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

Laboratory studies were conducted to determine the efficacies of phosphine, methyl bromide, and sulfur dioxide as fumigants for the northern fowl mite, Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Canestrini and Fanzago), on inanimate objects. We were able to demonstrate that either methyl bromide or sulfur dioxide could kill all physiological forms of mites within 24 hr, which would be desirable for field use. Prosphine gas, released from Phostoxin pellets, had an LD95 of 18 hr for motile forms of the mites; however, it took 30 hr to kill the mite eggs. Therefore, it would be an unsuitable fumigant for practical field usage.