Device for controlling poultry mites

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for controlling poultry mites in bird houses, in particular in sheds of laying hens, having a mite trap for collecting and killing the mites and / or their brood by cold atmospheric pressure plasma which is generated by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) in a discharge space between an electrically positively chargeable electrode (2), covered by a dielectric, and a grounded electrode (3). The problem addressed by the invention is to develop a device of this type such that the operation thereof proceeds in a very substantially automated way. In order to solve this problem, the invention proposes that the two electrodes (2, 3) covering the discharge space are movable relative to each other, and that grooves (6) are arranged in the surface of one of the electrodes (2, 3), the grooves serving as hideout channels and / or egg deposition spaces or brood spaces for the poultry mites, wherein cleaning elements are arranged on the surface of the respectively opposite electrode (2, 3), the cleaning elements engaging in the grooves (6) of the opposite electrode (2, 3) and, when the two electrodes (2, 3) move relative to each other, clearing the grooves (6) of the opposite electrode (2, 3) of killed mites and their brood.

Description

[0001] MIKH0209 11.09.2025 AC / KN

[0002] Device for combating bird mites

[0003] The invention relates to a device for combating bird mites in bird enclosures, in particular in laying hen houses, with a mite trap for collecting and killing the mites and / or their brood by means of cold atmospheric pressure plasma, which is generated by the electrical barrier discharge (DBE) in a discharge space between an electrically positively chargeable electrode covered by a dielectric and an earthed electrode.

[0004] The effective control of bird mites, especially the red mite (Demanyssus gallinae), has long been a known problem. Besides the use of silica dust (DE 10 2008 006 683 A1) and / or chemical acaricides (DE 10 2005 031 976 A1), physical methods have also been used for some time, in which the mites and their brood are killed in their hiding places, e.g., by electromagnetic radiation (see EP 2 642 848 B1 or EP 4 193 833 A1).

[0005] To avoid the unavoidable heating that occurs when using electromagnetic radiation, which can lead to temperatures harmful to the livestock in the barn in question, recent successful trials have been conducted to combat the red poultry mite using cold atmospheric pressure plasma. Reference is made to an article entitled "Red Poultry Mite: New Miracle Weapon in Development," published on May 6, 2023, in the journal GEFLÜGELNEWS. The method and device described therein utilize artificial hiding places for the mites and their brood, placed near the birds' perches. These hiding places are made of plastic, resemble tubes with an internal corrugated cardboard structure, and are readily accepted by the mites as shelter and as egg-laying and breeding grounds.To kill the mites and their brood located in these pipes, the pipes are periodically exposed to cold atmospheric pressure plasma for appropriate periods. Afterwards, these hiding places must be cleaned using suitable methods or, if necessary, replaced.

[0006] The same procedure was also revealed in a public lecture by Dr. Thomas Bartels entitled “Perennial Problem: Red Mite – Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma as a New Method for Regulation and Control” on September 28, 2023 (handout published on the internet at:

[0007] Cold atmospheric pressure plasma can be used with high efficiency against all developmental stages of the red poultry mite. While future resistance development cannot be ruled out in principle, it is considered unlikely based on current knowledge due to the chemophysical mode of action of cold atmospheric pressure plasma. The system also has the particular advantage of requiring no acaricides and introducing very little additional heat into the bird enclosures.

[0008] The object of the invention is to further develop the device of the type mentioned above in such a way that the necessary cleaning of the hiding places is simplified and largely automated.

[0009] To solve this problem, the invention proposes, starting from the device of the type mentioned at the outset, that the two electrodes covering the discharge chamber are movable relative to each other, and that grooves are arranged in the surface of one of the electrodes, which serve as hiding channels and / or egg-laying or breeding chambers for the bird mites, wherein cleaning elements are arranged on the surface of the other electrode, which engage in the grooves of the opposite electrode and, when the two electrodes move relative to each other, clean the grooves of the opposite electrode of dead mites and their brood.

[0010] According to the invention, it is possible in a particularly simple way to clean the grooves of the dead mites and their dead brood after each killing process by moving the two electrodes relative to each other. The cleaning elements of one electrode – similar to a comb – engage in the grooves of the opposite electrode and push all the material contained in the grooves out at the ends of the grooves. Afterwards, the two electrodes are moved back to their starting position, so that the now cleared grooves are again available as shelter and as egg-laying and breeding grounds for further mites, i.e., as a mite trap.

[0011] The two electrodes covering the discharge chamber are advantageously designed as flat plates. Alternatively, they could, for example, both have the shape of a cylindrical shell. The essential point is that the two electrodes are planar and, at least in their initial position, leave a gap between them that sufficiently covers the discharge chamber.

[0012] A particularly preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the electrically chargeable electrode is arranged on the upper side of an elongated, box-shaped housing, on which the grounded electrode is mounted so as to be relatively movable, parallel to the plane of the electrically chargeable electrode. The grooves are arranged on the upper side of the electrically chargeable electrode, and the cleaning elements are arranged on the underside of the grounded electrode. In this design of the mite trap, all components required for the electrical power supply of the electrically chargeable electrode can be housed, with particular advantage, in a protected and encapsulated manner within the housing.

[0013] The movement of the grounded electrode relative to the positively charged electrode on the top of the housing, required for cleaning the grooves, can in principle be linear or rotary. However, particular advantages in terms of design and function arise when the relative movement between the grounded electrode and the positively charged electrode is rotary and generated by a rotary drive located within the housing. The axis of rotation of this drive is perpendicular to the planes of the two electrodes, with the grooves on the top of the positively charged electrode following circular segments around the axis of rotation. This rotary drive can advantageously be housed within the interior of the closed mite trap housing with minimal additional effort, as the housing already contains the electrical supply components for the positively charged electrode.

