Work

House Fly (Musca domestica L.) Survival after Mechanical Incorporation of Poultry Manure into Field Soil

Year: 1998

Type: article

Abstract: Land application is often a routine part of manure management. Not only is it a practical means of disposing large amounts of poultry wastes, it is an efficient use of an organic fertilizer. Unfortunately, poultry manure may contain a large number of house fly larvae and pupae that can become a nuisance if they complete development. Mechanical incorporation of poultry manure is often recommended to help reduce odor; it has also been though to reduce the potential for a fly outbreak. This study examined fly survival following burial in field soil at depths of 0, 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 in. One quarter of the adult house flies developing from pupae were able to crawl through 12 in. of soil to reach the surface. Survival of flies buried closer to the surface was greater. We compared house fly survival following disk, harrow, and moldboard plow incorporation of manure to surface application. No method of incorporation was better than the surface application. Adult flies reached outbreak proportions 10 days following application and the outbreak lasted another 11 days.

Source: The Journal of Applied Poultry Research

DOI: 10.1093/japr/7.3.302

Authors: D.W. Watson, D.A. Rutz, K. Keshavarz, J. Keith Waldron

Institutions: North Carolina State University, Cornell University

Language: English

Topic: Insect behavior and control techniques

Subfield: Insect Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDGs: Life on land, Zero hunger

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,300