Towards IPM of the mold mite, Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) (Acari: Acaridae): Trapping and monitoring mite populations in ham processing facilities

Fumigation with methyl bromide is the most effective method to manage existing infestation of the mold (or ham) mite, Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) (Acari: Acaridae), a serious pest of dry-cured ham. However, methyl bromide is being phased out as part of the Montreal protocol, due to its atmospheric ozone-depleting ability and integrated pest management (IPM) methods for the mite must be developed. The foundation of a successful IPM program is an effective monitoring program that provides information on pest presence and abundance by location and over time. By using food-baited traps made using disposable Petri dishes and dog food-based lure, mite activity over time and space was monitored in three commercial dry-cured ham processing facilities (n=20). Weekly sampling of the mite was conducted from June 2012 to November 2012 and February 2013 to April 2013. In all facilities, there were significant differences between trap captures especially before and after fumigation with the majority of mites found in traps before fumigation. This followed a pattern of sharp decline after fumigation, and then steadily increased until the next fumigation, ranging from no mite/trap/week to several tens of mites/trap/week. Trap captures also varied with trap locations. The findings of this study can help inform facility managers of changes in mite populations, hence, determine when management methods such as fumigation and sanitation are required and also help assess the impact of such methods. Future work should relate trap captures to independent measures of mite population size in facilities.