Population Dynamics of Manure Inhabiting Arthropods under an Integrated Pest Management (ipm) Program in New York Poultry Facilities—3 Case Studies

Many arthropods inhabit caged-layer poultry manure, including pest and beneficial species. The primary pests are the house fly, Musca domestica L., and the darkling beetle, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer). The house fly is ubiquitous and rapidly infests newly accumulating poultry manure, often reaching enormous numbers. Flies pester farm workers, birds, and when emigration occurs, neighbors. The darkling beetle is a pest in older manure, causing damage to building infrastructure and if infested manure is spread onto fields, the beetles can fly in large numbers to nearby neighbors. The beneficial species comprise a mite and a beetle predator and a complex of parasitoid species, all of which can effectively reduce fly populations. In addition, the use of insecticides alone is no longer a viable fly management option. However, recent fly management developments that can easily be used by poultry producers now make a successful fly management program a reality. In this 20-wk study, arthropod populations under an intensive house fly integrated management program (IPM) in three high-rise, caged-layer poultry facilities in New York were monitored. Producers using IPM strategies successfully established the predatory hister beetle, Carcinops pumilio (Erichson), using three release strategies. Predatory mite populations were low throughout the study; however, strategic releases of parasitoids resulted in very high levels of house fly parasitism. Furthermore, the infrequent house fly outbreaks required only minimal insecticide applications. Producers using this IPM program successfully managed house fly populations in their facilities.