The Efficacy of 25% Diflubenzuron Fed to Poultry to Control Synanthropic Flies in the Dung

Many fly species bred in dung accumulating underneath the chicken cages and they represent a serious risk for human and animal health since several of then can act as disease vectors. There are restrictions to the exclusive use for insecticides against fly proliferation since many of them can be toxic against natural predators of such flies and also because these can quickly develop genetic insecticide resistance. IGR becomes, therefore, one of the available alternatives because they can be employed in such a manner that fly proliferation is controlled without seriously affecting its natural predators. The activity of 25% diflubenzuron against synanthropic flies in chicken houses was assayed in the feed of commercial laying chickens (2g/Kg) in two chicken houses. In the first one the chickens received along 15 days the medicated ration and in the second one (control group) the untreated food, which was the same provided to the treated group after the initial fortnight. The experimental parameters, evaluated along 63 days were based on weekly sampling the feces under the chicken cages, for viability of fly larvae and rate of emergence of adults flies, both for treated and control groups. This rate of emergence before treatment (zero day) was equally high for both groups. The total inhibitory effect of diflubenzuron against larvae development lasted up to the 18th day after treatment when a few of them developed until the pupal stage but didn’t resulted in adult emergence up to the 49th day. The feces from the treated chickens differed conspicuously from there of the control ones in appearance, since those were dry and good for sale while the control ones became liquefied and commercially valueless. The experimental data conduct to the conclusion that 25% diflubenzuron, at the rate of 2g/Kg in the food, can be recommended for the control of synanthropic flies in the feces of commercial egg laying chickens.