Ectoparasites are a persistent challenge in poultry farming, causing significant harm to both bird welfare and farm profitability. The common poultry ectoparasites, includes lice, mites, fleas, and ticks, that feed on feathers or skin or sucking blood. Lice such as Menacanthus stramineus cause irritation, feather damage, and reduced growth. Fleas like sticktight flea attach to the eyes and comb of the chicken, leading to inflammation and irritation. Ticks, particularly Argas persicus, transmit diseases like avian spirochetosis and can cause anaemia and mortality. Among different mite species like northern fowl mites, scaly leg mites, and red mites infesting poultry, the Poultry red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae ) is more prevalent and causes severe economic damage. It is a hematophagous mite that mainly infests poultry but can also parasitize other avian and mammalian hosts, including humans.
Poultry red mite is ubiquitously present; however, huge economic losses are observed in South America, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. The severity of poultry red mite depends on different climates and production systems.
Economic Impact of Poultry Red Mite
According to the European Commission, in 2021, European farms contained over 376 million laying hens, with an 80% to 90% infestation percentage of red mite. The economic impact of infestations, as calculated by Van Emous (2017), includes direct costs of around EUR 0.15 per bird per year due to treatments, veterinary services, and labor. Indirect costs, EUR 0.45 per bird per year, of reduced egg production, lower bird performance, and high mortality, also affect the productivity.
Impact of poultry red mite on productivity
Poultry red mites affect the profitability and productivity of poultry farmers. Poultry red mites feed on chicken for about 2–4 days, and an average of 20,000–50,000 mites can be found per bird. Red mite infestation induces stress and irritation, leading to aggressive behaviour, cannibalism, feather pecking, and reduced feed intake, eventually affecting growth. It also suppresses egg production by impacting stress-related hormonal pathways, leading to a 15–20% drop in laying performance and reduced egg quality due to shell thinning. It also carries secondary disease-causing pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, and others.
Impact of red mite infestation on Poultry
Traditional treatments of synthetic chemicals such as organophosphates and pyrethroids, cause various issues. Continuous use of these chemicals can induce resistance in mites, residue in animal food, and environmental risks. To deal with these challenges, essential oils are being used as an effective alternative. Essential oils impact the ectoparasites through several complementary mechanisms. One of which is inhibiting the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which is important for nerve signal transmission in arthropods. This inhibition can cause paralysis in the mite and, eventually, death. LIMITER is a combination of essential oils that primarily work on the same mechanism.
LIMITER: A natural solution for poultry red mite management
LIMITER is a natural red mite management supplement for poultry. Using a unique combination of plant-derived components, LIMITER targets blood sucking stages of mites with a three-way mode of action including Gustatory Avoidance, Olfactory Repellence and Contact Toxicity.
Benefits of LIMITER
