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As a part of the MiteControl project, we have gathered some information on the sustainable control of poultry red mite including preventive measures and biosecurity. For those of you who are interested, take a look on https://www.nweurope.eu/projects/project-search/mitecontrol-ensuring-food-safety-animal-health-and-welfare-standards/#tab-9
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The efficacy of spraying insecticides is often low because only a small part of the population is reached this way, especially after thorough cleaning only the red mites will remain that have managed to hide in a spot you were not able to reach with soap. This means you will not manage to reach them with an insecticide spray either. Apart from the issues surrounding efficacy, also not many insecticides are licensed because of food safety concerns and their negative impact on the environment. Resistance can also emerge against non-selective pesticides. Applying silica after cleaning and disinfection is preferred. Silica will remain on the housing system for a longer time if applied correctly. Given the longer lasting of the product, red mite infestation can be suppressed for a longer time into the production cycle. Since silica has a mechanical mode of action, also no resistance will emerge.
There are a number of things you can do to try and limit the risk of introducing red mites on your farm:
– all materials coming into the hen house (such as egg trays) should be clean, so this is something that can be checked visually by the farmer
– prevent exchanging equipment between houses (e.g. brooms, buckets,…)
– when layer farmers visit the pullet farm prior to transfer, discuss with the hatchery/pullet farmer whether they have had issues with red mite in the past
– upon arrival on the laying farm, perform a visual check of crates/containers
– staff and visitors need to wear company clothing (and preferably shower before entering)It of course depends from farm to farm and the infestation whether it is necessary to treat the hygiene lock. During the empty period you can of course treat the hygiene lock as a preventive measure. If for example during the flock there are large clusters of red mite present in close proximity to or you notice red mites inside the hygiene lock you would in fact treat there as well. During the empty period you can of course treat the hygiene lock as a preventive measure.
Treating the surroundings of the building (including the manure storage) can be done to prevent mites that were removed from the hen house with the manure from re-entering the hen house. So treating the outside of the buildings with for example silica can be done to create a barrier for the mites that are looking for a way back into the house.That is correct indeed. Mites can be transferred from one building to the other on people as well as equipment. Therefore it is recommended to not swap equipment such as brooms between houses, always move from a house with the lowest infestation to the ones with high infestation and pay attention to biosecurity in general.
Extending the duration of the empty period is not an effective way to reduce red mite infestation. Red mites are extremely robust ectoparasites and can for example survive submerging in water for over 10 hours. But more importantly, they can last for at least 9 months without feeding. So solely leaving the hen house empty for a few additional weeks during the turnaround period will not be effective at all. Thorough cleaning (including wet cleaning with water and soap) and disinfection are paramount to effectively reduce the red mite population in between flocks. In addition to this, complementary approaches can be used during the empty period such as heat treatment (only if the housing system and equipment can withstand high temperatures) or the application of silica after disinfection about 1-2 days prior to the placement of the new flock. By applying such methods, you should hopefully be able to keep the mite infestation under control for a longer time into the duration of the flock.
Red mites are present in all types of housing systems, from enriched cages over aviaries to flat deck systems,… In general though, control of mites seems more difficult in the more complex housing systems (such as aviaries or enriched cages compared to conventional cages) where there are more hiding places for mites that are difficult to reach when you are applying treatment. However, once red mite are introduced into the hen house and a population has been established, it is currently still impossible to eliminate the entire population, no matter the type of housing system.
Treatment against poultry red mite is best carried out at the early stages of infestation and thoroughly. Not only the housing system should be considered, but also walls, ceilings, the equipment that is taken into the hen house. Pay special attention to areas where dust, debris and manure can accumulate. Red mites like to settle on or around manure. When manure is removed from the hen house, it could be useful to treat the surroundings of the manure storage and the outside of the hen house to try and prevent mites that were removed with the manure from re-entering the hen house.
There are quite a few pathogens that can be carried by red mites, although it is difficult to estimate to which extent they are truly transmitted to hens, other animals and/or humans. Some examples of bacteria that have been found in red mite and have the potential to cause disease in humans include Pasteurella multocida and Salmonella enteritidis. For both it has been demonstrated that in fact red mite play a role in the transmission. Also Lyme disease can be passed on via red mite. Other bacteria that were isolated from mites include Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli and Staphylococcus spp.
Apart from bacteria, mites can also transmit viruses, one that is definitely worth mentioning in that regard is avian influenza A virus. Other examples of viruses red mite can carry include Newcastle disease and fowl pox.Red mite not only affect the hens, but can also cause issues to humans. Most frequently, these issues are limited to irritation when walking through or working in the hen house when infestation is higher. People might then experience some irritation or a rash in case they come into contact with red mites.
However, it is known that red mite itself can also serve as a reservoir to bacteria such as Salmonella, Pasteurella and Borrelia (which causes Lyme disease). These can cause serious illness in humans, thus red mite control is important with regard to animal as well as human health.Although red mite cannot be entirely eliminated from a contaminated farm, the infestation can be reduced by a thorough cleaning and disinfection between consecutive flocks. Red mites hide in cracks and crevices of the housing system during the day. With hens present, it is of course rather difficult to treat all areas of the system. Therefore it is imperative to clean the house thoroughly during the empty period when it is easier to target structures that are difficult to reach otherwise. Both dry cleaning (e.g. removing dust and debris) and wet cleaning with hot water and soap is important. Using soap is an effective way to reduce mite numbers and thus should always be carried out. Extending the duration empty period is not an effective measure since red mites are able to survive in the hen house for 9 months without feeding.
Steps to undertake to reduce mite infestation in the empty period (preferably in this order) include:
– Remove manure
– Remove all clustered manure residues (scraping)
– Dry clean house (e.g., broom and remove all detritus and dirt)
– Clean with compressor (also in pvc tubes and cable ties)
– Clean air mixing box
– Dry clean hen house second time
– Clean ventilation duct (preferably with steam cleaner)
– Clean aeration tubes (possibly by sewer cleaning company)
– Clean manure belts
– Clean central manure belts
– Clean egg belts with high water pressure
– Remove all dirt from the house
– Clean whole house with steam cleaner
– Let everything dry
– Clean manure container/pit
– Disinfect after drying
(based on Mul et al., 2020)Poultry red mite is the most damaging ectoparasite of laying hens, present on well over 80% of farms in Europe (in some countries even up to 94% of farms are infested). There are quite a few routes of transmission, but the most important ones include the exchange of contaminated materials (e.g. egg trays) farms or layer houses, introduction via pullets and people (visitors). Contrary to prior beliefs, wild birds are not a reservoir and thus do not play a significant role in transmission.
