Bioactive essential oil-treated feed as a potential tool for the management of Alphitobius diaperinus in poultry farms

Abstract

Alphitobius diaperinus is a worldwide poultry pest which causes several problems, including the dispersion of pathogenic microorganisms, injuries and stress in birds, as well as structural damage to the facilities. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of seven essential oils (EOs) on the choice behaviour of A. diaperinus adults in order to contribute to the development of low environmental impact management alternatives. Area preference tests were performed to screen for the repellent or attractant effects of the EOs. Then, it was evaluated whether the most active EOs retain their effects when added to poultry feed. When the insects were exposed to treated filter papers in area preference tests, Syzygium aromaticum, Origanum vulgare, and Dysphania ambrosioides EOs were found to be strongly repellent. During the first two hours of exposure, 80–95% of the insects were repelled by the EO-treated area. These EOs also showed a repellent effect when supplied together with poultry feed. The highest repellency levels were achieved with D. ambrosioides and O. vulgare EOs at 0.1 µl/g feed two hours after the start of the experiment, with 83% of insects preferring the control area. Syzygium aromaticum EO at 0.03 µl/g feed showed the strongest repellency at 24 h, with 78% of individuals avoiding the treated area. According to our results, the EOs of S. aromaticum, O. vulgare, and D. ambrosioides show potential to be incorporated as repellents in management plans of A. diaperinus. Poultry feed pellets could be considered as a matrix for bioactive EOs in poultry facilities.