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. 2020 May;21(3):e41.
doi: 10.4142/jvs.2020.21.e41.

A sampling and estimation method for monitoring poultry red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae) infestation on caged-layer poultry farms

Sang Ik Oh  1 , Ki Tae Park  2 , Younghun Jung  1 , Yoon Jung Do  1 , Changyong Choe  1 , Ara Cho  1 , Suhee Kim  1 , Jae Gyu Yoo  3
Affiliations

A sampling and estimation method for monitoring poultry red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae) infestation on caged-layer poultry farms

Sang Ik Oh et al. J Vet Sci. 2020 May.

Abstract

Background: The poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae, is a serious problem in the laying hen industry worldwide. Currently, the foremost control method for D. gallinae is the implementation of integrated pest management, the effective application of which necessitates a precise monitoring method.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to propose an accurate monitoring method with a reliable protocol for caged-layer poultry farms, and to suggest an objective classification for assessing D. gallinae infestation on caged-layer poultry farms according to the number of mites collected using the developed monitoring method.

Methods: We compared the numbers of mites collected from corrugated cardboard traps, regarding with length of sampling periods, sampling sites on cage, and sampling positions in farm buildings. The study also compared the mean numbers of mites collected by the developed method with the infestation levels using by the conventional monitoring methods in 37 caged-layer farm buildings.

Results: The statistical validation provided the suitable monitoring method that the traps were installed for 2 days on feed boxes at 27 sampling points which included three vertical levels across nine equally divided zones of farms. Using this monitoring method, the D. gallinae infestation level can be assessed objectively on caged-layer poultry farms. Moreover, the method is more sensitive than the conventional method in detecting very small populations of mites.

Conclusions: This method can be used to identify the initial stages of D. gallinae infestation in the caged-layer poultry farms, and therefore, will contribute to establishment of effective control strategies for this mite.

Keywords: Dermanyssus gallinae; Poultry red mite; caged-layer poultry farm; infestation level; monitoring method.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of a caged-layer poultry house. Reddish circles represent the locations of traps constructed from rectangular pieces of corrugated cardboard measuring 100 × 70 × 2.5 mm. A schematic cross-sectional side view.
C, cage; W, water pipe; F, feed box; B, egg channel.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Comparison of the average number of Dermanyssus gallinae collected from three different sites on the same cage. Values of R2 and P were obtained from linear regression analysis. (A) Feed box vs. floor traps, (B) feed box vs. egg channel traps, and (C) floor vs. egg channel traps.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3. Among the 20 caged-layer poultry houses classified as having a MMS of level 0, Dermanyssus gallinae was detected in 10 poultry houses (50%) using the monitoring method developed in this study. Among these 10 houses, the average number of mites collected from 27 corrugated cardboard traps ranged from 0.37 to 1.41, indicating that the houses were infected with very small populations of D. gallinae.
MMS, mite monitoring score.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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