Control of the northern fowl mite on inanimate objects by fumigation: field studies.

Field studies were conducted to determine the efficacies of methyl bromide and sulfur dioxide as fumigants for northern fowl mite, Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Canestrini and Fanzago), on egg flats and egg cases. Both fumigants killed the mites within 24 hr; however, sulfur dioxide had a repulsive irritating odor, which was retained in the cardboard egg flats and egg crates and persisted for several days after exposure to the gas. When used in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations for fumigating enclosed trailers and vans to control insects that attack food products, methyl bromide gave excellent control of northern fowl mites infesting inanimate materials.