Asian Journal of Research in Animal and Veterinary Sciences

Dermanyssus gallinae, red mite, has been considered one of the most serious problems to poultry industry worldwide. The acaricidal activity of the Azadaritcha indica essential oil against the red mites of poultry was investigated. The effect of A. indica essential oils was assessed by contact and fumigation bioassays in laboratory. Freshly collected adults red mites from poultry houses were exposed to the A. indica essential oils at concentrations of 0.5%, 1% and 2% in Petri dishes/ vials in laboratory at 27 ᴼC and 60-70% relative humidity over a period of 24 hrs. Post treatment, the red mites were collected and counted to determine the mortality rates for each concentration in different interval periods. The result of contact and fumigation bioassays revealed that, the A. indica essential oil possesses significant (P<0.05) acaricidal activity at different concentrations against D.gallinae under laboratory conditions and cause significant (P<0.05) mortality rate of red mites compared to control group. The mortality rate of red mites researched the peak (100%) with concentration of 2% at 24 hrs post treatment. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that A. indica essential oil possesses acaricidal activity and could be used as potential alternative for controlling of D. gallinae in poultry farms.