Hi All, I had a question about composting chicken litter after a mite infestation. I noticed in looking though our posts here that several others had that question, and no one seemed to have a definitive answer. I work for Extension in Pennsylvania, so I turned to the Entomology team for advice that I could share with you to build our knowledge base.
Scaly Leg Mites, which is what I am currently dealing with, give live birth and only survive a few days away from the host, so we don't need to worry about eggs harboring over in the compost. However, Red Mite eggs can survive up to 2 YEARS before hatching if in a secure-to-them environment.
My question was: "I’m wondering what temperature and duration is required to kill eggs from mites or lice commonly found on poultry? Will a black composting bin in full sun be enough to sterilize my compost of these parasites?"
The answer was: "Temperatures > 39 C and ca. 45 C are lethal for northern fowl mites and poultry red mites, respectively (see attached papers). I don't know about duration, but in the northern fowl mite paper the eggs were exposed to high temps for 3 days. I expect that, if done properly to reach high temps > 45 C, composting should destroy mite eggs." ~ Amy C. Murillo, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, University of California
My notes:
45 C = 113 F
When hot composting, internal temperatures should idealy be between 90-140 f. The pile should never get hotter than 155 f, or you will kill off all the good bacteria and beneficial insects. When properly set up, temperatures inside a black compost bin commonly reach 120-140 during active composting for several days. Regulary turning or rotating your bin will ensure that all parts of the compost are equally exposed to these internal temperatures.
Obviously, this is not going to perform as well in the winter months, so I would stockpile winter waste till the weather warms up, then transfer it into a hot composting bin (or just have multiple bins that you fill all winter in prep for the spring.)
https://compost.css.cornell.edu/Factsheets/FS5.html
https://extension.unr.edu/publication.aspx?PubID=3521
Hot Composting bins can be made from black trash cans, dark rubbermaid totes, wood frame boxes lined with black plastic on the outside, or pre-made bins that you purchase - google and pinterest are filled with suggestions.
(Cold composting, where you just dump everything in a pile and let it break down slowly over time will not kill mites or other pathogens)
I've attached below the research papers Dr. Murillo referenced.
Scaly Leg Mites, which is what I am currently dealing with, give live birth and only survive a few days away from the host, so we don't need to worry about eggs harboring over in the compost. However, Red Mite eggs can survive up to 2 YEARS before hatching if in a secure-to-them environment.
My question was: "I’m wondering what temperature and duration is required to kill eggs from mites or lice commonly found on poultry? Will a black composting bin in full sun be enough to sterilize my compost of these parasites?"
The answer was: "Temperatures > 39 C and ca. 45 C are lethal for northern fowl mites and poultry red mites, respectively (see attached papers). I don't know about duration, but in the northern fowl mite paper the eggs were exposed to high temps for 3 days. I expect that, if done properly to reach high temps > 45 C, composting should destroy mite eggs." ~ Amy C. Murillo, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, University of California
My notes:
45 C = 113 F
When hot composting, internal temperatures should idealy be between 90-140 f. The pile should never get hotter than 155 f, or you will kill off all the good bacteria and beneficial insects. When properly set up, temperatures inside a black compost bin commonly reach 120-140 during active composting for several days. Regulary turning or rotating your bin will ensure that all parts of the compost are equally exposed to these internal temperatures.
Obviously, this is not going to perform as well in the winter months, so I would stockpile winter waste till the weather warms up, then transfer it into a hot composting bin (or just have multiple bins that you fill all winter in prep for the spring.)
https://compost.css.cornell.edu/Factsheets/FS5.html
https://extension.unr.edu/publication.aspx?PubID=3521
Hot Composting bins can be made from black trash cans, dark rubbermaid totes, wood frame boxes lined with black plastic on the outside, or pre-made bins that you purchase - google and pinterest are filled with suggestions.
(Cold composting, where you just dump everything in a pile and let it break down slowly over time will not kill mites or other pathogens)
I've attached below the research papers Dr. Murillo referenced.
Attachments
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