Efficacy of selected pesticides against Tyrophagus putrescentiae: Influence of surface, dose, and residual activity
Dry cured ham is protected from arthropod infestations using the fumigant methyl bromide. Tyrophagus putrescentiae, known as mold mite, decreases the quality and quantity of dry cured hams during the aging process and is a serious threat to dry cured ham companies. Methyl bromide is a strong ozone depleting substance and it is scheduled to be phased out from all industries in the U.S. in the near future. Consequently, developing effective, feasible, and economic alternatives to methyl bromide is the main purpose of current project.
Methods:
Glass vials were treated with different concentrations of ten registered residual pesticides and forty mites were transferred to each vial for 24 hrs. of exposure on contact. Also persistence of these residual pesticides was evaluated over a two-month period using EPA label rate applied on different surfaces.
Results and conclusion:
Results indicated that commercial products Storicide II®, Phantom®, and Malathion® showed promising results for contact toxicity against mites, and Phantom® was highly effective at very low concentrations. Phantom® and Storcide II® caused 100% mortality through all 8 weeks of residual assessment when applied on glass surface. However, on metal, concrete, and wood only Phantom® showed similar results. These pesticides are currently registered for use in similar contexts, so they could be considered as new potential control measures for ham mites in ham plants after further investigations.
