ABSTRACT
Although the use of insecticides is the most common means to control the lesser mealworm ( Alphitobius diaperinus), irregular treatment causes insufficient control. Therefore, the present study was aimed to evaluate the effect of soil treatment with chemical insecticide on the lesser mealworm population. The experiment was carried out in a commercial poultry house, in Cascavel, state of Paraná, Brazil. Before application, in order to quantify beetle population, various Arend’s traps were placed in the poultry house litter for 6 months. After the poultry house was cleaned, the insecticide was applied (cypermethrin, chlorpyriphos and citronellal) on the soil (5 L of water solution/m2; 2.5 mL insecticide/L of water). Subsequently, the insect population was checked for 6 months. The results showed a mean of 775 larvae and 89 adults/trap before treatment and 166 larvae and 23 adults/traps afterward. In the soil, high larval and pupal mortality were observed, due to contact with the insecticide that infiltrated the soil on average 13 cm deep.
KEY WORDS
Chemical control; aviculture; lesser mealworm; animal production
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