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balEnce™ Darkling Beetle
BioPesticide Spray and Bait for Control of Darkling Beetles in a Broiler Facility
1. Introduction
Darkling beetles are known to transmit a number of poultry diseases as well as harbor several parasites. Examples include leucosis (Marek’s), Infectious Bursal Disease (Gumboro), coronavirus, Newcastle Disease Virus, avian influenza, Salmonella sp, E. coli, Aspergillus sp, Eimeria spp., round worms and tape worms. Brooder and grow-out houses are ideal environments for the darkling beetles to breed, thrive and multiply. The houses provide optimal temperatures and food for this pest and the beetles’ livability is near 100 percent from egg to adult. This results in very large numbers of insects in the house. Darkling beetles are also a very attractive food source to young birds, who, when exposed to beetles, prefer to eat them rather than poultry food. The consumption of beetle larvae and adults at the time of placement results in the young birds being exposed to significant levels of disease organisms and parasites. Darkling beetles also cause damage to building insulation by burrowing, increasing the cost of maintaining the proper environment for production. In addition to spreading diseases among poultry flocks, large numbers of beetles in litter applied to fields have produced concerns for surrounding houses as the displaced beetles often seek shelter in human dwellings creating a nuisance issue and possible legal action.
THEREFORE, THE SPREAD OF DISEASE, AND DAMAGE TO PERSONAL PROPERTY MAKE IT THE PRIMARY GOAL OF AN INSECT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM TO HAVE THE LOWEST NUMBER OF DARKLING BEETLES AT ALL LIFE STAGES IN THE HOUSE.
The beetle breeding cycle, from egg to adult, takes 42 to 60+ days depending on temperature. It is closer to 42 days in the summer and much longer in the winter. The adults can live up to a year, although they only lay eggs for approximately six months. Eggs are laid in the litter or floors of the buildings. The larvae develop in the litter with the preferred sites being under feeder pans and along the walls of the house. When good beetle control is obtained, the only sites in the house where beetles are present and where treatment needs to be continued on a regular basis are in the first few inches of floor along the wall and under feeder pans.
AS A GENERAL RULE, IT WILL TAKE THREE FLOCK/TREATMENT CYCLES TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE NUMBER OF ADULT BEETLES.
2. How balEnce™ BioPesticide Works
balEnce ™ Biopesticide is a solution of spores (conidia) of Beauveria bassiana, a naturally occurring fungus, that is a host specific pathogen. balEnce™ BioPesticide targets and kills ONLY darkling beetles. balEnce™ Biopesticide is not harmful to humans, animals or beneficial insects. The spore is picked up by the darkling beetle, grows, reproduces, and kills the insect. Darkling beetles die in one to five days depending on exposure and environment.
3. Conduct a Count of Darkling Beetles and Darkling Beetle Larvae in Each Turkey House
In order to measure the success of the darkling beetle management program, it is important to start by quantifying the number of beetles and comparing this count to future beetle population counts. The chart below provides a scale for use in quantifying the number of darkling beetles.
0 = no beetles
1 = 1 – 10 beetles per square foot
2 = 11 – 100 beetles per square foot
3 = 101 – 1000 beetles per square foot
4 = 1001 + beetles per square foot
This can be done in one of three ways:
A. Physical Estimation
Make a visual estimate of the number of beetles per square foot in several different locations once per week over a six week period. Exact accuracy is not as important as having the same person make this visual estimate each time.
B. Photography
This technique is similar to the above except that a digital camera is used to take photographs of the beetle population at the various locations over the six week period.
C. Grab Samples
Samples should be taken using a 1/2 to one pint container and simply filling the container with material from directly under a feeder pan. Samples should be taken under 10 pans spaced along the length of the feeder line. Once the sample is taken, the material is placed into a plastic bag and returned to office or lab for counting. To get a general idea of control, one sample should be taken at the end of the flock, after treatment of the house and prior to the placement of new birds and at the end of the next flock. Intermediate samples can be taken at three week intervals if you want to assess the initial decrease in the population of beetles.
4. Application of balEnce™ BioPesticide Spray for Darkling Beetles
The bottle of balEnce™ should be shaken well to insure that all conidia are suspended in the formulation. Each 15 ounce bottle of balEnce™ Spray for Darkling Beetles will treat up to 30,000 square feet. In the initial treatment of grow-out and brooder houses, all surfaces should be treated with balEnce™ for Darkling Beetles. The amount of water used is dependent upon the type of application equipment. Sprayers should be filled with enough water to evenly treat the entire surface area. Then, add balEnce™ to the sprayer and treat all surfaces of the house. Normal amounts of water needed vary from 12 to 24 gallons „Ÿ depending on the sprayer used. During initial treatment of all surfaces, special attention should be given to the following areas as darkling beetles tend to congregate and breed there:
A) A one meter band under the feeder lines
B) A one meter band from the side walls
If the grow-out period exceeds 9 to 10 weeks, housing for such a long period of time allows darkling beetles to complete one or more life cycles. If treatment is only at the start of a flock, beetle numbers will increase in the house. To control the beetles in these houses, a second and possibly third and fourth treatment should be done at four, eight and 12 weeks post placement by treating under the feeders and along the walls. However, unlike the initial treatment where the entire house surface must be treated and IF THE POPULATION OF DARKLING BEETLES IS UNDER CONTOL , subsequent treatments require that only the areas under the feeders and along the walls need to be treated. Six to eight oz. of balEnce™ will treat these areas (under feeder lines and along the walls), an approximately 10,000 square foot area. Mix six to eight oz. of balEnce™ Spray for Darkling Beetles with approximately eight gallons of water in a back pack sprayer. The ECHO SHR-210 is recommended. The application should be made as a coarse mist/spray. Ensure that there are no screens in the spray system and that the final spray is in excess of a 40 micron droplet. Insure that the entire sprayer full of the balEnce™ solution is evenly sprayed over the treatment areas specified above. Treatment is applied between flocks as a spray by treating infested areas. In houses where control is gained, treated areas may be confined to under feeder lines and along the walls.
5. Frequency of Application of balEnce™ BioPesticide Spray for Darkling Beetles
The application procedure should be conducted once prior to placement of birds, or in buildings where birds are housed for more than 8 weeks, prior to placement and monthly starting at eight weeks.
6. balEnce™ BioPesticide Darkling Beetle Bait
balEnce™ Darkling Beetle Bait is available for use in all floor bird grow-out and brooder facilities. The bait is a proprietary formulation that is used under feeder lines and feeder pans at a rate of one lb. of bait for every 150 sq. ft. A normal 500 foot house, with two feed lines, would use six lbs. of bait spread 24 inches wide directly under each feed line. In facilities that are producing a bird that is housed for more than eight weeks, a second or third application should be applied under feed lines at a rate of one lb. per 150 sq. ft. or ½ oz of bait per feeder pan. In an average turkey grow-out facility, bait should be replaced every four weeks to maintain beetle control and insure that beetle numbers remain at minimal levels.
7. Storage of balEnce™ BioPesticide Spray and Bait for Darkling Beetles
Store balEnce™ BioPesticide at or below room temperature and out of direct sunlight.
Terregena© is your source for:
balEnce TM BioPesticide Liquid Spray for Darkling Beetles, Adult Flies and Fly Larvae
balEnce TM BioPesticide Solid Bait
balEnce TM BioPesticide Bait Stations
ECHO SHR-210 Backpack Sprayer
Terregena© Beneficial insects – Parasitic Wasps and Hister Beetles
KoolAire™ Evaporative Cooling System
On-site technical support and fly management program implementation
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