Source: UNIV OF MINNESOTA submitted to NRP
INSECT AND MANURE MANAGEMENT IN POULTRY SYSTEMS: ELEMENTS RELATIVE TO FOOD SAFETY AND NUISANCE ISSUES
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
HATCH
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0191727
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
S-1006
Project Start Date
Oct 1, 2001
Project End Date
Sep 30, 2006
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
UNIV OF MINNESOTA
(N/A)
ST PAUL,MN 55108
Performing Department
ENTOMOLOGY
Non Technical Summary
Egg and chicken meat production facilities present habitats that produce enormous numbers of house flies and darkling beetles House flies and darkling beetles are a nuisance to neighboring residents, and are potential spreaders of enteric pathogens This project examines how different ways of storing and utilizing poultry manure will affect insect breeding potential, how fly control can be better accomplished at the sources, and how neighbors can monitor nuisance flies in residential environments.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
30%
Applied
50%
Developmental
20%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
31232101130100%
Knowledge Area
312 - External Parasites and Pests of Animals;

Subject Of Investigation
3210 - Egg-type chicken, live animal;

Field Of Science
1130 - Entomology and acarology;
Goals / Objectives
Objective 1: Evaluate conventional and experimental poultry manure management systems as they influence production of filth flies, litter beetles and associated foodborne pathogens. Objective 2: Evaluate novel cultural, biological and chemical strategies for pest management to minimize nuisance and health risk in the rural-urban interface.
Project Methods
Objective (1): An evaluation of outdoor composting will be conducted. In these systems the producer moves manure out of the facility every two days. We will sample manure for house flies and darkling beetles monthly during the time period that beetles are active. Furthermore, additional compost samples will be removed to the laboratory and evaluated for house fly breeding potential. Suitability of commercial and experimental fly traps for monitoring abundance of house flies and blow flies will be examined through comparative studies. Baited jug traps, white sticky cylinders and baited pyramid traps will be compared by placing replicates of each design at 10-m intervals in proximity to known sources of house flies. The traps will then be rotated among positions over consecutive days according to a Latin square design. Relative efficiency will be evaluated by comparing mean daily catch rates of males and females of each species of fly. Using these methods poultry operations with a history of nuisance fly outbreaks will be targeted. To address the dichotomy between on farm thresholds and nuisance fly thresholds the fly population densities will be monitored inside and outside the facility. Resident nuisance threshold will be established and correlated to the fly densities within the facility. Working with the farm, an IPM program will be formed to reduce fly nuisance complaints. Objective (2): Research on prospective new classical biological control agents of house flies will be conducted. Lines of Eurasian pteromalid wasps that were recently obtained from Russia and Kazakhstan will be compared to counterparts already present in the US. The Eurasian lines appear to be Muscidifurax raptor, Spalangia endius, S. cameroni and S. nigroaenea. Reproductive isolation among Eurasian and North American lines will be evaluated directly by reciprocal crosses (MN), and indirectly by comparing mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences. Temperature requirements, reproductive capacity, searching abilities and host ranges of the different lines will be evaluated in the laboratory using standard methods. Performance of lines that appear to be promising will be tested against house flies under field conditions. Assays for insecticide resistance will be developed that utilize a serial dilution of technical-based insecticides applied to filter papers. Adult house flies will be assayed for susceptibility to permethrin, cyfluthrin, tetrachlorvinphos, dimethoate and methomyl. Both adult and larval darkling beetles will be assayed for susceptibility to tetrachlorvinphos, carbaryl and cyfluthrin, the only registered materials. House fly and darkling beetle resistance status will be determined for a minimum of 5 farms (poultry). Determination of darkling beetles to instar is difficult. Larvae will sieve sized to obtain mid to late instar specimens. These will serve as representatives in the larval resistance assay. An additional group of larvae will be held in the laboratory for adult emergence. Darkling beetle adults are fairly long lived (3-12 months), therefore, we will test beetles 1-3 weeks after adult emergence.

