Back J. P. T. Kapongo and J. H. Giliomee
Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Stellenbosch, 7600 Stellenbosch, South Africa
Full Paper (PDF File: 93KB)
Abstract
Two products known as "Effective Micro-organisms" (EM and EM5) were evaluated for use in the biological control of the house flies Musca domestica L. and Fannia canicularis (L.) that breed in the manure produced in poultry production units. In the first experiment the compounds were mixed with the rearing medium for M. domestica and young lervae were placed in it. From the percentage adult flies that emerged from treated and untreated media it was clear that the products had no effect on the development of the flies. In the second experiment larvae of both fly species were added to manure in plastic boxes that were placed in the row of manure that accumulated under the birds and treated with different concentrations of EM and EM5, with and without molasses. It was found that the treatments did not kill the flies, but that the levels of natural parasitism of larvae and pupae were remarkably higher in all the treatments than in the control, in some cases more that 70 % compared to less than 10%. The explanation for this phenomenon is not clear, but it appears that the parasitoids in the poultry production units were attracted
to the boxes treated with EM and EM5, and to a lesser extent to those treated with molasses. It is speculated that the application of EM or EM5 to the manure will boost the level of parasitism when used in conjunction with mass released parasitoids for fly control.