Poultry Shield an effective miticide to control Dermanyssus gallinae De Geer, 1778 (Arthropoda: Acari) in poultry infestation

Poultry Shield, a new miticide with "possible" contact depolymerizing ability on mite cuticle is tested and found effective against the red poultry mite (Dermanyssus gallinae De Gecr, 1778). The contact of chemical on the mite results into extensive cuticle damage due to "chemical action", as shown below. "Several points" are considered favourable with this commercial product. Humans have no cuticle so the Poultry Shield action is not relevant on workers during miticide distribution and soon after the "control action". Further, workers will take a great advantage working in a safe area, being no more disturbed by poultry mite. Both the chemical components and the "lifting effect on biopolymers MoA" of the miticide have no residual effect on the poultry, thus it is possible to act against the mite just before the slaughtering o during eggs pro- ductions. This miticide fit perfectly into a.i. "sequence strategy" lowering the selective pressure and the con- sequent resistance "that arises" because of conventional a.i. Advantages and usc of Poultry Shield arc discussed on the basis of direct observations on population of wild D. gallinae collected in ten industrial poultry units in Italy. The availability of such class of miticide "will help in better" poultry management "by a safer" unit cleaning and disinfesting techniques, on the basis of product features