Iranian Researchers Obtain New Formulation to Combat Red Mite in Poultry Industry

In an interview with Iranian media, Ehsan Salehifar, the executive director of the research project to produce the herbal formulation said, “Our company started its research activity in 2019 and in 2022 we managed to receive a knowledge-based certificate from the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology.”

According to the researcher, the product to combat one of the country's poultry pests called red mite is a formulation that is obtained from plants.

He said that chemical formulations are usually used to fight red mites. But, he warned, that chemical method comes with problems such as creating resistance and drug residue.

“To resolve this problem, after several years of research, we achieved a formulation based on a completely herbal composition using local and indigenous plants and presented a completely green method to fight the red mites,” Salehifar said.

The researcher further said that the herbal formulation is able to completely destroy the red mite.

He explained that red mites are blood-feeding ectoparasites that live in small cracks inside poultry houses and come out at night.

He also noted that their green method will cause a reduction in the pest and losses in chickens while increases the production in poultry houses.

“This product is 100% from plants and if it is applied to the chicken, it will not harm them,” he noted. He further explained, “We examined 30 types of plants to produce this product, and finally 5 indigenous plants in the country were selected to produce this formulation.”

Salehifar went on to note that although their product will not last as long as chemical products, it has no side effects.

“The life cycle of the red mite from the time of the laying eggs to the final stages of its life lasts approximately 4 days in each stage, and if we destroy the adult red mite at any stage, their eggs still remain. In order to eliminate the cycle and be more effective in eliminating the pest, it is necessary to spray using this formulation up to 4 times in 4 day intervals.”

“This formulation is effective from the moment the mites hatch from their eggs. Our studies have shown that if colonies are sprayed with this formulation, no trace of their eggs will remain,” the researcher concluded.

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