Control measures
Physical exclusion
Phoridae and Sciaridae |
| In common with most insect pest problems, preventative measures are an essential element of control. |
| Adult flies must be prevented access to Phase II compost from cool-down and throughout the spawn-run period. |
| Screening on ventilation ducts (16 mesh/cm) and efficient sealing on personnel and loading doors are essential. |
| Personnel access to production houses, particularly during spawn-run, should be restricted to essential crop management practices. |
| In addition, sticky traps should be installed and monitored frequently for the occurrence of adult flies, particularly during spawn-run. |
| Illumination of sticky traps with a fluorescent light source will increase effectiveness of traps. |
Biological control
Phoridae |
Sciaridae |
| No commercial biological control agent currently available for Phoridae. | The biological control agent Steinernema feltiae provides an alternative to chemical control, which may also be applied immediately following casing. |
| This insect pathogenic nematode which parasitises larvae is available in pack sizes of 150 and 300 million nematodes and the rate of application is 3 million nematodes/ m². | |
| The nematodes are formulated in a powdered inert vermiculate carrier and must be refrigerated (5-10°C) during storage. | |
| Application equipment must be clean and free from pesticide residues and fine filters should be removed from the sprayer. | |
| These biological agents can be integrated with compatible chemicals but they must not be tank mixed. |
Chemical insecticide
Phoridae and Sciaridae |
| For each crop protection product, the manufacturers' instructions regarding crop, environmental and personal protective safety should be closely adhered to. |
| Mushroom production houses may be sprayed or fumigated with aerosol formulations containing the insecticide active ingredient pyrethrin or a formulation of pyrethrin and resmethrin. Applications to be made with 'cold fogging' equipment. |
| A product containing 10 g/l pyrethrins should be applied as a spray to run off at a maximum concentration of 700 ml product per 100 litres water |
| Fogging with this product should be at a maximum concentration of 1 litre product per 100 litres water. |
| Insecticide treatments, which target adults only, will not control populations effectively. |
| Insecticide treatments must also be directed at immature stages in the compost and casing to achieve optimum control. |
| A minimum interval of 7 days must be observed between applications. |
| Chemical insecticide containing the active ingredient diflubenzuron (100g/100m² in 250 l water) may be applied immediately after casing. |