Northern Fowl Mite (Ornithonyssus sylviarum)
The northern fowl mite completes its whole life cycle on the bird, mostly in the vent feathers, which makes it a different problem from the poultry red mite. Treatment of the birds requires registered veterinary or poultry products; the premise role is preventing introduction and spread.
Biology
Ornithonyssus sylviarum feeds day and night and lives on the host throughout its life. The cycle from egg to adult can complete in five to seven days, so populations on a bird can build within weeks. Mites concentrate around the vent, where feathers become blackened with mite debris and the skin scabbed. Off the host they survive only days to a few weeks, which limits the role of the house as a reservoir compared with red mite.
How it spreads
Introductions come with infested birds, wild birds and their nests on or in buildings, rodents, and equipment and egg flats moved between houses. Crews carry mites on clothing. Breeder flocks and caged layers are most affected; birds kept at higher densities spread mites faster. Backyard flocks are exposed through bird swaps, shows and shared equipment. Inspection of every incoming bird, and a two to four week quarantine away from the main flock, is the simplest barrier.
Premise measures
Remove wild bird nests from buildings and screen openings; control rodents; quarantine and inspect new birds; clean and disinfect crates, egg flats and carts between houses; use dedicated clothing per house. Inspect the vent area of a sample of birds weekly, parting feathers in good light. Treatment of infested birds must use a product registered for application to poultry. Vetpure Miticide is a premise product and is not applied to birds; it can form part of the structural cleanout between flocks as its label directs.
Key facts
- Northern fowl mites live on the host continuously and can complete a generation in 5 to 7 days (Axtell and Arends 1990, Annu Rev Entomol 35:101)
- Wild birds and their nests are a recognized source of northern fowl mite introduction to poultry houses (Axtell and Arends 1990, Annu Rev Entomol 35:101)
- Pesticides applied to animals must be registered for that use and applied per label (FIFRA section 12(a)(2)(G))
How our delivery technology applies
Because this mite rarely leaves the bird, a premise encapsulate cannot solve it on its own, and we do not claim otherwise. Encapsulated products contribute to cleanout of crates, equipment and house surfaces between flocks, where residual on porous surfaces helps catch mites carried in on equipment.
Tighten equipment and wild bird exclusion with our biosecurity protocols.
Related reading
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