DMancaater Farming, Saturday, January 1$ 1993 P' lull Iti try 'Oi Penn State Poultry f \ Pointers ; BIOLOGICAL CONTROL Dr. Charles W. Pitts Professor of Entomology Proper cultural practices encourage poultry manure accu mulations containing populations of beneficial predators and para sites that can suppress house fly populations. In the Northeast, macrochelid mites and hister beetles are the major predators in caged-layer operations. Parasite populations, of major importance in the south ern United States, are present at lower densities. Less is known about the role of parasites in sup pressing fly populations in poultry houses in the North. ■ The mafcrochelid mite, MACROCHELES MUSCAE DOMESTICAE, is the most com mon mite in poultry manure. The reddish-brown mite, slightly less than 1/16-mch in size, feeds on house fly eggs and first instar lar vae. It can consume up to 20 house fly eggs per day. Mites are found on die outermost layer of the man ure, particularly its peak. Macro chelids can cause substantial reductions in house fly numbers, but large mite populations are required for any appreciable impact. Efforts, therefore, should be made to conserve natural popu lations present in the manure. About 3-4 weeks of manure accu mulation is necessary for mites to become established. Another mite that may be found in poultry manure is the uropodid mite, FUSCUROPODA VEGE TANS. It feeds only on first instar "gP LIGHT & SOFT ISFL ’- & CUSHIONING & COMFORTABLE yaur I B I D I E lEEE I 8601 8-15 6-16 8-13 7-12 | m 7"iipEM" Fit, comfort and wear make this one of Red Wing’s most popular —————— shoes for work. AA A B C D E EE H 916-14 j 9-14 |HT 8-13 5-16 7-13 6%-14 7-13 HOURS: Daily 8:30 A.M. to 6 P.M.; Fri. 'til 8 P.M. Wayne’s Dry Goods FBBfl \\Vw// 271 W. Main St. \\w ¥// Kutztown,Pa. 00. Phone (215) 683-7686 03 fly larvae deeper in the manure, complementing the egg-feeding activity of the macrochelid mite on the manure surface. The principle hister beetle in northeastern poultry houses is CARCINOMAS PUMILIO, a small black beetle approximately 1/8-inch long. It feeds on house fly eggs and first instar larvae. The potential as a predator appears similar to the macrochelid mite. Adult and immature hister beetles live m the surface layers of the manure and forage for fly and mite prey. Like macrochelid mites, his ter beetles do not seem attracted to fresh manure and it may take six weeks for significant populations to develop. Another hister beetle, GNATHONCUS NANUS, is also present at lower numbers on poul try farms in the Northeast. Tiny stingless parasites attack most of the common manure breeding flies. Parasites are rarely noticed because they are extremely small (1/16-1/8-inch) and can occur naturally in low numbers on many farms. They live in manure or other decaying organic matter and search for pupae. Adult female parasites lay an egg in the pupar ium where the developing parasite larva consumes the pupa and emerges as an adult parasite. Because of naturally low para sitism levels, control programs have been based on mass releases of laboratory feared parasites. Some parasites are available from commercial insectaries. For a release program to be successful, the producer needs to consider which species and strains, and in what numbers, to release. Parasite strains must be climatically Forest Stewardship Workshop MONROEVILLE (Allegheny Co.) If you own forestland in rural Pennsylvania but live in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, you won’t have to travel very far to at tend a forest stewardship work shop this winter. The first Forest Stewardship Landowner's Workshop in a major urban area will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Palace Inn in Monroeville on January 23. Jon Kolb, former offensive lineman of the Pittsburgh Stcelers and a Pennsylvania forest land owner, will kick off the program with an introductory speech. The workshop is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Forest Stewardship Program in cooperation with The Western Pennsylvania Conserv ancy, Pennsylvania Environment al Council, the Frick Nature Cen ter, the Audubon Society of West ern Pennsylvania, the Ruffed Grouse Society, and Westmore land Woodlands Association. If you’re interested in forest re sources management and con servation, you won’t want to miss this opportunity. The workshop will cover forest management planning, wildlife habitat manage ment, biodiversity, limber taxes, estate planning, and other subjects useful to woodlot owners. Thcsls adapted to the planned release area. Parasites currently offered by commercial insectaries have prob lems maintaining pure cultures. Most producers should concen trate on conserving and building their native predator and parasite populations by using proper man agement techniques and by mini mizing insecticide use. mmm II GALVAWIZ^MBBBM bowed bottom bars makes for a comfortable 33" crate width when the sow lays down, yet the adjustable anti crush bars eliminates the sow from carelessly dropping ei the piglets. This movement restriction does not hamper the sow as she lays down, or wants to stand up, as the bars slide up and out of her way. STOTKIV agri systems Set In Urban Area fee covers lunch and a snack. A comprehensive notebook of ste wardship related materials will be offered for sale separately. “Did you know that one out of every 10 families in Pennsylvania own forestland?” asked Dr. Ste phen Jones, assistant professor of forest resources at Penn State and eocoordinator of the Forest Ste wardship Program’s educational eomponent. “Stewardship work shops arc a vital way of getting the message of sound forest manage ment out to forest landowners acorss the state. The Pittsburgh workshop is a way to reach land owners who often have been left out of the information loop be cause they don’t live on or near their woodlands.” “Over the years and some times through past mistakes re source managers have learned a great deal about using forests for multiple benefits without destroy ing the complex and delicate bal ance among the plants, animals and natural forces in a forest eco system,” said Yuri Bihun, Penn- Pork Industry Representative Wanted HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) Pennsylvania Pork Producer Council is seeking individuals to serve as a pork industry represen tative. Applicants, male or female, should be between the ages of 18 and 23 years old. Participants should have a strong background and sincere interest in the future of the pork industry. The selection process will be completed at the Keystone Pork Congress, Harris burg, on February 17. The selection process will Contracts Available For Hogs, Finishing And Sow Units. For More Information Call Northeast Agri Systems, Inc. FLYWAY BUSINESS PARK 139 A West Airport Rd. fsTfißg wups| Lititz, PA 17543 SS LSI 717-569-2702 Srt ; m™ l ; 3o H mm 1-800-673-2580 Jl— L sylvania Forest Stewardship Pro gram associate. !A forestland owner can reap the economic benefits from limber harvesting without sacrificing the forest’s other benefits, such as air and water purification, soil con servation, wildlife habitat, and recreational and aesthetic values,” Bihum said. At the workshop, landowners will learn about another program component which gives forestland owners technical and financial as sistance in designing and imple menting sound forest management plans. “The more people who get in volved in the program, the better chance Pennsylvania has to leave a legacy of healthy, productive forests for future generations,” Jones said. For more information about the Pittsburgh workshop, contact: Eric Oesterling, Westmoreland County Cooperative Extension, P.O. Box 250, Grcensburg, PA 15601-0250, (412) 837-1402. include personal application and interview. The pork representative must be able to attend the Pork Leadership Institute on July 15-20 in Des Moines, lowa. The attendee will expand their communication and human relation skills by attending state activities such as conferences, media interviews, service on state committees, boards, and county programs. For more information, call Floyd Hub er, youth Committee chairman (215) 944-6687. 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