Lesser Mealworms in a Brooder House1

Abstract
A heavy infestation of the lesser mealworm Alphitobius diaperinus was found in the corn cob litter of a brooder house near Centerville, Maryland. Although the lesser meal-worm is known principally as a stored product pest, larvae were observed to bore into and apparently feed on the flesh of dying and moribund baby chicks. Healthy chicks were not infested. In limited control experiments DDT (0.5%) and malathion (0.7%) emulsion sprays were effective in controlling adults and larvae, particularly in the upper 4 inches of litter.

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