Evaluate conventional and experimental poultry manure management systems as they influence production of filth flies, litter beetles and associated foodborne pathogens.

Environmental concern stemming from over use of land applied manure demonstrates a need to reduce manure volume and nutrients (nitrogen), insect pests, and pathogens before land application. However in some areas, manure is directly applied to the land unaltered. Within this objective, we will evaluate the insects and pathogens commonly associated with poultry manure as impacted by manure handling systems.

Conventional Manure Handling
Deep stack manure is currently the caged-layer industry standard. In meat-bird production, free birds are placed on a 10-15 cm layer of litter (wood shavings).

Composting
Composting manure involves thermophilic processing and decomposition by aerobic microorganisms to produce a relatively stable organic material. High temperature significantly reduces pathogen and insect survival. There is considerable interest in composting, but few operations compost manure because of handling issues. In situ composting is a promising alternative.

Land Application
Land application is a practical means of disposing large amounts of animal wastes and an efficient use of an organic fertilizer. Unfortunately manure may contain a large number of house fly larvae and pupae, and beetles. Tillage reduces arthropod survival however soil type may have an impact on the successful use of this cultural practice for pest control. We will investigate this and other manure management methodologies may also reduce insects or pathogens before the material is land applied.

Essential to the evaluation of all treatment is the establishment of standard monitoring methods for flies, beetles and other related pests. Suitability of commercial and experimental fly traps for monitoring abundance of house flies will be examined through comparative studies. Litter beetles can be sampled in poultry facilities using three methods: (1) visual estimation, (2) direct manure sampling and (3) trapping. Trap development for use outside poultry houses is necessary.

The aforementioned treatments of manure and litter are suspected to alter the microflora within treatments. It is important to record changes in selected foodborne pathogens that may be present before and after treatment and in any associated insects. In this section we will concentrate on determining the impact of treatment on common pathogens and the role of insect in the dissemination of foodborne bacteria.

Evaluate novel cultural, biological and chemical strategies for pest management to minimize nuisance and health risk in the rural-urban interface.

The need for new pest management strategies in livestock and poultry pest management has never been greater. Although several insecticides are currently available, the implementation of the Food Quality Protection Act, FQPA, will likely remove a number of these materials.

Effective Adulticides
There is a critical need to evaluate new chemistries and actively search out unregistered products that hold promise to work against flies and beetles.

Biological Control
The acceptance of biological control by producers is now widespread. We have an understanding of these processes within limited geographical areas, but not on a multi-regional basis. Furthermore, the addition of new biological control organisms holds the promise of increasing our biological arsenal. Lines of Eurasian pteromalid wasps that were recently obtained from Russia and Kazakhstan will be compared to counterparts already present in the US.

Insecticide Resistance
Finally, it is critical that we understand the resistance status of flies and beetles to our currently registered materials. House fly and darkling beetles resistance status will be determined for a minimum of 5 farms in the participating states.