Using Fly Parasites
Fly Parasites Prevent Fly Emergence in Long-Term Poultry Manure Accumulations
Fly parasites are natural inhabitants of poultry manure. However, their numbers are reduced to near zero following manure cleanouts or the use of strong pesticides. Without help, fly parasite numbers rebuild slowly. The major fly outbreaks that occur after cleanouts demonstrate the massive effect that natural enemies normally exert on fly populations Fly parasites prevent adult flies from hatching. These tiny beneficial insects kill fly pupae and then use the killed pupae as “nurseries” to grow new parasites. Fly parasites are tiny insects in the wasp family that live only to search out, kill, and lay eggs in fly pupae. They go about their business without being noticed.
Identifying
- No Side Effects
- Long-term Fly Control
- Natural, Organic
- Reduces Chemical Use
Pest Management
THE ILLUSTRATION: The fly parasite to the left is a mature adult female that is preparing to sting and kill the pupa. It may also lay an egg inside the pupa that will mature into a new fly parasite. The fly parasite on the right is a new adult that has just chewed its way out of the host pupa. The remainder of the illustration shows the stages of the fly life cycle. The fly adult, fly eggs and maggots are light grey in the background. The fly pupae are black and each has a fly parasite on it.
QUALITY ASSURED: IPM Laboratories Fly Parasites come in units of 10,000 host pupae. Host pupae are inspected prior to shipment to assure that they carry fly parasites. Empty pupae may have died from fly parasite attack but are not counted as host pupae.
FLY PARASITES SPECIES: IPM Laboratories produces Muscidifurax raptor, a species well suited to the cooler climate of the area of North America that experiences snowy winters. In summer, we add M. raptorellus, which has multiple offspring per host pupa but requires warm temperatures to thrive.
Program Planning
Plan your next fly control program prior to cleanout. Call IPM Laboratories and set up a Fly Parasite introduction program to kill fly pupae. To reestablish a multi-aged fly parasite population, you will need a shipment of fly parasites
every week for a minimum of 4 weeks. To exert fly parasite pressure during heavy fly reproduction, choose the 8-week saturation schedule. Also inquire about the Combination Plans that include both Fly Parasites and Hister Beetles.
Strategy for Fly Control in Poultry Manure
4 WEEK FLY PARASITE INOCULATION PLAN
Use this plan after cleanout to reestablish a fly parasite population. Release one host pupa per bird per week every week for 4 weeks starting in the first week of manure accumulation. The fly parasites purchased in week one will lay eggs most heavily during the following week. These eggs will become adults and start laying eggs in week 4. In turn, the adults that develop from these eggs will start laying eggs in week 7. It is very important to make several weekly releases in order to establish overlapping generations of egg-laying adults. For example, for 100,000 birds, release 100,000 host pupae per week for 4 weeks.
8 WEEK FLY PARASITE SATURATION PLAN
Use this plan after cleanout to establish a fly parasite population that can exert immediate
pressure on the fly population. Release 1 host pupa per bird in the first week of manure
accumulation, then 2 host pupae per bird weekly for 4 weeks, then 1 host pupa per bird
weekly for 3 weeks. The advantage of this program is that the populations established by
the larger releases will multiply more than twice as fast as the inoculation plan.
Common Fly Parasite Release Rates
| | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | # Host
Pupae | 100M | 200M | 200M | 200M | 200M | 100M | 100M | 100M | #
Colonies | 10 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Multiple Releases are essential for continuous fly parasite activity during establishment.
Fly Parasites can lay eggs for several weeks, but their peak and most effective egg-laying period lasts approximately 7 days. Their eggs are the beginning of the next generation, which takes approximately three weeks to mature and lay its own eggs. Repeat weekly releases a minimum of 4 times to assure constant fly parasite reproduction during the fly parasite startup. |