[0014] Finally, to enable easy installation of the new mite trap in a bird enclosure, for example a chicken coop, the housing is also provided with fastening elements for detachable attachment below perches of bird enclosures.

[0015] A particular advantage of the invention is that the cleaning processes can be automated. According to current knowledge, no waiting periods are necessary with regard to edible tissue and / or animal products, thus resulting not only in improved animal health but also in better economic efficiency and consumer protection.

[0016] An embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. The drawing shows:

[0017] Figure 1: a perspective view of a device according to the invention

[0018] Figure 2: a vertical longitudinal section through the device shown in Figure 1.

[0019] Figure 3: A top view of the device shown in Figure 1. In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the housing of the mite trap is designated in its entirety by reference numeral 1. This housing 1 is provided on its upper side with an electrically chargeable electrode 2. This electrically chargeable electrode 2 is designed as an elongated plate and has on its underside a metal layer 2a made of a highly conductive metal and on its upper side a plastic layer 2b covering the metal layer 2a, which consists of a plastic that acts as a dielectric.

[0020] Above the electrically positively chargeable electrode 2 is a similarly plate-shaped, grounded electrode 3, which has approximately the same shape as the electrically positively chargeable electrode 2 and is arranged parallel to it at a slight distance. This grounded electrode 3 is rotatably supported by a rotary drive 4 located centrally in the housing 1, the axis of rotation 5 of which is perpendicular to the planes of the two electrodes 2 and 3.

[0021] Furthermore, the upper surface of the electrically positively chargeable electrode 2 is provided with a plurality of grooves 6, which are arranged at equal intervals along concentric to the axis of rotation 5 of the rotary drive 4.

[0022] The grooves run along arc segments. Cleaning elements 7, located on the underside of the grounded electrode 3, engage in these grooves 6. These cleaning elements 7 are designed so that – similar to a comb – when the grounded electrode 2 is rotated around the axis of rotation 5, they push the material lying in the grooves 6, i.e., the dead mites and their brood, out of the grooves 6 towards their ends.

[0023] Inside the housing 1 are all the electrical installations for generating current and voltage for the electrically positively chargeable electrode 2, for the electrically driven rotary drive 4 and the grounding of the grounded electrode 3 running via the axis of rotation 5.

[0024] Finally, the housing 1 is also equipped with fastening elements 8 for detachable attachment below perches in birdhouses. The device described above functions, for example, as follows in a chicken coop:

[0025] In their initial, unrotated position, the grooves 6 located between electrodes 2 and 3, which are open at their ends, form entry points that mites returning from blood feeding readily use as hiding places and for raising their offspring. As soon as the grooves 6 are, or at least partially, occupied, a cold atmospheric pressure plasma is generated between electrodes 3 and 4, which kills the mites and their brood. This occurs by applying the required voltage and frequency to the electrically positive electrode 2.

[0026] Once all mites and their brood have been killed, plasma generation is switched off and the rotary drive 4 is switched on, rotating the grounded electrode 2 into the twisted position shown in Figure 1. The cleaning elements located on the underside of the electrode 2 push the killed mites and their brood out of the grooves 6. The grounded electrode 2 is then rotated back to its initial position by means of the rotary drive 4, allowing a new operating cycle to begin.

[0027] The device according to the invention has the particular advantage that it does without chemical killing agents, that very little additional heat is introduced into the stables, and that the practically automatic cleaning processes can be carried out without interrupting the occupancy of the stables.

[0028] - Reference symbol list -

[0029] List of references

[0030] 1 Housing 2 Electrically positively chargeable electrode

[0031] 2a Metal layer

[0032] 2b dielectric plastic layer

[0033] 3 grounded electrode

[0034] 4 Rotary drive 5 Rotary axis

[0035] 6 grooves

[0036] 7 cleaning elements

[0037] 8 fasteners

[0038] - Patent claims -

Claims

Patent claims 1. Device for controlling bird mites in bird enclosures, in particular in laying hen houses, with a mite trap for collecting and killing the mites and / or their brood by cold atmospheric pressure plasma, which is generated by dielectric barrier discharge (DBE) in a discharge chamber between an electrically positively chargeable electrode (2) covered by a dielectric and a grounded electrode (3), characterized in that the two electrodes (2, 3) covering the discharge chamber are movable relative to each other, and that grooves (6) are arranged in the surface of one of the electrodes, which serve as hiding channels and / or egg-laying or egg-laying channels.The electrodes serve as breeding chambers for the bird mites, with cleaning elements (7) arranged on the surface of the respective other electrode (2,3) which engage in the grooves (6) of the opposite electrode (2,3) and, when the two electrodes (2,3) are moved relative to each other, clean the grooves (7) of the opposite electrode (2,3) of dead mites and their brood.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that both electrodes (2,3) covering the discharge space are designed as flat plates.

3. Device according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the electrically positively chargeable electrode (2) and its dielectric (2b) are arranged on the top side of an elongated, box-shaped housing (1), on which the grounded electrode (3) is mounted parallel to the plane of the electrically positively chargeable electrode in a relatively movable manner, wherein the grooves are arranged on the top side of the electrically positively chargeable electrode (2) and the cleaning elements are arranged on the bottom side of the grounded electrode (3).

4. Device according to claims 1-3, characterized in that the relative movement between the grounded electrode (3) and the electrically positively chargeable electrode (2) is rotational and is generated by a rotary drive (4) arranged in the housing (1), the axis of rotation (5) of which is perpendicular to the planes of the two electrodes (2,3), wherein the grooves (6) on the upper side of the electrically positively chargeable electrode (2) run along circular segments of circles around the axis of rotation (5).

5. Device according to claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the housing (1) is provided with fastening elements (8) for detachable fastening below perches of birdhouses. - Summary -

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