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Agriculture

Innovative Control Strategy for Poultry Red Mite Infestations

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A new study from the University of Bari Aldo Moro has developed an innovative control strategy for managing poultry red mite infestations, a significant threat to global poultry production. The research focuses on using a hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC)-hydrogel as a delivery matrix for Eucalyptus globulus essential oil (EO) and the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana to effectively control the mites. According to the study, the HEC-hydrogel with EO and B. bassiana achieved a significant reduction in mite infestations, with a lethal time (LT) of 7.4 ± 0.2 days in adult mites. The findings suggest that further validation under field conditions is necessary to provide a sustainable strategy for controlling red mite infestations.

Key Takeaways:

  • The poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae, poses a significant global threat to poultry production, affecting animal health and welfare.
  • Conventional acaricidal treatments are limited by the emergence of resistant mite populations and the risk of chemical residues in eggs and meat.
  • The study developed an innovative control strategy using a hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC)-hydrogel as a delivery matrix for Eucalyptus globulus essential oil (EO) and the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana.
  • The HEC-hydrogel with EO and B. bassiana achieved a significant reduction in mite infestations, with a lethal time (LT) of 7.4 ± 0.2 days in adult mites.
  • Pre-incubation of the HEC matrix markedly enhanced efficacy, achieving an LT of 8.8 ± 0.2 days with the B. bassiana-only treatment.
  • The findings suggest that further validation under field conditions is necessary to provide a sustainable strategy for controlling red mite infestations.
  • The research was conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Bari Aldo Moro, including Nicola Pugliese, Antonio Camarda, Mara Miglianti, Marco Friuli, Christian Demitri, Ifra Siddique, Marcos Antonio Bezerra Santos, Wafa Rhimi, Elena Circella, Claudia Cafarchia, and Domenico Otranto.

Statistics:

  • The average time for mites to be killed was reduced to 7.4 ± 0.2 days with the HEC-hydrogel with EO and B. bassiana.
  • The pre-incubation of the HEC matrix enhanced efficacy, resulting in an LT of 8.8 ± 0.2 days with the B. bassiana-only treatment.
  • The study was published in the journal BMC Veterinary Research, Volume 21, Issue 1, Article 473.

Sources:

  • BMC Veterinary Research, 2025;21(1):473. BMC Veterinary Research can be contacted at: Bmc, Campus, 4 Crinan St, London N1 9XW, England. (BioMed Central - www.biomedcentral.com/; BMC Veterinary Research - www.biomedcentral.com/bmcvetres/)
  • NewsRx LLC. University of Bari Aldo Moro Reports Findings in Poultry Farming (Hydroxyethyl cellulose-based hydrogel as a novel delivery system for Eucalyptus globulus essential oil and Beauveria Bassiana conidia for the control of the poultry red mite ...). Agriculture Week. July 31, 2025; p 4041.

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