilities.; Beef Cattle External Parasite and Grub Control."; "Beef Cattle Insecticide Mixing and Application Instructions and Use Restrictions."; "Dairy Cattle External Parasite and Cattle Grub Control."; "Dairy Cattle (Lactating and Non-Lactating) External Parasite Control Insecticides."; "Cattle Ear Tags." "Swine - External Parasite Control."; "Horses - External Parasite Control."; "Sheep and Goats - External Parasite Control."; "Poultry - Fly Control," and "Poultry External Parasite Control." 2005 Georgia Pest Management Handbook, pp. 567-591. Webster, A.B. and N.C. Hinkle. 2005. "Can In-House Composting Reduce Flies in High-Rise Layer Houses?" ThePoultrySite, May 2005. (http://www.thepoultrysite.com/FeaturedArticle/FAType.asp?AREA=layers&Display=379) Fairchild, Brian, Michael Czarick, and Nancy Hinkle. 2005. "Darkling Beetles&Costs and Control." Poultry Housing Tips 17(12) November: 1-6. (http://www.engr.uga.edu/service/extension/ventilation/vol17n12.pdf) Gerry, A. C. 2005. The Spinosyns: A New Class of Insecticide for Control of Flies and Lice. Statewide UC Cooperative Extension Newsletters. pp 1-2. Gerry, A. C. 2005. Fly and Mosquito Control for Horses. Statewide UC Cooperative Extension Newsletters. pp 1-2. Media Interviews "Fluorescent Green Flies." Interview by Randy Robert, Douglas Daily News, June 22, 2005. (http://www.douglasga.com/content/1/2606/Canoochee+test%E2%80%99s+popularity+growing.htm) Radio interview about bed bugs with Tom Hughes, WGST 640 a.m., 6:05 a.m., December 5, 2005.