Studyshowsfungusachieves
biologicalcontrolofflies
By Dr. Simon M. Shane, Editor
Anatural pathogenic fungus--
Beauveria bassiana—affecting only
houseflies is the basis of a new
method to control fly populations in
high-rise houses developed by Dr. Jim
Arends, previously a faculty member
and now an Adjunct Professor at North
Carolina State University.
Generally, initial application on mul-ti-age in-line units with fly problems
should be carried out at least three times
each week for four weeks followed by
applications at 2-week intervals through
fall and winter months. Intensity is increased to weekly application or more
hyphae which penetrate into the body
cavity of the flies resulting in death
within days. Application of Beauveria is
regarded as a component of an integrated control system which incorporates
the contribution of beneficial insects
and requires dry manure through ap-
Manure “coned” beneath cage rows show active breeding of flies 1 8 inches
below peak at a depth of 4 inches.
Spray application of balEnce
to manure deflector curtains
with the anticipation that
droplets containing suspended spores will drift down to
the manure cones in order
to infect emerging flies.
frequently in
spring, with weekly
application during
summer months. A
significant reduction in fly population most often
occurs three weeks
after initiating the
program.
propriate ventilation and management
of drinking systems. It is axiomatic that
the use of synthetic pyrethrins temporarily suppresses fly populations but
also destroys beneficial insects.
Beauveria fungus has no detrimental effect
on beneficial insects including Carci-nops, beetles or Muscidifurax wasps
which parasitize fly larva.
The product comprises a
commercial suspension of
Beauveria conidia, available as balEnce. The product is applied over manure
cones and excreta adherent to cross beams using a
commercial sprayer deliv-
ering a droplet size of 40 Quantifying fly population using
to 70 microns at a dose rate an adhesive fly ribbon showing
of 1 ounce of balEnce per flies captured during one circuit
3,000 ft2 of floor area. of the house.
12 • EggIndustry • August 2008 • www.WATTpoultry.com
Contact with
spores
Adult flies that
emerge from their
pupal cases come
into contact which
the spores (
infectious stage of
the life cycle) of
Beauveria. Spores
released from the
conidia develop
North Carolina study
A study was conducted on an in-line
complex in North Carolina, based on
favorable results as documented in a
peer reviewed article (Kaufman et al.
2005, Evaluation of Beauveria bassiana Application Against the Adult
House Fly, Musca domestica in Commercial Caged-Layer Poultry Facilities
in New York State. Biological Control.
33: 360-367). The pit in the test house
was treated with 2 x 108 Bassiana co-
nida/10 ft2 in each of 14 applications