Progress 10/01/01 to 09/30/06

Outputs
Objective (1): Field studies of different cleanout methods in caged-layer barns indicated partial cleanouts minimized level of subsequent house fly resurgence, but complete cleanouts minimized darkling beetle populations. Surveys of rural residents in two MN counties indicated odds of being annoyed by house flies increased with matching counts of house flies on sticky traps at respondents' residences. Laboratory studies nutritive value of artificial media for house flies indicated time of fermentation but not autoclaving had modest effects on nutritional quality; and the longer the fermentation, the lower its value. Differences in value were only weakly related to measures of aerobic and anaerobic bacterial densities. Objective (2): Lab experiments with three different pteromalid wasps from MN, Russia and Kazakhstan indicated females of each species readily mated with conspecific males, regardless of geographic origin. Host preference studies showed that M. raptor, S. cameroni and S. endius from all regions readily attacked and reproduced on pupae of house fly, stable fly, black dump fly, and horn fly, whereas reproduction was lower on a sarcophagid flesh fly, Sarcophaga bullata. New World and Old World lines of S. cameroni and S. endius were equally productive, but a Florida strain of M. raptor had slightly greater reproductive capacity than Old World counterparts. Studies of acquisition and retention by house flies of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSv) showed flies were readily contaminated by feeding on blood, oropharyngeal washings and nasal washings from viremic pigs. The virus did not replicate in the flies; rather, levels per fly (log scale) declined at rates that were proportional to temperature. In a separate study, house flies dispersing from a swine unit undergoing a PRRS virus outbreak averaged 1.8 km per day, and rates of virus contamination diminished with distance. Modeling indicated that log-density of contaminated flies was well approximated as a decreasing, linear function of radial distance. Densities of contaminated flies decreased by 10-fold (1 log10-unit) every 0.59 km (0.37 mi) from the source. An 8-week study of house fly control methods compared (1) screening of ventilation inlets in side walls, (2) cyfluthrin applied to walls and floors, (3) screening and cyfluthrin in combination, and (4) no treatment (negative control). Fly screens best reduced house fly (and mosquito) densities inside the screened rooms, followed by screens + cyfluthrin, cyfluthrin alone, and untreated control. No differences were observed among treatments in mean numbers of fly specks per spot card, or levels of CO2, temperature and relative humidity. Results indicate well-maintained inlet screens effectively excluded house flies and mosquitoes, yet did not materially impede ventilation.

Impacts
Poultry producers can better anticipate the effects of different cleanout methods on insect populations associated with their caged-layer barns. County public health authorities now have a tool for setting and enforcing house fly nuisance thresholds for rural communities. Knowledge of how far PRRS virus-contaminated house flies can spread into the surrounding landscape will allow pork producers to plan isolation distances to achieve desired levels of biosecurity, and will serve as a model for analysis of fly borne spread of enteric bacteria and other pathogens that threaten animal and public health.

Publications

  • 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. 2004. Spatial dispersal of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus-contaminated flies after contact with experimentally infected pigs. Am. J. Vet. Res. 65: 1284-1292.
  • Moon, R. D. 2002. Chapt. 14. Muscid flies (Muscidae). Pp. 279-302 in: Mullen, G. and L. Durden (eds.), Medical and Veterinary Entomology., Academic Press,NY. 720 pp.
  • Hinton, J. L and R. D. Moon. 2003. Arthropod populations in high-rise, caged-layer houses following three manure cleanout treatments. J. Econ. Entomol, 96: 1352-1361.
  • Otake S, Dee SA, Moon RD, Rossow KD, Trincado C, Farnham M, and Pijoan C. 2003. Survival of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus in houseflies. Can J Vet Res: 67: 198-203.
  • Otake S, Dee SA, Rossow KD, Moon RD, Trincado C, and Pijoan C. 2003. Transmission of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus by houseflies (Musca domestica). Vet. Rec. 152: 73-76.
  • Dee, S. A., J. A. Schurrer, R. D. Moon, E. Fano, C. Trincado and C. Pijoan. 2004. Transmission of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus under field conditions during a putative increase in the fly population. J. Swine Health and Prod.12: 242-245.
  • Otake S., S. A. Dee, R. D. Moon, K. D. Rossow, Trincado C, and Pijoan C. 2004. Studies on the carriage and transmission of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus by individual houseflies (Musca domestica) . Vet. Record 154: 80-85.
  • 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.
  • Moon, R. D. and S. K. ORourke. 2005. How many filth flies is too many? Nuisance thresholds for rural Minnesota communities. CURA Reporter 35 (3): 17-19.
  • 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.
  • 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: 405-412.
  • Schurrer, J. A., S. A. Dee, R. D. Moon, J. Deen and C. B. J. Pijoan. 2006. Evaluation of three intervention strategies for insect control on a commercial swine farm. J. Swine Health Prod. 14: 76-81.
  • Taylor, D. B., R. D. Moon, G. Gibson and A. Szalanski. 2006. Genetic and morphological comparisons of New and Old World populations of Spalangia species (Hymenoptera: Ptermalidae). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 99: 799-808.


Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05

Outputs
Objective (1): Work on this objective was completed in 2004. Objective (2): 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.

Impacts
Knowledge of how far PRRS virus-contaminated house flies can spread into the surrounding landscape will allow pork producers to plan isolation distances to achieve desired levels of biosecurity.

Publications

  • 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).
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.


Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04

Outputs
An 8-week study of house fly and mosquito control methods was conducted in a 4-room commercial swine finishing facility with slat-floors and separate manure pits below. Treatments applied to individual rooms were (1) screening of ventilation inlets in side walls, (2) cyfluthrin applied to walls and floors, (3) screening and cyfluthrin in combination, and (4) no treatment (negative control). Treatments were assigned to rooms in a Latin Square design, with blocking on room and study period (2 consecutive weeks each). Fly screens caused the greatest reductions in house fly and mosquito densities inside the screened rooms, followed by screens + cyfluthrin, cyfluthrin alone, and untreated control. No differences were observed among treatments in mean numbers of fly specks per spot card, or levels of CO2, temperature and relative humidity. Results indicate well-maintained inlet screens effectively excluded house flies and mosquitoes, yet did not materially impede ventilation. Longer studies under dustier conditions will be needed to fully evaluate the safety of screening to protect pigs from immigrating house flies, msoquitoes and other insects. Three studies evaluated retention by house flies of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSv) in the fly's alimentary tract. Virus loads in individual flies were measured with quantitative PCR after having been allowed to feed on blood, oropharyngeal washings and nasal washings from experimentally infected pigs. PRRSv-contamination of flies occurred following feeding on all 3 porcine body fluids. PRRSv-exposed house flies were incubated at 15, 20, 25 and 30 C and tested over time with quantitative PCR and virus isolation. PRRSv did not replicate in the flies. Levels per fly (log scale) declined at rates that were proportional to temperature. Additional cohorts of exposed flies were housed under controlled field conditions for 48 hours. Percentage positive and virus loads decreased over time, but infectious PRRSV was present in individual flies at 48 hours post-exposure.. Therefore, retention of PRRSV in house flies appears to be a function of initial virus load post-ingestion and environmental temperature.

Impacts
Simple screens were more effective than pyrethroid premise sprays for reducing abundance of house flies and mosquitoes inside finishing hog barns. Screens may be sufficient to protect pigs from immigrating insects. Screens may also serve to confine insects produced in such facilities and prevent their spread into the surrounding landscape.

Publications

  • Dee SA, Scurrer JA, Moon RD, Fano E, Trincado C, and Pijoan C. 2004. Transmission of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus under field conditions during a putative increase in the fly population. J. Swine Health and Prod.12: 242-245.
  • Otake S., S. A. Dee, R. D. Moon, K. D. Rossow, Trincado C, and Pijoan C. 2004. Studies on the carriage and transmission of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus by individual houseflies (Musca domestica) . Vet. Record 154: 80-85.
  • 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. 2004. Spatial dispersal of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus-contaminated flies after contact with experimentally infected pigs. Am. J. Vet. Res. 65: 1284-1292.


Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03

Outputs
Objective (1): Laboratory studies house fly larval nutrition were begun by manipulating a standardized laboratory medium in different ways. Media were autoclaved or not, and allowed to ferment for 4, 11 and 21 days. Sand-dilution assays were then performed to assess nutritional value, and aliquots of the same media were analyzed for microbial content by collaborators at Kansas State University. Results indicated time of fermentation but not autoclaving had modest effects on nutritional quality. Differences in quality were weakly related to measures of aerobic and anaerobic bacterial densities. Objective (2): Laboratory experiments examined host ranges of four different pteromalid wasps from FL, Russia and Kazakhstan. There were no substantial differences in acceptance and suitability of 6 species of filth flies for North American and Eurasian lines of Muscidifurax raptor, Spalangia cameroni, of S. endius, or of S. nigroaenea.

Impacts
Studies of larval nutrition may lead to strategies for manipulating fly production potential of animal manures and other decomposing organic substrates.

Publications

  • Hinton, J. L and R.D. Moon. 2003. Arthropod populations in high-rise, caged-layer houses following three manure cleanout treatments. J. Econ. Entomol, 96: 1352-1361.
  • Jacobson, L. D., S. L Gay, D. R. Schmidt, A. J. Heber, J R. Bicudo & R. D. Moon. 2003. Site selection of animal operations using air quality criteria. Proceedings of the National Conference, Am Water Resource Association, Kansas City, MO.
  • Otake S, Dee SA, Rossow KD, Moon RD, Trincado C, and Pijoan C. 2003. Transmission of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus by houseflies (Musca domestica). Vet. Rec. 152: 73-76.
  • Otake S, Dee SA, Moon RD, Rossow KD, Trincado C, Farnham M, and Pijoan C. 2003. Survival of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus in houseflies (Musca domestica) Can J Vet Res: 67: 198-203.


Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02

Outputs
Objective (1): Laboratory studies house fly larval nutrition were begun by manipulating a standardized laboratory medium in different ways. Media were autoclaved or not, and allowed to ferment for 4, 11 and 21 days. Sand-dilution assays were then performed to assess nutritional value, and aliquots of the same media were analyzed for microbial content by collaborators at Kansas State University. Results are pending. Objective (2): Laboratory experiments examined reproductive isolation within three different pteromalid wasps from MN, Russia and Kazakhstan. There was no substantial reproductive isolation between North American and Eurasian lines of Spalangia cameroni, of S. endius, or of S. nigroaenea. Within each species, females crossed with males of the same or different lines mated readily, and produced daughter:son ratios of approximately 2.7:1. The main conclusion is that the insects from the different regions, tentatively identified from external morphology as being the same species, are in fact one single, interbreeding species. Studies of interspecific competitive abilities of exotic lines of the three Spalangia and Muscidifurax raptor indicated the exotic lines were as competitive as their endemic counterparts.

Impacts
Knowledge of how microbial content of decomposing organic media affects its nutritional value for house fly larvae may lead to new strategies for preventing fly breeding in agricultural debris. Knowledge that the Eurasian isolates of the different fly parasites are indistinguishable from North American counterparts means that other species from those regions need to be studied before importations would be justified.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period